Latest news with #StandingTogether
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Protesters march from Tel Aviv to Gaza border calling to end Israel-Hamas War
The march is expected to take place over the course of three days, ending near the Gaza border, as those marching join a protest organized by the It's Time coalition of peace organizations. Israelis set out from Tel Aviv and walked towards the Gaza border Wednesday, as part of a protest against the continuation of the Gaza war organized by Standing Together. "We are marching because the destruction, starvation, and abandonment must stop," the grassroots peace organization said. The group, made up of a few dozen people, set out from near the Kirya IDF military headquarters and marched South. The march is expected to take place over the course of three days, ending near the Gaza border, as those marching join a protest organized by the It's Time coalition of peace organizations. "We are in Jaffa, continuing towards Bat Yam, and thinking about the longer road - from death to agreement, from destruction to hope," Standing Together added. "This is not the simple path, but we are walking it together." The march is the latest in a series of recent actions by Standing Together aimed at promoting peace and pushing to end the Israel-Hamas War. Last week, Standing Together activists confronted Tzav 9 protesters blocking aid trucks into Gaza in an effort to prevent the protesters from keeping aid out of Gaza. The organization also gathered in Jerusalem's Old City on Jerusalem Day to protect residents from nationalist attacks.
The Hindu
27-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Chanting 'Death to Arabs,' Israeli nationalists gather for annual march in Jerusalem
Chanting 'Death to Arabs' and singing 'May your village burn,' groups of young Israeli Jews made their way through Muslim neighbourhoods of Jerusalem's Old City on Monday (May 26, 2025) ahead of an annual march marking Israel's conquest of the eastern part of the city. Palestinian shopkeepers had closed up early, and police lined the narrow alleys ahead of the march that often became a rowdy and sometimes violent procession of ultranationalist Jews. A policeman raised his arms in celebration at one point, recognising a marcher and going in for a hug. A small group of protesters, including an Israeli member of parliament, meanwhile, stormed a compound in east Jerusalem belonging to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, known as UNRWA. The march commemorates Jerusalem Day, which marks Israel's capture of East Jerusalem, including the Old City and its holy sites sacred to Jews, Christians, and Muslims, in the 1967 Mideast war. The event, set to begin later in the day, threatens to inflame tensions that are already rife in the restive city amid nearly 600 days of war in Gaza. Jerusalem lies at the heart of the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, who each see the city as a key part of their national and religious identity. It is one of the most intractable issues of the conflict and often emerges as a flashpoint. Last year's procession, which came during the first year of the war in Gaza, saw ultranationalist Israelis attack a Palestinian journalist in the Old City and call for violence against Palestinians. Four years ago, the march helped set off an 11-day war in Gaza. Tour buses carrying young ultranationalist Jews lined up near entrances to the Old City, bringing hundreds from outside Jerusalem, including settlements in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Police said they had detained a number of individuals, without specifying, and 'acted swiftly to prevent violence, confrontations, and provocations'. Volunteers from the pro-peace organisations Standing Together and Free Jerusalem tried to position themselves between the marchers and residents to prevent violence. 'This is our home, this is our state," shouted one protester at a Palestinian woman. 'Go away from here!" she responded, in Hebrew. Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who oversees the country's police force, visited a flash point hilltop compound holy to Jews and Muslims, where the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock are located today. One Israeli lawmaker, Yitzhak Kroizer, could be seen praying. Perceived encroachments by Jews on the site have set off widespread violence on a number of occasions going back decades. 'We are marking a holiday for Jerusalem,' Mr. Ben-Gvir said Monday (May 26, 2025) at the site, accompanied by other lawmakers and a rabbi. 'There are truly many Jews flooding the Temple Mount. How nice to see that.' Beyadenu, an activist group that encourages Jewish visits to the site, said dozens of people had ascended to the holy compound on Monday (May 26, 2025) draped in the Israeli flag, and had prayed there. Since Israel captured the site in 1967, a tenuous understanding between Israeli and Muslim religious authorities at the compound has allowed Jews, who revere the site as the Temple Mount, the location of the biblical temples, to visit but not pray there. Mr. Ben-Gvir says he is changing that status quo. Palestinians already say it has long been eroding because of an increase in Jewish visits to the site. 'Today, thank God, it is possible to pray on the Temple Mount,' Mr. Ben-Gvir said at the site, according to a statement from his office. The office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there has been no change to the status quo. Police said that Monday's march would not enter the site. Israel considers all of Jerusalem to be its eternal, undivided capital. Its annexation of east Jerusalem is not internationally recognized. Palestinians want an independent state with east Jerusalem as its capital. For many in Israel, Jerusalem Day is a joyous occasion that marks a moment of redemption in their country's history, when access to the key Jewish holy site of the Western Wall was restored and the city was unified. But over recent years, the Jerusalem Day march in the city has become dominated by young nationalist and religious Israelis and on some occasions has descended into violence. UNRWA West Bank coordinator Roland Friedrich said around a dozen Israeli protesters, including Yulia Malinovsky, one of the legislators behind an Israeli law that banned UNRWA, forcefully entered the compound, climbing its main gate in view of Israeli police. Israel has accused the agency, which is the biggest aid provider in Gaza, of being infiltrated by Hamas, allegations denied by the U.N. There was no immediate comment from Israeli police. The compound has stood mainly empty since the end of January, after UNRWA asked staff not to work from there, fearing for their safety. The U.N. says it has not vacated the compound and that it is protected under international law.
