“The march of aggression, of racist and violent superiority, is presented as a dance of happiness,” says the only Jewish lawmaker in the Arab Joint List.
By Meir Dolev, World Israel News
Far-left MK Ofer Cassif from the Arab Joint List on Thursday called Jewish Israelis who participated in an annual flag march to commemorate Jerusalem Day as “violent gangs” taking part in “terrorist demonstrations.”
Cassif opened his speech at a counter-protest against the flag march taking place in another area of Jaffa by accusing Israel of whitewashing everything to the point where terminology is turned on its head.
“War is peace, freedom is slavery, ignorance is strength, democracy is tyranny,” he said, adding that Jerusalem Day, and its traditional flag march, was the pinnacle of that phenomenon.
“The march of aggression, of racist and violent superiority, is presented as a dance of happiness,” he said.
He called religious Jews in Jaffa, part of a diminishing community of approximately 50 families, “gangs of outlaws” who were protected by the National Security Minister Itamar “Ben-Gvir’s police force and the fascist government” and who were “tormenting local Arabs to show who the boss is.”
He went on to point to a “march of hate” both in Jaffa and other mixed Arab-Jewish cities – and, of course, Jerusalem itself – as being reminiscent of the “dark days of Nazi Europe.”
“They are the strongest expression of the daily racism against Palestinians,” said. “These are not marches, these are demonstrations of terror.”
At the anti-Israel counter-protest, which was attended by a crowd of several dozen – largely leftwing Israeli Jews as well as Arabs – the only flags in sight were Palestinian.
Flyers circulating in advance of the protest called on people to “prevent the deportation of the Arab-Palestinian families from Jaffa” and stop the “Judaization” and “control” exercised by the religious community. They also falsely accused religious participants of “hitting children and deploying terror” during the march.
Baseless accusations
The Jerusalem Day Flag March in Jaffa took place simulaneously about half a mile down the road from the counter-protest and was a peaceful show of unity, singing and dancing. There were no incidents of provocation,and local residents who came out of their houses on the street to watch the revelers were welcomed.
A video filmed shows the local religious community as well as students from the local yeshiva and seminary dancing through the streets. At the end of the parade, the revelers gathered to pray thanks to God for liberating and reunifying Jerusalem 56 years ago.
In his sermon, the rabbi of the local yeshiva, which often receives baseless accusations of “Judaization,” noted that “not all of our brothers were happy about Jerusalem Day.” He urged celebrants to keep those people in their hearts as well and embrace them with “a great love.”