Middle East News
More than 100,000 protest government in Tel Aviv (2nd Roundup)
May 3, 2007, 19:35 GMT
Tel Aviv/Jerusalem - More than 100,000 people joined a mass protest rally in Tel Aviv Thursday evening directed against Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Defence Minister Amir Peretz.
Organizers were calling on the two leaders to quit, saying they 'failed' in handling last summer's conflict with the Lebanese Shiite Hezbollah movement, known in Israel as the Second Lebanon War.
Meir Shalev, a prominent author, along with bereaved parents of soldiers killed in combat and members of Israel's military reserve forces spoke at the event in Yitzhak Rabin Square.
A large sign on the stage read 'Failures, Go Home!' - a slogan repeated by many of the night's speakers. Similar signs were held by protesters in the crowd, along with cards saying 'Elections Now' and other calls against Olmert and Peretz.
The event united members of the Israeli right and left. Signs with slogans from both sides of the political spectrum were held by protesters.
Earlier Thursday, Israel's opposition pushed forward with attempts to force Prime Minister Ehud Olmert out of office, after the premier managed to contain pressure in his own party to resign over a harsh report criticizing his management of last summer's Lebanon war.
Opposition Leader Benjamin Netanyahu convened his hardline Likud party caucus to discuss the report published earlier this week and in his first public reaction to it called on Olmert to resign.
Despite reports that several members of his centrist Kadima party were planning an initiative to oust Olmert, the premier scored a tactical victory Wednesday evening when - in Kadima's first caucus meeting since publication of the report Monday - a large majority of the ruling party's legislators expressed support for him.
Netanyahu argued Olmert's support in his own party did not reflect public opinion and called for early elections.
'There is an enormous gap in the country between what is happening within the walls of the house and what is happening within the public,' he said.
'It is clear to the government that it has lost the remainder of public trust, if indeed it had any. The only thing for the government to do is to return to the people and let it have its say,' he told his own party caucus.
Opinion polls published by Israel's leading dailies and television channels Wednesday said that Netanyahu's Likud would crush Kadima if elections were held today.
They also indicate that at least 60 per cent of Israelis want Olmert gone.
According to Israeli media reports, Olmert meanwhile considered dismissing his Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni after she became one of three and the highest-ranking Kadima member to demand his resignation.
According to the reports, Olmert was planning a cabinet reshuffle in the near future.
Livni, 48, said during a news conference Wednesday that the right thing for him to do was to resign because the public had lost its trust in the government.
Israel's Minister for Public Security Avi Dichter, of Kadima, on Thursday spoke out against Livni's possible dismissal. She had made her criticism clear in a bold and honest way, he told Israeli radio.
'Woe is us, if things that are spoken from the depth of one's heart are turned into a sword against their speaker,' Dichter warned.
Olmert's strategic advisor, Tal Zilberstein, however, said Olmert had no choice but to dismiss Livni.
'It can't be that she demands he leave and that we continue working with her,' Zilberstein told Channel 10 television.
Although Livni, Olmert's most popular party contestant, failed to gather a majority within Kadima behind her call for his resignation and he seemed to have stabilized his position for the time being, he faces more crises ahead of him after the May 28 leadership primaries of his largest coalition partner, the Labour Party and publication of the final report on the Lebanon war, due in July.
Former Shin Bet internal security organization chief Ami Ayalon, although followed closely by former premier and military chief Ehud Barak, currently leads in the opinion polls to win the Labour leadership contest and has vowed to pull the party out of the coalition if he does.
In its interim report Monday, an official inquiry commission ruled that Olmert had made 'serious mistakes' when he decided to respond with a ferocious offensive to an unprovoked Hezbollah cross-border attack on an Israeli army patrol July 12, without thinking through a detailed military plan, thoroughly weighing alternatives or adequately consulting with experts despite his lack of experience.
The report by the Winograd commission also puts a large part of the blame on Defence Minister Peretz and former military chief of staff Dan Halutz, both of whom 'failed' in fulfilling their duties.
Halutz resigned earlier this year.
© 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-AgenturCOMMENT
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Older Talkback
page: 1
'They protest against their failure to stand up to Hezbullah.'
