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Last update - 13:00 30/11/2008
Rightists to march in Israel's largest Arab city Dec. 15th
By Tomer Zrachin and Yoav Stern, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Umm al-Fahm, Peace Now 

Right-wing activists Itamar Ben-Gvir and Baruch Marzel will hold a march in Umm al-Fahm, Israel's largest Arab city on December 15th.

In late October the High Court of Justice agreed to allow Ben-Gvir and Marzel to lead a march through Umm al-Fahm in mid-November. The march will not take place in the center of town, but will pass through adjacent areas.

The march still must gain approval of the chief of Israeli police before it will be allowed to proceed. If it is approved, it will require the deployment of large police forces in order to secure the participants.
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Leaders of the Umm al-Fahm municipality have vowed to not allow the parade to happen, even if it gains police approval.

Peace Now General Secretary Yariv Oppenheimer blasted the move, saying "the miserable decision to allow this racist march embarrasses Israeli democracy."

Oppenheimer called on Arab residents of the area to ignore the march and not respond to it with violence.

"The goal of these extremists is provocation and confrontation and there is no reason to play into their hands," Oppenheimer said.

The decision in October came after Ben-Gvir petitioned the court following police rejection of a permit for the activists to parade through the city waving Israeli flags.

During a hearing in September, Ben-Gvir said that as long as the court allows left-wing activists to protest outside of houses in the Jewish quarter of Hebron, then rightists must be allowed to march in Umm al-Fahm.

"If they do not approve our petition, it will cause serious damage to the public's trust in the courts, and will send the message that what is ok for Arabs and leftists, is forbidden for us," Ben-Gvir told the court.

The initiative has been met by strong opposition in the city and throughout the Arab sector, with MK Jamal Zahalka (Balad) calling it a "legitimization of racism."

"We will use our right of protest and defend Umm al-Fahm from these fascists and racists," Zahalka added.

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