FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND ASSEMBLY
Freedom of speech and the ability for all citizens to openly question government policy is a fundamental aspect of any democracy. Apparently, in Israel, which is cited by many as the best example of democracy in the Middle East, this principal does not apply.
Today, in Jerusalem, I witnessed the Israel police forceably disperse a peaceful demonstration outside of the Damascus Gate in the Old City. At 12:00pm, approximately 30 protestors, consisting largely of individuals in their 40's and 50's, assembled at Damascus Gate to protest the Israeli assault on Gaza. After 20 minutes of waving banners and chanting anti-war slogans, the police started pulling individuals out of the group and making arrests. Following the individual arrests, police physically dispersed everyone present at the rally. I witnessed absolutely no aggressive actions taken towards the police or any bystanders by the protestors.
These actions by the Israeli police reinforce the reality that there are two sets of rights in Isreal, those of the occupiers and those of the occupied.
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