| Palestinian and Israeli supporters demonstrate |
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| Wednesday, 07 January 2009 13:24 | |||
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The old year closed not only with the eyes on the world on the state of global economy but on the fighting that broke over after the Christmas holidays between Israel and Hamas militants located in the Gaza strip, a Palestinian territory. As news of the fighting spreads, reaction from Palestinian and Israeli supporters, respectively, have erupted in different countries. Here in South Florida individuals supporting both sides of the latest Middle East crisis faced off in a demonstration outside the Fort Lauderdale courthouse in downtown Fort Lauderdale on Tuesday. Approximately 200 pro-Palestinian supporters confronted another group of about 100 pro-Israel supporters in loud and rowdy, demonstration. Although supporters waved banners with provocative slogans, some calling the Israelites “Child Killers” there was no violence, as a strong police presence ensured that peace was kept. Tears flowed freely as Palestinian supporters, overcome with emotion shouted accusations against the Israeli supporters accusing them of killing Palestinian children in the Gaza strip, and starving its residents. As the groups demonstrated motorists passing by honked their horns, blinked headlights and shouted support for either of the groups, but police made sure they moved on and not become involved in the actual demonstrations. Eventually, as the rush hour approached police redirected traffic re-routed traffic from the proximity of the demonstrators. Israel began bombing Gaza since December 27 claiming it was responding to provocation from the militant group Hamas, who forms the government in Gaza, who had been launching rocket and missile attacks on Israeli towns since a cease-fire between Hamas and Israel expired on December 19. To date, reports indicate that some 380 men, women ad children have been killed in the attacks on Gaza, although the Israeli government announced that the target in the bombing attacks is against Hamas installations and not civilians. Another dozen people have been killed in the rocket attacks on Israel. Some international observers specializing in the perpetual Middle East tension, between Israel and Palestine are fearful that the fighting between Hamas and Israel could escalate in a full-scale Middle East war, involving Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon supporters of Hamas and Palestine, and other Middle Eastern countries that support Israel. “This is not the kind of confrontation that the world needs entering a new year, and to face a new US president soon to take office. This situation could really explode, as tensions have been brewing for a long time,” said Brandon Meyer, a member of an International Affairs think-tank located in Miami. In response to the Palestinians supporters’ claim that Israel is killing children and innocent people in Gaza, Israeli supporters countered that peace cannot be made with the Palestinians because they are intent on killing Israelis. Speaking with some of the demonstrators, one Palestinian supporter, Rasheed Malik told the National Weekly that the Palestinian demonstration was planned by the South Florida Palestinian Solidarity Network, an organization that has been pushing for improved conditions for Palestinians living in Gaza, where there is an economic blockade established by Israel and meant to weaken the Hamas government. An Israeli supporter, reluctant to offer her name, said that she and her fellow supporters decided to counter the pro-Palestinian demonstration as Israel was being wrongly accused, and was forced to defend itself in the face of consistent attacks from Hamas. She said, despite the regrettable loss of life, she wants Hamas “to be eliminated, because they are a curse on any peaceful Israeli/ Palestinian existence.” Up to press time, there were no signs of the fighting in the Middle East being abated. Although a peace truce was rumored on Tuesday night, according to reports out of Israel on Wednesday, one does seem imminent.
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| Last Updated on Wednesday, 07 January 2009 13:24 |
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