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Last update - 03:40 15/12/2008
Umm al-Fahm Mayor: Rightists will never march even a meter through our city
By Eli Ashkenazi and Yoav Stern, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: High Court of Justice 

The mayor of Umm al-Fahm said on Sunday that even if rightist demonstrators march through his city at a later date as planned, residents will turn out in force to prevent it. The march, scheduled for today, was postponed on Sunday until further notice amid police fears it could result in life-threatening violence.

At a press conference on Sunday, newly elected mayor Sheikh Khaled Hamadan said that "even in the future, we'll prevent them from entering Umm al-Fahm in that way." Another municipal official said, "We won't let them march even one meter within the city's territory, and certainly not 800 meters," referring to the planned length of the procession.

Extremists Itamar Ben-Gvir and Baruch Marzel on Sunday petitioned the High Court of Justice after police decided to delay until further notice a demonstration planned by right-wing activists through the Israeli Arab city.
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"It doesn't matter what the reasons are for the cancellation, what matters is that this is the right decision," added Hamadan, who represents the Islamic Movement. "Police should have canceled the march a long time ago. We hope this isn't just a postponement, but a full cancellation."

Hamadan and representatives of other influential political bodies in the city, urged Jewish residents of nearby communities to continue visiting the city despite the ongoing dispute.

"Before the march has even commenced we have made a great achievement. We have proven what we've claimed all along - that there are hypocrisy and double standards in the system," said Ben-Gvir.

The two requested that the court not only overturn the decision to postpone the march, but also to warrant the arrest of those responsible for its delay, Northern District Police Chief Shimon Coren and Umm al-Fahm Police Chief Shimon Ben-Shabo. The march had already been approved by the court over a month ago.

"Two weeks ago government supporters spoke of the disputed house in Hebron and the need to enforce the court's decision, and now everyone allows themselves to disregard the decision," said Ben-Gvir in his appeal.

"The petition was made in order to enforce the court's decision and allow us the same freedom of speech as the leftists," he added.

The demonstration, scheduled for Monday, had been postponed due to police fears the march could result in life threatening violence.

A senior police source told Haaretz on Sunday that the decision to delay the march was made following extensive assessments and meetings among the uppermost echelon of the police. He said that intelligence has been gathered over recent days indicating that violent clashes could erupt should the rightists march as planned, and potentially spill into the entire northern district.

"There was a real danger that lives could be lost," said the source. "That is why it was decided not to allow the march to proceed."

He added that the police will reassess the situation in two weeks and set a new date for the march.

Labor MK Ofir Pines-Paz said in response to the police decision "I welcome the decision to postpone the march - a dangerous provocation has been prevented."

At the end of October, when the High Court of Justice decided to allow the right-wing activists to demonstrate in Umm al-Fahm, Menashe Regional Council head Ilan Sadeh asked police to block the protest.

Sadeh said the march would seriously harm the social fabric of cooperation and tolerance between ethnic groups in the area, and was planning a counter-demonstration. "We plan to physically prevent the right-wing activists from entering Umm al-Fahm," he said.

Members of the regional council were expected to join volunteers from the Kibbutz Movement, which called on members "to come and form a human chain against the provocative acts of the extreme right."

Sadeh and outgoing Umm al-Fahm mayor Sheikh Hashem Abd al-Rahman head a forum of Wadi Ara local councils, established in the wake of the October 2000 riots that erupted in the north during the Second Intifada.

"Cooperation between the councils in the Wadi Ara region has led in recent years to a cooperative way of life based on tolerance and mutual respect, and to development in a number of areas," said the two leaders, listing "a program to establish a cooperative industrial area, which has already received the necessary authorization, a sewage treatment facility, joint handling of environmental issues and cooperative educational activities."

"The demonstration is like gunpowder," said Sadeh. "The rightist activists are likely to drag the area and the entire country into a violent confrontation between Jews and Arabs."

Kibbutz Movement secretary general Ze'ev Shor said, "As citizens who support peace and coexistence in Israeli society, the Kibbutz Movement is calling on its members to enlist Monday to block the racist demonstration in an effort to deepen the drive for peace, coexistence and cooperative living."

Yoel Marshak, the head of the movement's special assignments division, said, "We will stand, Jews and Arabs, in a human chain, hand in hand, to prevent the settlers from staging this racist provocation in the streets of Umm al-Fahm."

