Around 2,000 Palestinians and Israeli protestors demonstrated Friday adjacent to the separation wall in the town of Abu Dis, in support of the existing non-violent resistance to end the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
The grandson of Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi, Arun Gandhi, and Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei were among those to address the rally.
Gandhi called on the parties in the Middle East conflict to resolve this conflict through peaceful means.
‘It is about time now that the world gets involved for finding a solution to this problem,’ said Gandhi, a scarf draped around his neck designed with a traditional black-and-white Palestinian headscarf and the Palestinian flag.
‘This wall reminds me of… South Africa,’ Gandhi added, gesturing behind him at the gray slabs of concrete that have cut Abu Dis residents off from Jerusalem.
Arabic music was played through loudspeakers at the gathering at the end of the march and hundreds chanted.
The marchers also passed by as the concrete wall that stand near the Palestinian prime minister’s home in the town.
‘This Holy Land is in need of bridges of peace, bridges of loving, bridges of coexistence, and is not in need of walls of hatred, a wall of aggression, like this wall,’ Qurei told the marchers.
On Thursday, Gandhi also joined around 10,000 Palestinians in a demonstration in Ramallah after he met with the Palestinian President Yasser Arafat in his headquarters in the city.
Gandhi is expected to join the residents of Bethlehem are in a prayer for peace this week as well at the Nativity square.
‘We welcome Gandhi in our country, and we consider his visit as a support to our right to resist the occupation preserved by the International Law,’ said one of the marchers.
