Thousands of Israelis gathered in Tel Aviv to protest against the proposed annexation of the West Bank on Saturday. The Israel annexation plan has been labelled as a ‘historic opportunity’ by Benyamin Netanyahu and is staunchly supported by the United States.
Protestors waved Palestinians flags and banners which called for peace and democracy and no to annexation. The demonstrators took coronavirus prevention measures, gathering in masks and maintaining social distancing, as they stood in solidarity with Palestinians.
The protests were organized by left-wing groups and NGOs and did not appear to have the support of the wider population.
The organizers also screened a video by US Senator Bernie Sanders, a staunch opposer of the West Bank annexation. In his video address, Sanders urged people to stand up for justice and said that for the peaceful future of every Palestinian and Israeli, the world must stand up to authoritarian leaders.
Demonstrators echoed the same message as they spoke to news reporters with one protestor calling for more solidarity between Palestinians and Israelis. “We have done so much damage to each other, the Palestinians and the Jewish” people, Anat Schrieber told AFP.
As reported by EurAsian Times earlier, the annexation of West Bank was given the green light by the Trump administration in February as part of the Middle East Peace Plan. The proposed move has been outrightly rejected by the Palestinians who see it as the end of a two-state solution.
As part of a recent agreement to form a coalition government with Benny Gantz, Netanyahu can submit the Trump plan to his cabinet and Parliament as early as July 1 for possible endorsement.
Experts at EurAsian Times believe that the proposed annexation could ignite violence and create a ‘warlike’ situation in the Middle East. The Israel-Palestine dispute has contributed to turmoil in the region on numerous occasions.
Many including the UK, European Union, Arab League, Indonesia and even the United Nations have criticised the annexation plans and stand opposed to it.
