10,000 march for equality in Tel Aviv

Thousands of Palestinians, refugees, and Israelis have demanded equality during a march through Tel Aviv held to protest against the Israeli government’s extremism and discrimination.

Around 10,000 people, including members of NGOs and more than 120 Israeli rights groups, marched through the streets of Tel Aviv on Friday carrying placards which read: “Human rights apply to everyone,” “Let me live with liberty and dignity,” and “Asylum seekers are not criminals.”

Almost 1,000 refugees and asylum-seekers from Sudan, Somalia, and other parts of Africa who attended the demonstration called for justice and equality for all, according to the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI), which organized the march.

The annual human rights march was timed to coincide with International Human Rights Day.

“It was a show of force by the human rights community in Israel, marching in support of human rights, democracy, and equality for all,” ACRI Executive Director Hagai El-Ad told AFP.

“It was also an expression of protest against the rising tide of racism and about the government’s inaction in advocating equal rights,” he said.

At the rally, organizers read out a letter of support from Abdullah Abu Rahmah, a Palestinian activist serving time in prison on charges of “incitement” for his role in organizing non-violent protests against Israel’s apartheid wall in the occupied West Bank.

They also read out a letter from a Jewish Israeli from the northern town of Safed who has received threatening letters after having rented his property to Palestinians.

Hundreds of Israeli rabbis have signed a religious edict forbidding Jews from renting or selling homes or land to Palestinians. The public letter instructs Jews to “ostracize” those who disobey the order, which is widely viewed as an attack on Palestinian citizens.