In a surprising turn of events, the Tel Aviv District Police have reversed their initial objection to allowing the Israeli-Arab Hadash party to hold a demonstration in Tel Aviv. The demonstration, originally planned to advocate for a ceasefire and a prisoner exchange deal with Hamas, faced opposition from the police. However, following a petition submitted by the Association for Civil Rights to the Supreme Court, the police announced on Thursday morning that they had changed their stance.
The police's decision to permit the demonstration came after a renewed examination prompted by the petition. While they have given the green light for the event to take place, there are certain limitations they intend to impose. The demonstration is now scheduled for Saturday night, and the police are suggesting two alternative locations with participant limits.
MPs had the chance to put humanity before politics.
ā Humza Yousaf (@HumzaYousaf) November 15, 2023
To say the killing of innocent civilians in Gaza must stop. And it must stop now.
MPs who voted against @theSNP calls for an immediate ceasefire are on the wrong side of history.
This cannot continue. Humanity must prevail. pic.twitter.com/5iDCfwPcQI
"The Israel Police is now offering two additional alternatives for the existence of the demonstration requested in the petition," reads the police statement to the Supreme Court. The first proposed location is the Charles Clore Garden on the Jaffa Promenade, where no more than 500 participants will be allowed. The second option is the Redding parking lot in the Tel Aviv port, with a cap of 600 people. According to the Attorney General and the police, the demonstrations will be allowed to take place for approximately two hours, from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM.
The Association for Civil Rights emphasized in their petition that "when the guns are thundering, the muses are not deafening." They stressed the importance of protecting freedom of expression and the freedom of demonstration, especially during times of crisis and conflict. Calls for a ceasefire and the exchange of prisoners, they argued, fall within the realm of legitimate expressions of free speech.
Furthermore, the association highlighted that the organizers of the demonstration, representatives of the Hadash movement, made it clear in their license request that the primary messages of the event would be centered around advocating for a ceasefire and a prisoner exchange agreement. They also pledged to keep the demonstration devoid of flags and controversial slogans, acknowledging the sensitivity of the current moment.
The narcissism of Parliament voting on a ceasefire in Gaza is breathtaking.
ā Jeremy Brier KC (@jeremybrier) November 15, 2023
There was a ceasefire on October 6th.
Then Hamas came and beheaded babies, abducted children and murdered teenagers.
A ceasefire enables them to regroup and do it again, as they have avowed to.
In the midst of these developments, the Israeli ground operation in the Gaza Strip continues as planned. The IDF's 215th fire brigade in the 162nd division launched an attack on the house of Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the political bureau of Hamas, using fighter jets between Wednesday and Thursday night. The house was identified as a key terrorist infrastructure and a meeting place for senior members of the organization.