Los Angeles Times
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Thousands of Israeli nationalists chant ‘death to Arabs' during annual procession through Jerusalem
JERUSALEM — Chanting 'Death to Arabs' and singing 'May your village burn,' groups of young Israeli Jews made their way through Muslim neighborhoods of Jerusalem's Old City on Monday during an annual march marking Israel 's conquest of the eastern part of the city. Palestinian shopkeepers closed early and police lined the alleys ahead of the march that often becomes a rowdy and sometimes violent procession of ultranationalist Jews. A police officer raised his arms in celebration at one point, hugging a marcher. Police kept a close watch as demonstrators jumped, danced and sang. Hours earlier, a small group of protesters, including an Israeli member of parliament, stormed a compound in east Jerusalem belonging to the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, known as UNRWA. The march commemorates Jerusalem Day, which marks Israel's capture of east Jerusalem, including the Old City and its holy sites sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims, in the 1967 Mideast war. The event threatened to inflame tensions that are rife in the restive city amid nearly 600 days of war in Gaza. Jerusalem lies at the heart of the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. Each sees the city as a key part of their national and religious identity. It is one of the most intractable issues of the conflict and is often a flashpoint. Israel considers all of Jerusalem to be its eternal, undivided capital. Its annexation of east Jerusalem is not internationally recognized. Palestinians want an independent state with east Jerusalem as its capital. Last year's procession, during the first year of the war in Gaza, saw ultranationalist Israelis attack a Palestinian journalist in the Old City and call for violence against Palestinians. Four years ago, the march helped set off an 11-day war in Gaza. Tour buses carrying young ultranationalist Jews lined up near entrances to the Old City, bringing hundreds from outside Jerusalem, including settlements in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Police, who called the procession the 'Dance of Flags,' said they had detained a number of people and 'acted swiftly to prevent violence, confrontations and provocations.' Speaking in an east Jerusalem archaeological park located in a Palestinian neighborhood, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged to 'preserve a united, whole Jerusalem, and the sovereignty of Israel.' He said the government was encouraging foreign embassies to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital and investing billions of shekels in the city's development. Volunteers from the pro-peace organization Standing Together and the Free Jerusalem collective, which works with Palestinians in Jerusalem, tried to position themselves between the marchers and residents to prevent violence. One shopkeeper swept the floor after marchers tipped over his bale of bay leaves. A group of young Jewish Israelis followed a Palestinian woman through the streets, calling her 'charmouta' — Arabic for 'whore.' 'This is our home, this is our state,' one protester shouted at a Palestinian woman. 'Go away from here!' she responded, in Hebrew. Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who oversees the country's police force, visited a hilltop compound holy to Jews and Muslims, where Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock are located. One Israeli lawmaker, Yitzhak Kroizer, could be seen praying. Perceived encroachments by Jews on the site have set off widespread violence on a number of occasions going back decades. Hamas accused Israel of 'desecrating' the site when it launched its Oct. 7, 2023 attack. 'We are marking a holiday for Jerusalem,' Ben-Gvir said, accompanied by other lawmakers and a rabbi. 'There are truly many Jews flooding the Temple Mount. How nice to see that.' Beyadenu, an activist group that encourages Jewish visits to the site, said dozens of people had ascended to the compound draped in the Israeli flag, and had prayed there. Since Israel captured the site in 1967, a tenuous understanding between Israeli and Muslim religious authorities at the compound has allowed Jews — who revere the site as the Temple Mount, the location of the biblical temples — to visit but not pray there. Ben-Gvir said he is changing that status quo. Palestinians say it has long been eroding because of an increase in Jewish visits. 'Today, thank God, it is possible to pray on the Temple Mount,' Ben-Gvir said, according to a statement from his office. The prime minister's office said there has been no change to the status quo. Police said Monday's march would not enter the site. For many in Israel, Jerusalem Day is a joyous occasion that marks a moment of redemption in their country's history, when access to the key Jewish holy site of the Western Wall was restored and the city was unified. But in recent years, the Jerusalem Day march has been dominated by young nationalist and religious Israelis. UNRWA West Bank coordinator Roland Friedrich said around a dozen Israeli protesters, including Yulia Malinovsky, one of the legislators behind an Israeli law that banned UNRWA, forcefully entered the compound, climbing its main gate in view of Israeli police. Protesters held a banner calling for the compound to be turned into an Israeli settlement. Israel's housing minister said last year he had instructed the ministry to 'examine how to return the area to the state of Israel and utilize it for housing.' Israel has accused the agency, the biggest aid provider in Gaza, of being infiltrated by Hamas, allegations the U.N. has denied. There was no immediate comment from Israeli police. The compound has stood mainly empty since the end of January, after UNRWA asked staff not to work from there, fearing for their safety. The U.N. says it has not vacated the compound and that it is protected under international law. Frankel writes for the Associated Press.
