-Caveat Lector- Print Edition Ha'aretz Sunday, January 05, 2003 Shvat 2, 5763 Israel Time: 04:08 (GMT+2)
Thousands protest banning of Arab candidates from Knesset elections By Yair Ettinger and Jalal Bana Thousands took part yesterday in two separate demonstrations in Nazareth organized by the Hadash-Ta'al and Balad parties, to protest last week's disqualification of Arab Knesset candidates by the Central Elections Committee. Yesterday evening in Jerusalem, Peace Now activists protested in front of the Prime Minister's Residence against the disqualification of MK Ahmed Tibi from the Hadash-Ta'al list, and also MK Azmi Bishara and his Balad party, Israel Radio reported. Supporters of Hadash-Ta'al demonstrated yesterday in central Nazareth, to protest Tibi's disqualification by the CEC last week. Protesters chanted slogans attacking the government and right-wing parties, as well as slogans supporting the intifada and Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat. Leaders from Hadash-Ta'al argued with demonstrators who called on Israeli Arabs to boycott the upcoming elections. The leaders urged followers to cast ballots on January 28, so as to strengthen the Arab parties. They also chided Balad and Bishara for advocating an election boycott should Bishara's disqualification be upheld on Tuesday by the Supreme Court. MK Mohammed Barakeh, who heads Hadash-Ta'al., said "If we boycott the elections, we'll abandon the Knesset to the right." Shhweki Khatib, chairman of the Arab Higher Monitoring Committee said during the Nazareth rally that "disqualifying the Arab lists and MKs continues policies of hostility toward Arabs in Israel, and damages what is left of Israeli democracy." Khatib called on demonstrators to rally in front of the Supreme Court building in Jerusalem on Tuesday while the High Court reviews the CEC's decision to disqualify the Arab candidates. In another Nazareth rally yesterday, thousands of Balad supporters demonstrated against the CEC's decision to disqualify its list and party leader Bishara. Speakers attacked Israel's political establishment, and Attorney General Elyakim Rubinstein whose goal is to keep Bishara out of the Knesset, they said. "We face a dangerous turning point in relations between the Arab public and the state of Israel," Bishara warned. On Friday, hundreds of Arabs and Jews met at Yafia, near Nazareth, to express in Hebrew and Arabic their condemnation of the CEC's decisions . Among the participants invited by Khatib were Meretz MKs Mussi Raz and Hussniya Jabara, who joined Knesset colleagues from Hadash and the Arab parties. Also attending were academics, and delegates from various activist groups such as Peace Now and Ta'ayush. Spokesmen from the Higher Monitoring Committee said that public protests against the disqualifications will continue today and tomorrow, and reach their peak during Tuesday's rally in front of the Supreme Court building. Participants at Friday's meeting discussed the idea of creating a "Jewish-Arab Monitoring Committee" which would work to prevent future crises. © Copyright 2003 Ha`aretz. All rights reserved <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/";>www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html";>Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/";>ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
