Jews and Arabs Demonstrate Together Against Israeli Home Demolitions — and Trump
Image by Tomer Appelbaum/Haaretz
By Naomi Zeveloff February 5, 2017
Thousands of Arabs and Jews waving Israeli and Palestinian flags protested in Tel Aviv on Saturday against home demolitions in Arab villages.
Organizers estimated that some 5,000 protesters marched in central Tel Aviv in a demonstration that also referenced President Donald Trump’s ban on immigrants from seven Muslim nations.
“No Ban! No Wall! No Demolitions!” read one English sign.
“All of you, who are standing here today, you are proof that Jews and Arabs can and want to live together and with equality,” said Amal Abu Sa’ad, the widow of Yakub Abu al-Kiyan, according to news reports.
Abu al-Kiyan was killed last month in Umm al Hiran by Israeli police when his car plowed into a group of Israeli officers during demonstrations against demolitions in the town, killing one officer. Israeli authorities are investigating whether Abu al-Kiyan was shot beforehand or whether he intentionally plowed into the group of officers.
Analysts say that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ramped up such demolitions in order to deflect criticism from the far right over the demolition of the Jewish West Bank outpost of Amona, which was built on private Palestinian land.
Contact Naomi Zeveloff at [email protected]
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.
Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.
At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and the protests on college campuses.
Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
