In response to a divisive representation of the counter demonstration at a rally in support of Israel, the following joint statement was submitted to the London Guardian.

Dear Letters’ Editor,

Neither your report (Thousands of Jews rally against Hamas, 12 January) nor the subsequent letters (We Jews cannot be silent bystanders while this terror goes on, Letters, 13 January) mention the crucial fact that the counter-demonstration opposing the pro-Israel rally was called and responded to by Palestinians, Jews, Muslims and other people of conscience.

The police had divided the counter-demonstration by placing Muslim and Jewish people behind separate metal barriers.  United by our outrage and grief over the siege on the Palestinian people in Gaza, many of us refused to be divided; we moved the barriers aside and chanted together: “Judaism Yes, Zionism No”; the Palestinian flag which the Islamic Human Rights Commission had brought was attached to the banner of the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network, and alongside Neturei Karta’s placards.

When Palestinians, Jews and Muslims organise together, taking our direction from the Palestinian resistance, we undermine apartheid, ethnic cleansing and the divisions among us which are used to justify war.  For all of us there is only one side – the side of justice.

Yours,

Representatives of the

Islamic Human Rights Commission

International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network

Efforts to separate Arab and Jewish counterdemonstrators from each other were overcome by IJAN organizers in the Jewish ‘pen’ and Arab organizers in the Arab ‘pen.’  The police barricades between them were removed, the Palestinian flag and IJAN’s banner were attached to one another, and the megaphone and choice of chants were shared.   Despite the pavement between the barriers to the two counter-demos filling up, the Jewish banners and most of the Jewish demonstrators stayed where they were.  Popular chants (with some) were “Judaism, yes; Zionism, no: the state of Israel must go” and “1 2 3 4, occupation no more, 5 6 7 8, Israel is not a Jewish state”!!

 Some photos from Thursday, 8 January rally in London (written synopsis of IJAN participation in ongoing demonstrations and pickets below):

Demonstrations outside the Israeli Embassy – always noisy and demonstrative – have ranged from a few hundred to five thousand; the march and rally on Saturday was, the organisers say, 60,000 people, the biggest rally in support of Palestine that we’ve seen in this country.

On Sunday 28^th – the first of the pickets -- there were at least 2,000 people.  We were behind the barrier on one side of the street while the Israeli embassy side was lined with people.  There was a scuffle of some kind on the embassy side (we found out later it was an arrest of a Palestinian), and we all burst out of the barrier, hundreds blocking the road.

Later, people again claiming to be the organisers called people to march and most went.  When asked to where, we were told, just march.  But some of us stayed at the embassy gate, and when the march could not go further because they police blocked the road further on, the marchers, mostly young people, came back and again filled the road, blocking the traffic.  

From Monday 29^th onwards we brought the IJAN banner – we were always very warmly welcomed as Jewish people standing unequivocally with Palestinian people against Zionism.  IJAN was one of the sponsors of the Embassy pickets that continued outside the Israeli Embassy all week, except for Friday when we moved to the Egyptian Embassy. 

Saturday’s demonstration was huge, perhaps 60,000 people: as we passed 10 Downing Street, a thousand shoes were thrown in front of its gates; the march rallied in to a completely packed Trafalgar Square where prominent people had their say – Tony Benn, Bianca Jagger, Annie Lennox (singer), Ken Livingstone (former mayor of London) who said that the silence of the British government, and most Western governments is “obscene”.

Later that evening 5,000 of us picketed the Israeli Embassy, which was heavily policed – too many police and police helicopters had been at every demonstration.  Roads were closed and police in riot gear used barriers to contain us and keep us away from the embassy itself. 

We will be part of the continuing pickets each evening next week, leading up to another national demonstration on Saturday outside the Israeli Embassy: the demand will be Stop Israel's crime against humanity.

IJAN UK

A hundred people came together for a historic occasion -- the public launch in the UK of the Charter of the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network (IJAN). The meeting was to say how the Charter could be of use for different sectors; and to propose direct action that could be taken together.  (read more...)

On Thursday morning, 2 October, with great enthusiasm, people from many backgrounds met for the press launch of the Founding Charter of the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network (IJAN) at the Crossroads Women’s Centre in Kentish Town.  (read more...)

Press launch:

 

Founding Charter of the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network

Thursday, 2 October, 11am

Crossroads Women’s Centre , 230a Kentish Town Road, NW5 2AB
(Entrance on Caversham Rd ,   Kentish Town , wheelchair accessible)

 (read more...)

The UK IJAN will hold a press conference for October 2^nd at 11am Greenwich Standard Time to announce the network and its founding Charter. On October 24^th there will be a public meeting to hear responses to the Charter and to begin a discussion of regional strategy. A press release will be out shortly.

If you are interested in either of these events, please contact us at .