It is evidentially a victory for some to live like animals in a pile of rubble...
Nasrallah will remain in power - autocrat/dictator- while Olmert - democratically elected- is forced to resign. Democracy in the middle east? It'll never work!
“IdiotsMay 3rd, 2007 - 21:03:34
'They protest against their failure to stand up to Hezbullah.'
It is evidentially a victory for some to live like animals in a pile of rubble”
The fact is rubble or not the Hezbollah remain and quiet possibly next time around will have the wherewithal to level Tel Aviv. If you lived in the jew State would like to have this constantly lurking in the back of your mind?
It is understatement to say, 'Israel lost second Lebanon war.' THE COLONISTS LOST THEIR AGENDA.
The war was between those who want to COLONIZE THE MIDDLE EAST AND THE RESISTENCE.
I can assure the sincere people of the world that THE RESISTENCE HAS SURVIVED IN THE PAST, AND WILL SURVIVE IN FUTURE, AS LONG AS THEY OBEY THE LAWS OF GOD ALMIGHTY AND NOT HURT THE INNOCENT AND NON COMBATANTS.
'The fact is rubble or not the Hezbollah remain and quiet possibly next time around will have the wherewithal to level Tel Aviv.'
The fact is Israel already has the wherewithal to level Beirut, Damascus or Tehran, and they do not live in rubble.
' If you lived in the jew State would like to have this constantly lurking in the back of your mind?'
I live in New York, I am used to having the threat of idiot islamists in the back of my mind, same as those who live in London, or Madrid... Same with people who live in Many, many parts of the world. Managing idiot islamist savages is a modern dilemma. For every attack there are people who will no longer look upon them as human. With every attack there are people who will no longer want to do business with them. With every attack there are going to be more people who advocate getting rid of them. Thus, with every attack they are going to be further isolated and fall further behind everyone else. (I am sure the likes of bin Laden have figured this out as well, it just means they can sell the whole Muslims as victims nonsense. Isolation, perversely works to their advantage.)
So yes, many people have made the equation that Islam equals a threat to civilization. Congratulations... That is really going to work out well for you.
'I can assure the sincere people of the world that THE RESISTENCE[sic] HAS SURVIVED IN THE PAST, AND WILL SURVIVE IN FUTURE, AS LONG AS THEY OBEY THE LAWS OF GOD ALMIGHTY AND NOT HURT THE INNOCENT AND NON COMBATANTS.'
Your precious 'resistance' slaughters innocent people by the thousands...
Your precious 'resistance' routinely disobeys the laws of common decency.
Your precious 'resistance' is resisting everything that will make life better.
“Remember that when you don't get hired.May 4th, 2007 - 03:23:40
'The fact is rubble or not the Hezbollah remain and quiet possibly next time around will have the wherewithal to level Tel Aviv.'
The fact is Israel already has the wherewithal to level Beirut, Damascus or Tehran, and they do not live in rubble.
' If you lived in the jew State would like to have this constantly lurking in the back of your mind?'
I live in New York, I am used to having the threat of idiot islamists in the back of my mind, same as those who live in London, or Madrid... Same with people who live in Many, many parts of the world. Managing idiot islamist savages is a modern dilemma. For every attack there are people who will no longer look upon them as human. With every attack there are people who will no longer want to do business with them. With every attack there are going to be more people who advocate getting rid of them. Thus, with every attack they are going to be further isolated and fall further behind everyone else. (I am sure the likes of bin Laden have figured this out as well, it just means they can sell the whole Muslims as victims nonsense. Isolation, perversely works to their advantage.)
So yes, many people have made the equation that Islam equals a threat to civilization. Congratulations... That is really going to work out well for you.”
The biggest load of gibberish I’ve heard in a long time. Your spiel is entirely irrelevant. The situation I’m referring to is a deadly enemy on your border. One that has already beaten you in two wars. One that if provoked will take out your major population centers.
This is not the world wide hit and run group known as Al Qaeda. This is Hezbollah. A legitimate and integral part of the sovereign State of Lebanon. It has democratically elected members in the Government of that country. It has proven to be the only force in the area to hold the jew State at bay. And it will continue to do just that.
' Your spiel is entirely irrelevant. '
Truth hurts, doesn't it?
