Israeli security officials are keeping a wary eye out on several groups that are planning mass marches on Jerusalem. One march is scheduled for November 25, and is being organized by the group that tried to conduct a mass march to Jerusalem last September.
This time, however, organizers – and Israeli security officials – believe that the group may attract larger numbers. The group is set out from three locations – Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon – on November 25, with the objective of reaching Jerusalem on November 29, the anniversary of the adoption of the UN partition plan for Mandatory Palestine. Officials said that the group was encouraged by the recent attempt – and temporary success – of Syrian Druze who “invaded” the Golan Heights for several hours, tearing down a border fence to enter the country. Several sources claimed that some of the Syrian Druze were able to enter the interior of Israel, with several claiming to have reached Tel Aviv.
But even more worrisome is another march is scheduled for March 2012, Israeli officials said. That march is being organized by Indian activist Feroze Mithiborwala, who said in a recent press conference in Pakistan that the march will unite people from all over the world, and of all faiths - including Muslims, Hindus, Christians, Sikhs and Jews - "to participate in the march towards the Jerusalem and liberate it from the Zionists.” The march would be in the form of a “caravan” which would start from three directions – Asia, Europe, and Africa, originating in India, Turkey and Morocco respectively. The caravans would stop in all the countries on the way and pick up more participants. The objective is to gather hundreds of thousands, if not millions of people at the borders of Israel who would simply push their way through, reaching Jerusalem and “liberating” it.
A group helping to organize the March event, the International Committee of the Global March towards Al-Quds, said in a statement this week that “since the Zionist occupation of 78% of Palestine in 1948, and the subsequent occupation of Jerusalem and the rest of Palestine in 1967, we have witnessed growing efforts to Judaize Jerusalem and colonize Palestine. These crimes against humanity are done under the political protection and full support of successive American administrations and enforced by its veto at the United Nations.
“Jerusalem and all of Palestine need to be liberated, redeemed and restored as a land of freedom and coexistence by people of the world from all religious and cultural backgrounds. As part of this movement and at the invitation of Palestinians, we decided to organize a Global March to Jerusalem (GMJ) aimed at raising awareness of the mortal threat to Jerusalem and all of Palestine by the hands of Zionists and helping us move closer to the day of freedom.”
Mithiborwala is the head of Indian radical political group Awami Bharat, which bills itself as conducting “an international struggle against imperialism, Zionism, and Brahmanism.”
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