Demonstrators gathered on Monday night outside the Prime Minister’s Residence in Jerusalem to urge Benjamin Netanyahu to continue the military operation against Hamas until the terror group is crushed and to quell the rioting that has erupted throughout mixed Jewish-Arab cities in Israel.
The rally was attended by many residents of mixed Jewish-Arab cities, organized by Im Tirtzu, My Israel, Ramle Residents Headquarters, Lod Community, Nachala, Choosing Life Forum of Bereaved Families, and Otef Ha’Tachana Ha’Mercazit in south Tel Aviv.
Im Tirtzu CEO Matan Peleg told the demonstrators: “The Prime Minister and other decision-makers need to understand that their policy of postponing serious issues has failed miserably. If we fail to deal with Hamas, as well as with the large amounts of illegal weapons in the hands of the Israeli Arabs and the “Palestinianization” of the Arab community, we will find ourselves in a civil war. If not today, then in five years. The writing is on the wall.”
Peleg added: “We are calling on the government to launch an operation aimed at confiscating all the illegal weapons, prosecuting all those who participated in the riots, and destroying the Hamas command and infrastructure.”
Ramle City Council member Harel Shoham said: “We support coexistence, but coexistence is not when one side seeks peace and the other side does whatever it wants, including shooting, bombing, arson, and rock-throwing. Peace cannot be achieved by imaginary forgiveness and the willingness of only one side to contribute.”
Ribi Abromovitch, a resident of Lod, said: “We in the community of Ramat Eschol in Lod thought that we were living in a place that gives hope to the country and exemplified the coexistence between Jews and Arabs. But we saw the true face of our neighbors.”
Abromovich continued: “The situation is still very explosive and can ignite any moment. The Arabs are still hoarding weapons in their mosques. As it stands now, I cannot let my daughters come back home! If there isn’t a significant operation to eradicate the criminals here in Lod, to confiscate the illegal weapons, and to re-establish the peace, the State of Israel will be facing a large problem.”
Sara Ha’etzni-Cohen, Chairwoman of My Israel, said: “The State of Israel abandoned the residents of the mixed cities. We demand that the government fixes this failure – not through a temporary fix but through a root canal, which is removing the illegal weapons and imposing heavy penalties on the rioters. We will not rest until our brothers and sisters can return to live peacefully in their homes.”