The Umm al-Fahm municipality is set to deploy security personnel at every entrance to the city when the march takes place . Newly elected mayor Sheikh Khaled Hamadan said Saturday, "This demonstration presents a danger to relations between Jews and Arabs, to coexistence and to peace. We need to stand shoulder to shoulder, hand in hand, against it."

During the court hearing in October, right-wing activist Itamar 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.

Related articles:
  • Rightists to march in Israel's largest Arab city Dec. 15th
  • Court approves right-wing march through the heart of one of Israel's largest Arab cities
  • Rightist Ben-Gvir blames police for Hebron clash with leftists
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      1.   Why are they doing this? 09:59  |  Magnus K. 14/12/08
      2.   Kibbutz Movement biased! 10:00  |  Nethanel 14/12/08
      3.   nobody stops the extreme left when they have provocative rallies 10:28  |  zionist forever 14/12/08
      4.   No, this is not a parallel 10:47  |  Tzfonit 14/12/08
      5.   This is what`s needed 11:21  |  sh 14/12/08
      6.   Magnus #1, here is why they are ding it 11:39  |  Tzfonit 14/12/08
      7.   If there is such great cooperation... 11:43  |  Moshe 14/12/08
      8.   to sh 11:45  |  rm 14/12/08
      9.   The question is... 12:07  |  Esther 14/12/08
      10.   umm al fahm is a jew hating town 12:31  |  amos 14/12/08
      11.   STOP THE MARCH OF HATERED 12:49  |  AMIHAI 14/12/08
      12.   To #1: here`s why 12:55  |  Kach cognoscento 14/12/08
      13.   Stop the rally 13:01  |  Hilda 14/12/08
      14.   Let them march, unarmed and unprotected 13:36  |  JonathanInTelAviv 14/12/08
      15.   To amos 13:46  |  Fahmawi 14/12/08
      16.   Reason for March 13:54  |  Tommy 14/12/08
      17.   It`s a Muslim world in Israel 14:03  |  lady from USA 14/12/09
      18.   Why allow the march at all? 14:17  |  David James Vickery 14/12/08
      19.   Hilda: Arabs in the Galillee...... 14:24  |  David James Vickery 14/12/08
      20.   The same goes for the other `Pride parade` 14:28  |  Sherlock Holmes 14/12/08
      21.   left and right #2 #3 etc 14:29  |  A.M. 14/12/08
      22.   fahmawi am i to keep video clips of all i see 14:41  |  amos 14/12/08
      23.   Hate marches to incite pogroms should be postponed??? 14:59  |  Ivar 14/12/08
      24.   Dear Lady from U.S.A. 15:17  |  David James Vickery 14/12/08
      25.   Labor MK Ofir Pines Welcomes Decision 15:21  |  Natan 14/12/08
      26.   If it will ever happen. 15:27  |  Akram Zekaria 14/12/2008
      27.   in the US we used to have nazi parading in black neighborhoods 15:47  |  not so much now 14/12/08
      28.   Good decision 16:06  |  Motty Levi 14/12/08
      29.   umm el fahm and wadi ara / to #10 16:14  |  proud zionist 14/12/08
      30.   Livni is Right 17:36  |  Ron 14/12/08
      31.   After Hebron 17:58  |  Mark Lincoln 14/12/08
      32.   So if religious Jews threaten to kill marchers 18:07  |  Mordechai 14/12/08
      33.   Re# 1 Right Magnus ...Like the Orange order 20:00  |  Ines 14/12/08
      34.   Re# 2 Well Nethanel...in the same way 20:25  |  Ines 14/12/08
      35.   Re# 4 Well...right wing.... in .... 20:33  |  Ines 14/12/08
      36.   Tommy # 16 , give your references please 20:40  |  Charles 14/12/08
      37.   #20, Sherlock, comparison to gay pride march in Jerusalem 20:42  |  newageblues 14/12/08
      38.   Re# 4 Right Zfonit 20:43  |  Ines 14/12/08
      39.   Re# 6 And this is the fundamental difference... 20:51  |  Ines 14/12/08
      40.   Re# 7 Needless to say Moshe... 21:16  |  Ines 14/12/08
      41.   Tommy ... Heh heh... 21:18  |  BBSNews 14/12/08
      42.   Re # 10 Some ... 21:19  |  Ines 14/12/08
