Jewish-Arab Hadash movement plans ‘Nakba’ ceremony at Tel Aviv University
Im Tirtzu, which describes itself as a pro-Israel grassroots movement, told The Jerusalem Post that it would hold a counter demonstration.
By ARIEL BEN SOLOMONA Palestinian man holds a symbolic key next to Hamas militants during a rally after Nakba Day in Rafah(photo credit: REUTERS)
The Arab-Jewish Hadash Party group at Tel Aviv University along with other leftist groups plan to hold a “Nakba Day” ceremony at Entin Square in front of the main entrance to the campus on Wednesday.The Im Tirtzu NGO will hold a Zionist counter demonstration, as it usually does, with the banner “Nakba Nonsense,” it told The Jerusalem Post.“It is an embarrassment that Israeli academic institutions do not try to prevent such [anti-Zionist] ceremonies,” Im Tirtzu ’s spokesman said.The annual ceremony to commemorate the Nakba (“catastrophe”) of the founding of the state is scheduled to take place at 11:30 a.m., the Hadash group said.“The Nakba, in addition to being a tragedy of the Palestinian Arab people, is a human tragedy and injustice committed against hundreds of thousands of people who lost their homes, land and families,” the organizers said.“The organizers call on all of the participants, both Jews and Arabs, not to be dragged into a provocation by the Right,” they said.Students and teachers are expected to attend along with Joint List chairman Ayman Odeh (Hadash), and possibly other MKs such as Jamal Zahalka (Balad), Ahmad Tibi (Ta’al), Aida Touma-Sliman (Hadash) and Abdel-Hakim Haj Yahya (UAL), and former Hadash chairman Muhammad Barakei.A figure from the Northern Branch of the Islamic Movement as well as Muhammad Kana’neh from the nationalist Bnei Hakfar (Sons of the Land) movement also plan to attend, an organizer told the Post.Kana’neh, who served time in prison for passing information to Hezbollah, was prevented by Tel Aviv University from giving a lecture last year to commemorate Land Day.Asking about the event, the Tel Aviv University spokeswoman told the Post that the event is taking place “outside the premises of the university” and therefore “does not require permission of the university.”
Meanwhile, Im Tirtzu reported on nakba activity taking place on the campus of Hebrew University on Tuesday. A booth was set up with a large map showing all of Israel as organizers distributed black T-shirts stating: “Nakba 1948 – we will not give up the right of return.”