The Guardian
26-05-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
We must all raise our voices to stop the horror in Gaza
For those of us in Israel who are horrified and ashamed about what our government is doing, we can only share Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett's sense of hopelessness (As Gaza's children are bombed and starved, we watch – powerless. What is it doing to us as a society?, 24 May). For months now, as a member of the organisation Standing Together, an activist group of Jews and Palestinians, we have demonstrated to end the war. Lobbied politicians. Tried to awake the conscience of those who are only interested in territorial gain. Posted pictures of mutilated and starving Palestinian children. We cannot understand how the democratic world is so slow in responding. Many words of condemnation, but no action. We the peacemakers are many, but our voice has no traction with this government. The Palestinian community dare not say a word as they know they will be picked up by the security forces, and demonstrators are faced with increasingly violent police under the ultra-right minister Itamar Ben‑Gvir. Films about the occupation are banned. Television does not show pictures from Gaza. We are sliding fast into the quagmire of fascism and our voices are being silenced. Two countries for two peoples is what we want, and is the only way to peace. We have no Nelson Mandela here, or Martin Luther King, but we need every one of you to raise your voices and shout: 'Enough.'Olivia BezalelClil, Israel Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett's piece questions what genocide, ethnic cleansing and forced starvation are doing to us, the privileged, in the UK. But she omits the very words for the events that the UK is purportedly 'powerless' to stop. She laments her loss of faith in humanity. I sympathise. But she is not powerless. She is a journalist at one of the most prominent newspapers in the world. Journalists can start by taking the most basic and obvious step of using the correct words. Use genocide to describe a genocide, use murder to describe murder, use ethnic cleansing to describe ethnic cleansing. And tell us, please, who is committing the acts that you feel such anguish about. Powerlessness results from the inability to accurately describe what is happening, to condemn it and encourage readers to take action to stop it, such as protests, boycotts, or petitioning our KhouryLondon I collect river stones. I paint them white, set up an art table at markets, at music venues and on the street at a weekly vigil in Maleny, in Jinibara country. I write the names of the murdered children and people come and paint them, talk about how they feel, say a prayer, have a cry, or just sit with the magnitude of it all. They take the stones home or leave them or gift them – most make a donation. The money goes to Olive Kids, an Australian-registered charity trying to provide for Palestinian children under near‑impossible circumstances. I call them remembrance stones; a friend calls it 'craftivism'. For me, it's just the best idea I've MoriartyDiamond Valley, Queensland, Australia Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett's words resonate deeply with me, and I imagine for millions of others around the world. I have sat with impotent rage at what is being done to defenceless people for more than a year and not knowing what to do with it. While one can blame Israel, what to say of the leaders of the 'free world', the western powers, who have enabled the starvation and destruction in Palestine?Arif PervaizEdmonton, Alberta, Canada I am also a new mother and Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett has encapsulated how I am feeling absolutely perfectly. From wanting to skip traumatic videos online, yet feeling compelled to watch, to feeling a huge sense of sadness and guilt watching my vibrant, plump baby tucking into his big dinner, acutely aware that many in Gaza at this moment are starving and experiencing unimaginable trauma. The feeling of powerlessness has affected me so much more during this particular humanitarian crisis than any other I can remember. Rhiannon may well be right that moral injury by proxy, while it is nothing compared with the trauma experienced by those in Gaza, might have long-term effects on people witnessing and absorbing so much trauma daily on their devices, but who know there is little they can actually PostillPoole, Dorset I am a paediatrician neonatologist. I have been working for six years in international cooperation programmes in Africa, even in unstable countries. Never before I have encountered such a deliberate targeting of health staff and children as I am seeing now in Gaza. If this is not a crime against humanity, I don't know what else it could be. We will be asked why we kept silent and I don't want to keep silent. Where is the UN? Why can't Britain, and European countries as a whole, do more to stop all of this? I wish I could join the doctors trying to save those children now, but it is impossible. Let me invite every reader to stand for those who have no voice and raise the cries of these children to our BertiEnfield, London Have an opinion on anything you've read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.