'The situation I’m referring to is a deadly enemy on your border.'
Canada? New Jersey? Look fool, I do not live in Israel. Everyone who is fed up with Islamic terrorism isn't Jewish or Israeli.
'This is not the world wide hit and run group known as Al Qaeda. This is Hezbollah'
Both are terrorists. Both are scum.
'A legitimate and integral part of the sovereign State of Lebanon.'
No, they withdrew from the government because they couldn't get enough votes to have absolute power which is their objective. They have been working on bringing down the government ever sense. They are not working for Lebanon, they are working for Iran. Again, they are terrorist scum who before al Queda killed more Americans then any other terrorist scum.
'It has democratically elected members in the Government of that country. '
Wrong... they left to try to do what they couldn't do with votes with intimidation. Typical.
'It has proven to be the only force in the area to hold the jew State at bay. '
The 'Jew state' wasn't attacking before the Hizbollah rocket attacks/kidnapping raid. You can't have it both ways ferox, you can't whine and lie about the 'thousands of civilian causalities' Israel supposedly inflicted and then claim that Hizbollah held 'the jew state at bay'.
'Remember that when you fail out of societyMay 4th, 2007 - 16:40:09
' Your spiel is entirely irrelevant. '
Truth hurts, doesn't it?
'The situation I’m referring to is a deadly enemy on your border.'
Canada? New Jersey? Look fool, I do not live in Israel. Everyone who is fed up with Islamic terrorism isn't Jewish or Israeli.
'This is not the world wide hit and run group known as Al Qaeda. This is Hezbollah'
Both are terrorists. Both are scum.
'A legitimate and integral part of the sovereign State of Lebanon.'
No, they withdrew from the government because they couldn't get enough votes to have absolute power which is their objective. They have been working on bringing down the government ever sense. They are not working for Lebanon, they are working for Iran. Again, they are terrorist scum who before al Queda killed more Americans then any other terrorist scum.
'It has democratically elected members in the Government of that country. '
Wrong... they left to try to do what they couldn't do with votes with intimidation. Typical.
'It has proven to be the only force in the area to hold the jew State at bay. '
The 'Jew state' wasn't attacking before the Hizbollah rocket attacks/kidnapping raid. You can't have it both ways ferox, you can't whine and lie about the 'thousands of civilian causalities' Israel supposedly inflicted and then claim that Hizbollah held 'the jew state at bay'.
Stick it jew bigot and get into the real world. The facts are they are there. Provoke and face the consequences. By the way is Hezbollah not the group that already has chased the 'occupying' jew filth out of Lebanon already? And the chosen ones ran like yellow dogs with their tails between their legs? I put the emphasis on yellow, dogs, ran, and occupying. Poor jew never got over that one either.
Demented dopes like you cannot be reasoned with. Make up any fiction you wish to support your losing cause. My money is on the proven two time winner. I’m sure the world though wouldn’t mind a little more light humor as only the jew can provide.
'Provoke and face the consequences'
Indeed, hear that Nasrallah?
'By the way is Hezbollah not the group that already has chased the 'occupying' jew filth out of Lebanon already?'
Nope, it isn't.
'And the chosen ones ran like yellow dogs with their tails between their legs? '
Not quite, meanwhile you are defending a terrorist group that hides behind civilians. Hizbollah are too cowardly to be called yellow dogs when they use Lebanese women and children as human shields. They are scum.
'My money is on the proven two time winner.'
So we are back to the start: It is evidentially a victory for some to live like animals in a pile of rubble... Stupid animals.
Yes, FAIL you idiot. What you never fail to do.May 5th, 2007 - 04:46:33
“…we are back to the start: It is evidentially a victory for some to live like animals in a pile of rubble... Stupid animals”
Preferable I think to sadistic savages, which aptly describes the jew. Regardless point of fact is the Hezbollah has thoroughly embarrassed the sick ones twice already. And is poised to do it a third time if the jew steps out of line. If it does the rubble you will then see is what remains of Tel Aviv.
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SOHRABMay 3rd, 2007 - 20:07:05
They protest against their failure to stand up to Hezbullah. The Israeli people should be sacked not just Olmert.
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