Protests Mark 40th Anniversary of Six Day War

Marking the 40th anniversary of the 1967 Six Day War hundreds of anti-settlement protesters gathered in Hebron, the iconic city home to the first settlement marking for some the glory of the settlement movement and for others the death of the peace process.

The heavily guarded protest in the Israeli controlled section of Hebron attracted a small counter protest from the Jews that live in the city and others in support of the settlements in the West Bank.

The Israeli High Court ruled on Monday that Peace Now, a
left wing Israeli peace organization, would be allowed to hold the demonstration. This marks the first time in five years that the group has been allowed to gather in Hebron due to the Israeli army’s concern that demonstrations might spark riots among the settlers endangering Palestinian and the protesters lives.

However, the rally went largely without incident today. Israeli army radio reported that Palestinians threw stones at one of the Peace Now buses and at an army vehicle. No injuries were reported.

“Since 1967,” Lana Remez shouted over the noise of the protest, “I was against occupying the territories. If we hadn’t taken them so many of Israel’s problems would be solved now. I have seen many of my friends die in war and in terror to protect these settlements. Death is not a way to live. We need to leave the settlements now.”

Signs reading “40 Years in Enough,” “Stop the Settlements,” and“End the Occupation Now” written in the distinctive red and black of the Peace Now movement yielded aloft by the protesters attracted the attention of Palestinians passing by along the road above the area designated for the
demonstrators.

This road was open only to foot traffic to allow the protesters buses to pass through safely.

Chaim Oron, a Knesset member of the left wing Meretz party, spoke at the protest of the need to leave the settlements that sprang up following the Six Day War.

We call on the Israeli government to enter negotiations with the Palestinian Authority” Oron told the crowd who cheered avidly through his speech. “We must talk with them and we will also have to evacuate the settlers from Hebron."

The small group of counter protesters held signs denouncing the Peace Now protesters as “traitors” and comparing their actions to those of the Nazis.

“We are not even talking about Palestinians,” another protester said as the Peace Now and Settler protests attempted to out shout each other. “This is about the right against the left. This is Jews against Jews. First, we must learn to negotiate with each other and then we may be able to make peace with our neighbors.”