‘Huge’ rally being planned to show Anglo-Jewish solidarity with Israel
Dan Brett | 20.04.2002 09:01
The Anglo-Jewish community is being asked to show solidarity with Israel at a Trafalgar Square rally which organisers hope will attract at least 40,000 people.
From the Jewish Chronicle, 19th April:
http://www.jchron.co.uk/
From the Jewish Chronicle, 19th April:
http://www.jchron.co.uk/
Set for Bank Holiday Monday, May 6, it is being organised by the Israel Solidarity Campaign, a coalition of Jewish organisations.
While it is being funded mostly by the United Jewish Israel Appeal, a spokesperson was keen to emphasise that its success would rely on “cross-communal involvement.”
He added: “This will be the largest demonstration of its type in decades. Every section of the community will be mobilised in solidarity.”
The event was originally due to take place on April 28, but was put back to May 6 on the advice of the police.
The UJIA spokesperson said that a decision was taken to hold an outdoor public rally because this was what the community was calling for.
“People want to give a public show of support to Israel. This rally will allow for that,” he said.
The last solidarity rally, in September 2001, was held at London’s Theatre Royal. More than 3,000 attended, though many of them were not able to get inside the hall and watched the proceedings relayed on big screens.
Trevor Gee, one of the organisers of the May 6 event, said that the rally would afford an opportunity for the community publicly to show its commitment “to three things: the state of Israel, a campaign against terror and a campaign against anti-Semitism.”
He added that the march would be “totally apolitical.”
The rally’s national coordinator, Alan Fox, former chief executive of the Joint Israel Appeal, declared: “There is a need from within the Jewish community to show solidarity with Israel.
“There have been similar events in Europe and America, and this is a chance for the vibrant Anglo-Jewish community — and non-Jewish community — to express their support for the Israeli people and for Israel.”
Mr Fox said he was expecting at least 40,000, some of whom would be travelling from as far as Glasgow. He said “at least 50 buses” had already been booked from Manchester and nearby Jewish communities.
“This is not a political or religious rally. We are saying we care about the people of Israel and the appalling tragedies which they have suffered.”
Mr Fox said the organisers had been been “overwhelmed with offers of support from the community,” and from a large number of non-Jews who had learned of the initiative.
While it is being funded mostly by the United Jewish Israel Appeal, a spokesperson was keen to emphasise that its success would rely on “cross-communal involvement.”
He added: “This will be the largest demonstration of its type in decades. Every section of the community will be mobilised in solidarity.”
The event was originally due to take place on April 28, but was put back to May 6 on the advice of the police.
The UJIA spokesperson said that a decision was taken to hold an outdoor public rally because this was what the community was calling for.
“People want to give a public show of support to Israel. This rally will allow for that,” he said.
The last solidarity rally, in September 2001, was held at London’s Theatre Royal. More than 3,000 attended, though many of them were not able to get inside the hall and watched the proceedings relayed on big screens.
Trevor Gee, one of the organisers of the May 6 event, said that the rally would afford an opportunity for the community publicly to show its commitment “to three things: the state of Israel, a campaign against terror and a campaign against anti-Semitism.”
He added that the march would be “totally apolitical.”
The rally’s national coordinator, Alan Fox, former chief executive of the Joint Israel Appeal, declared: “There is a need from within the Jewish community to show solidarity with Israel.
“There have been similar events in Europe and America, and this is a chance for the vibrant Anglo-Jewish community — and non-Jewish community — to express their support for the Israeli people and for Israel.”
Mr Fox said he was expecting at least 40,000, some of whom would be travelling from as far as Glasgow. He said “at least 50 buses” had already been booked from Manchester and nearby Jewish communities.
“This is not a political or religious rally. We are saying we care about the people of Israel and the appalling tragedies which they have suffered.”
Mr Fox said the organisers had been been “overwhelmed with offers of support from the community,” and from a large number of non-Jews who had learned of the initiative.
Dan Brett
e-mail:
dan@danielbrett.co.uk
Homepage:
http://www.jafi.org.il/daily/index.asp
Comments
Hide the following 5 comments
Let's all join in!
20.04.2002 13:04
Let's go and shout slogans like "Kill The Arabs!".
That kind of tactic is by far the best way to sabotage such an event.
Or if that's not your style then turn up and counter-protest.
We should definitely all go though, one way or the other. We can't let that kind of demonstration go unchallenged.
.
This is more interesting -
21.04.2002 08:01
March 1, 2002 (Neturei Karta) - Over the past several weeks various segments
of anti - Zionist, Orthodox Jewry have taken to the streets of Washington and
New York in order to protest the existence and actions of the state of Israel.
These efforts have had three things in common. They have been large, ranging
in size from hundreds to tens of thousands, featured speakers both articulate
and passionate and have been almost totally ignored by the media.
On the other hand a tiny crowd, led by the notorious anti - Gentile rabble
rouser, Avi Weiss, assembled in front of the PLO Consulate in Manhattan,
received widespread media attention. Of course, Weiss' message that the PLO be
banned from America due to its being a "terrorist organization" was more in
keeping with the attitude of an American media which by and large cringes
before Zionist power.
Indeed, Neturei Karta International staged a counter demonstration opposite
the Avi Weiss led affair. It called for the expulsion of the Israeli Consulate
from New York due to that nation's obvious status as a terrorist state. This
protest, equally well attended as that of the anti - Palestinian fanatics,
received no media coverage whatsoever.
It is most disheartening at a time when all pro Zionist attempts at solving the
Middle East conflict have resulted in yet another round of bloodshed, that the
American media should avoid covering those Jews who have never wavered in their
devotion to peace.
Traditional Torah understandings have, over the past century of Zionism's
existence, yielded a clear and consistent anti Zionist philosophy. This
philosophy has predicted that Zionism's success would inevitably result in
endless suffering for Jew and Gentile alike. Reality has, of course, validated
these predictions.
Tragically this Torah based path to path is not well known in many circles due
to the inexcusable media blackout
For more inforamtion conact:
ZioNazis are Genocidal
dont all join in !
21.04.2002 15:54
dont do that sort of thing.
be careful
urban alliance style?
22.04.2002 14:51
Zz
A counter demonstration must take place
22.04.2002 18:36
We definitly need to turn up to put the truth across and to show that this demonstration is wrong! If a fascist mass rally was planned for Trafalgar Square then the call for a massive counter demonstration would have gone out weeks ago. This coming demonstration is just as bad if not worse than a mass fascist rally! Email everyone and every arab, or muslim organisation now! Lets make these zionist facists wish they never decided to hold a public rally!!!!!!!!
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