France 24
26-05-2025
- Politics
- France 24
Israeli nationalists chant ‘Death to Arabs' ahead of Jerusalem Day rally
Chanting 'Death to Arabs' and singing 'May your village burn,' groups of young Israeli Jews made their way through Muslim neighborhoods of Jerusalem's Old City on Monday ahead of an annual march marking Israel's conquest of the eastern part of the city. Palestinian shopkeepers had closed up early and police lined the narrow alleys ahead of the march that often becomes a rowdy and sometimes violent procession of ultranationalist Jews. A policeman raised his arms in celebration at one point, recognising a marcher and going in for a hug. A small group of protesters, including an Israeli member of parliament, meanwhile, stormed a compound in east Jerusalem belonging to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, known as UNRWA. Tensions high The march commemorates Jerusalem Day — which marks Israel's capture of east Jerusalem, including the Old City and its holy sites sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims, in the 1967 Mideast war. The event, set to begin later in the day, threatens to inflame tensions that are already rife in the restive city amid nearly 600 days of war in Gaza. Jerusalem lies at the heart of the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, who each see the city as a key part of their national and religious identity. It is one of the most intractable issues of the conflict and often emerges as a flashpoint. Last year's procession, which came during the first year of the war in Gaza, saw ultranationalist Israelis attack a Palestinian journalist in the Old City and call for violence against Palestinians. Four years ago, the march helped set off an 11-day war in Gaza. Tour buses carrying young ultranationalist Jews lined up near entrances to the Old City, bringing hundreds from outside Jerusalem, including settlements in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Police said they had detained a number of individuals, without specifying, and 'acted swiftly to prevent violence, confrontations, and provocations.' Volunteers from the pro-peace organisations Standing Together and Free Jerusalem tried to position themselves between the marchers and residents to prevent violence. 'This is our home, this is our state,' shouted one protester at a Palestinian woman. 'Go away from here!' she responded, in Hebrew. Jews seen praying at holy compound Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who oversees the country's police force, visited a flashpoint hilltop compound holy to Jews and Muslims, where the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock are located today. One Israeli lawmaker, Yitzhak Kroizer, could be seen praying. Perceived encroachments by Jews on the site have set off widespread violence on a number of occasions going back decades. 'We are marking a holiday for Jerusalem,' Ben-Gvir said at the site, accompanied by other lawmakers and a rabbi. 'There are truly many Jews flooding the Temple Mount. How nice to see that.' Beyadenu, an activist group that encourages Jewish visits to the site, said dozens of people had ascended to the holy compound draped in the Israeli flag, and had prayed there. Since Israel captured the site in 1967, a tenuous understanding between Israeli and Muslim religious authorities at the compound has allowed Jews — who revere the site as the Temple Mount, the location of the biblical temples — to visit but not pray there. Ben-Gvir says he is changing that status quo. Palestinians already say it has long been eroding because of an increase in Jewish visits to the site. 'Today, thank God, it is possible to pray on the Temple Mount,' Ben-Gvir said at the site. The office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there has been no change to the status quo. Police said that Monday's march would not enter the site. Rally dominated by nationalists Israel considers all of Jerusalem to be its eternal, undivided capital. Its annexation of east Jerusalem is not internationally recognised. Palestinians want an independent state with east Jerusalem as its capital. For many in Israel, Jerusalem Day is a joyous occasion that marks a moment of redemption in their country's history, when access to the key Jewish holy site of the Western Wall was restored and the city was unified. But over recent years, the Jerusalem Day march in the city has become dominated by young nationalist and religious Israelis and on some occasions has descended into violence. UNRWA West Bank coordinator Roland Friedrich said around a dozen Israeli protesters, including Yulia Malinovsky, one of the legislators behind an Israeli law that banned UNRWA, forcefully entered the compound, climbing its main gate in view of Israeli police. There was no immediate comment from Israeli police. Hamas, allegations denied by the UN.
