Land Day in Jaffa - Yom El Ard, YomHadama
Over one thousand people marched in Jaffa, against the ethnic cleansing carried out by big money in close cooperation with the public housing companies and the municipality. Representatives from all factions in Jaffa and beyond stood together, united. Jaffa's people, women, men and children, marched together for the future of their city, for their own future.
"Together we will stop the bulldozers", "The municipality destroys, the community builds" were some of the slogans carried by the participants.
After the march we convened in the park on Yefet Street, "Gan HaShanyim", where representatives from the various groups making up the Jaffa "popular committee against home demolitions" and political parties spoke about what they believe Jaffa's future should be. From sheikh Raed Salah, through Balad Knesset member Dr. Jamal Zehalka, "City for us all" (עיר לכולנו) representative Dov Khenin and Knesset member sheikh Ibrahim Sarsur to activist Reuven Abergil, of Panther fame, the message was clear: Jaffa is for its people, who will not move.
"Together we will stop the bulldozers", "The municipality destroys, the community builds" were some of the slogans carried by the participants.
After the march we convened in the park on Yefet Street, "Gan HaShanyim", where representatives from the various groups making up the Jaffa "popular committee against home demolitions" and political parties spoke about what they believe Jaffa's future should be. From sheikh Raed Salah, through Balad Knesset member Dr. Jamal Zehalka, "City for us all" (עיר לכולנו) representative Dov Khenin and Knesset member sheikh Ibrahim Sarsur to activist Reuven Abergil, of Panther fame, the message was clear: Jaffa is for its people, who will not move.
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2 comments:
i dont like the impact that jaffa's emerging prosperity is having on its traditional population.. you're right - while the fruit are hanging low for the picking - the most hungry cant eat from the tree - so to speak..
but i do think that there are some legitimate issues that need to be addressed.. i dont believe that calling it ethnic cleansing is a helpful contribution.. i think it smoke screens the deep rooted social problems facing the community (a) as a mixed neighbourhood in a nation-based state (b) containing a significant arab population with a broad slice of identity issues and (c) from a legal perspective..
i read an article somewhere that spoke of the community being shot at - not with bullets but with money..
this in itself is an issue.. the council has a civic duty to provide affordable housing to its residents.. it should be insisting on a certain percentage of low cost housing that is offered first of all to local residents.. then again the enforceability of such a plan would be difficult in the absence of a genuine commitment.. because we all know that people in our region have sold much more important land rights and these too would be easy to sell..
my greatest fear in connection with land day is that no one is listening.. it saddens me.. but its true for so many..
i have little doubt that the council policy would have been the same if the area was more jewish.. just like the jewish town of givat olga.. where luxury neighbourhoods are now eating into the small beach community that once was much much affordable..
Isn't pretty hypocritical of the Arabs in Ajami -- Jafo to be willing to sell their property to wealthy tycoons living in Saudi Arabia and act all hysterical about selling to jewish buyers ?
Residents of Ajami neighborhood have always staunchly refused to sell their homes to Jewish entrepreneurs, but are now selling them to wealthy tycoons from oil-rich Arab countries by Ofer Petersburg Published: 03.30.08, 13:54
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3525254,00.html
Akiva
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