Israeli rally calls on gov't to stop occupation of Palestinian lands

Source : Xinhua

JERUSALEM, June 1 (Xinhua) -- About 300 Israelis rallied in Tel Aviv on Saturday night to call on the government to withdraw from the Palestinian lands that it has occupied for decades.

The demonstrators marched from the Ministry of Defense to Jabotinski House, the headquarters of the ruling Likud party, carrying placards saying "two states -- Palestine along Israel" and "Jews and Arabs refuse to be enemies."

A few right-wingers demonstrated in front of them in a spontaneous counter-demonstration, calling for keeping "the State of Israel to Israelis".

Dov Khanin, member of socialist Hadash party, which organized the rally, said Israel's occupation of the Palestinian lands is " dangerous, malign and expensive."

"The immense sum of money invested in building and securing the settlements and constructing apartheid walls, means less to welfare and education," Khanin said.

Meanwhile, the U.S. administration is currently make a lot of efforts, led by Secretary of State John Kerry, to help renew the peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.

The U.S. diplomat visited the Middle East for the fourth time last month since he assumed into office in February.

Although Israeli officials have recently expressed their desire to resume the peace talks and their support of the two-state solution, many demonstrators said they have little trust in the government's announcements.

"Over the years, Israel did everything to prove that it isn't interested in peace," said Ma'ayan Dak, a leader of Coalition of Women for Peace and an organizer of the rally.

Dak said the ongoing Israeli control over the West Bank involves "many financial interests of companies which are involved in the construction of the settlements, building separation walls, operating the checkpoints, so Israel have no incentive to cease the occupation."

Israel occupied the West Bank and Gaza Strip in the 1967 War. It withdrew its army from Gaza under the 2005 disengagement Plan but still keeps a tight blockade against it.

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