My kind of people

"IT SEEMS that Nasrallah survived," Israeli newspapers announced, after 23 tons of bombs were dropped on a site in Beirut, where the Hizbullah leader was supposedly hiding in a bunker.

An interesting formulation. A few hours after the bombing, Nazrallah had given an interview to Aljazeera television. Not only did he look alive, but even composed and confident. He spoke about the bombardment - proof that the interview was recorded on the same day.

So what does "it seems that" mean? Very simple: Nasrallah pretends to be alive, but you can't believe an Arab. Everyone knows that Arabs always lie. That's in their very nature, as Ehud Barak once pronounced.

They came from all over the country, Jews and Arabs, from the air-raid shelters of Haifa and Nazareth and the still safe neighborhoods of metropolitan Tel-Aviv.

The third demonstration against the war in Lebanon attracted much greater numbers than the first ones. While the first had 100 participants and the second reached already about 1000, this time (July 22) some 5000 took part.

"Olmert get out of Lebanon -- the war is a disaster!" the protesters shouted. "We hall neither die nor kill - in the service of the USA" "Peretz, Peretz beware - in The Hague they are waiting for you! "Olmert, Olmert resign - you are not wanted anymore" "All the cabinet ministers are war criminals" and more.

After marching from Rabin Square to Cinemateque Square, the protesters held a rally that filled the square and flowed over into the neighboring streets.

The first speaker was former minister and Israel-Prize laureate Shulamit Aloni, who condemned the war in the harshest terms. She was followed by former MK Issam Makhoul for Hadash, former MK Uri Avnery for Gush Shalom, Youth movements' representative Yael Leirer, Yishai Menuhin for "Yesh Gvul", Awad Abd-al-Fatah for Balad, and Abeer Kopti for the Haifa group "Women Against War". The rally was conducted by Huloud Badawi of Ta'ayush and Jana Knofowa of the "Women's Coalition for Peace".

All speakers demanded an immediate end to the war and the start of negotiations, before we get sucked into the Lebanese quagmire the same way as in last war.

Only a few hours after the start of the attack on Lebanon, 200 peace activists gathered in front of the Ministry of Defense to protest against it.

"One - Two - Three - Four / We do not want this war!" shouted the demonstrators, members of several organizations, youngsters side by side with veterans. Other slogans (roughly translated from Hebrew) were:
"Artillery and Qassams / The occupation is bad for everybody!"
"Peretz - you promised education and pensions / And all we got is tanks and dead bodies!"

"Exchange prisoners-of-war / Bring the soldiers home!"
"Peretz, Peretz, Minister of Defense / You have killed seven children today!"

The action of passers-by was much less hostile then anticipated. Some drivers shouted curses at the activists, but quite a number honked in agreement. Most drivers seemed to be fatalistic.

The police brought a much larger force than usual, including a special unit for riot control. It seems that they feared a blocking of the traffic by the demonstrators.

The veterans among the demonstrators were reminded of the first demonstration not far from there which took place on the first day of Ariel Sharon's invasion of Lebanon in 1982. That time, also about 200 activists gathered - but their number grew within a few weeks to ten thousand, until the 400 thousand gathered to protest the Sabra and Shatila massacre.

CALLING EUROPE!

The internationally-lauded "disengagement" from Gaza did not end the occupation there. This continued in the form of an Israeli stranglehold over Gaza's communications with the outside world. The Gaza Strip has been turned into a huge open-air prison.

With the Israeli government refusing to talk to the elected Palestinian government, the only dialogue left now is the dialogue of the bombs, often directed at civilian targets on both sides of the border.

Without international intervention, a brutal escalation has become almost inevitable.

WE, Israeli patriots and peace activists, call upon the European Union and its member states, possibly in conjunction with other countries, to intervene immediately and effectively in the looming Israel-Palestinian crisis, and, especially to -

1. APPOINT a representative of ministerial rank to Israel/Palestine to monitor unfolding events and advise the European Union on immediate steps the situation may demand.

2. STOP the severe sanctions imposed by Europe on the Palestinian Authority as a penalty for exercising their democratic right and electing a government of their choice. This by itself is a brutal intervention on behalf of the occupation.

3. ENGAGE both the Government of Israel and the elected Palestinian president and government in a serious dialogue, with the view of putting an end to the present crisis and paving the way for meaningful peace negotiations.

4. EXTEND the European Union Border Assistance Mission, already successfully operating at the Rafah border crossing, to all border crossings between Israel and the Gaza Strip, in order to ensure the regular flow of foodstuffs, medicines and other goods in both directions, irrespective of political and military developments.

5. ACT as a permanent mediator for acute crises, such as the case of the Israeli prisoner-of-war, Gilad Shalit.

6. OFFER both sides to station a permanent European peace-keeping force between the Gaza Strip and Israel.

7. CONSIDER the convening of an international conference for ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

EUROPE CANNOT AFFORD TO REMAIN SILENT!

THE MARCH OF FOLLY

The offensive on land, from the sea and from the air does not put an end to the launching of Qassam rockets. It is leading to their increase.

The sowing of destruction in the Gaza Strip does not bring Gilad Shalit home. It is endangering his life.

Actions against the Hamas ministers, members of parliament and social institutions will not bring Hamas down. It will intensify popular support for them.

A Government that refuses to negotiate will sink even more into the quagmire.

And together with them - all of us.

DISMISS HALUTZ!

HALUTZ is the commander-in-chief of the Israeli army. Therefore, he must bear personal responsibility for the Kerem-Shalom affair and all its results.

HALUTZ initiated the Gaza invasion, which endangers the life of the captured soldier Gilad Shalit. He is gambling with Gilad's life.

HALUTZ is an advocate of the "targeted liquidations", which inevitably lead to the killing of Palestinian civilians, mostly women and children. He has declared that this causes him to feel only "a slight bang on the wing" and does not prevent him from sleeping soundly.

HALUTZ is the father of the tactics that arouse fury and a thirst for revenge in the entire Palestinian population and causes them to fire more Qassam rockets and to increase their efforts to capture more soldiers for the purpose of exchanging them for their own prisoners.

HALUTZ is the chief advisor of the government, which has decided to blockade the elected Palestinian government and to turn life in Gaza into hell, instead of opening negotiations for a cease-fire and a political settlement.

HALUTZ has captured Defense Minister Amir Peretz and marginalized him.

HALUTZ MUST GO!
WE NEED A CHIEF-OF-STAFF OF A DIFFERENT KIND!