      43.   Re # 11 Right we have to stop it 21:21  |  Ines 14/12/08
      44.   Re # 12 Yah that is what Kahane had in mind 21:27  |  Ines 14/12/08
      45.   Re # 13 Well...a simple question 22:00  |  Ines 14/12/08
      46.   Re # 23 Should be postponed for ever 22:27  |  Ines 14/12/08
      47.   Are they really serious ??? 22:30  |  Ines 14/12/08
      48.   Some member of the right are certainly 22:34  |  Ines 14/12/08
      49.   Organized crime and Conspirasy; Treat it as it is! 01:02  |  Atrick 15/12/08
      50.   17 "LADY" FROM THE USA 02:04  |  shoshanna 15/12/08
      51.   TZFONIT 02:18  |  Llyn 15/12/08
      52.   #17 "LADY" FROM U.S.A, everyone should read this 02:27  |  VIPER 15/12/08
      53.   Racists must be stopped 02:49  |  Janice 15/12/08
      54.   under the 1% government 02:58  |  Arie 15/12/08
      55.   double standard, the left are hypocrites 03:25  |  Jack 15/12/08
      56.   # 37 excellent link, viper 04:31  |  eric 15/12/08
      57.   If the police are afraid of violence 05:01  |  Tova Rena 15/12/08
      58.   Scapegoating settlers, yet again 05:11  |  Gili 15/12/08
      59.   VIPER Syria is a heavy handed police state 05:46  |  PETER SM 15/12/08
      60.   How is this provacative? 06:15  |  Great White North 15/12/08
      61.   MARK LINCOLN ignoring the racist hatred etc.from Um Al Fahm 06:16  |  PETER SM. 15/12/08
      62.   common decency 06:25  |  freud 15/12/08
      63.   Well said Shoshanna, Post 37 07:01  |  Whiskey Rivers 15/12/08
      64.   # 45 to gili re: scapegoats 07:21  |  eric 15/12/08
      65.   #45 Make the distinction 07:33  |  LMS 15/12/08
      66.   Just what is supposed to be "demonstrated?" 08:56  |  hala 15/12/08
      67.   Agreed with #14 Jonathan, let them march at their own risk 10:17  |  Moshe Cryan 15/12/08
      68.   "to a cooperative way of life " 10:43  |  lady from USA 15/12/08
      69.   The proof is in the pudding 10:53  |  lady from USA 15/12/08
      70.   To Lady from the USA 11:49  |  Mario 15/12/08
      71.   We Need Healing Not Provocation 12:11  |  Baruch Gold 15/12/08
      72.   March counter tactics 12:28  |  Michael 15/03/09
      73.   It is all because of the SETTLERS were allowed 14:43  |  Benny Harrison 15/12/08
      74.   Um-el Fahem should organize a counter march 15:59  |  Rami of Nazareth 15/12/08
      75.   Guess an Orange Walk is out of the question then? 18:23  |  Harvey 15/12/08
      76.   Umm al-Fahm 19:13  |  fred shapiro 15/12/08
      77.   #50 Shoshanna. Wonderful post. 22:32  |  Lou Medel 15/12/08
      78.   #58 Gili The settlement movement-The Big Lie 22:42  |  Lou Medel 15/12/08
      79.   rami of nazareth is possibly a christian 00:39  |  shemtov 16/12/08
      80.   fred it is about nationalism and animosity 00:43  |  israel granit 16/12/08
      81.   #78, Lou Medel, an excellent post! 00:48  |  Silvienne 16/12/08
      82.   Umm al-Fahm should devise a strategy 04:34  |  hala 16/12/08
      83.   "SHOSHANA" Where did Israel admit bombing in Iraq?Israel did NOT! 05:26  |  PETER SM 16/12/08
      84.   Shemtov #79 1947 Partition Borders Give Israel less Moslems 06:08  |  Monitor 16/12/08
      85.   RAMZI There have already been Death to Israel marches by Arabs 06:41  |  PETER SM 16/12/08
      86.   HALA Gentle like Sheikh Salah from Um Al Fahm? 06:50  |  PETER SM 16/12/08
      87.   A jew free in his national home??? 07:23  |  Ben Yeppi 16/12/08
      88.   #59, PETER SM, and the IDF? 11:57  |  VIPER 16/12/08
      89.   #86 mr. PETER SM 12:10  |  hala 16/12/08
      90.   #87 Hello Ben Yeppi Quite Right On All points 19:45  |  Kathy 16/12/08
      91.   Democracy and freedom 21:43  |  Sam Needleman 24/03/09
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