Israel Matzav

Israelis rally in Tel Aviv against Olmert

At least 150,000 Israelis rallied tonight in Rabin Square in Tel Aviv to demand that Prime Minister Ehud K. Olmert resign. The rally included protesters from across the political spectrum, with every party from Meretz (extreme left) to National Union/National Religious Party (right) participating.

The organizer of the event, Maj.-Gen. (res.) Uzi Dayan, told the crowd that "Democracy is in danger."

"The same committee that the prime minister established stood before him and bravely said, 'Mr Olmert you have failed.'"

"Olmert ignored them and undermined the foundations of democracy by doing so. We must stand today in the name of democracy and say, 'No more'".

When asked by the The Jerusalem Post what he expected to follow on from the rally, Dayan responded: "The event is about what happened here tonight. Things will go wherever people decide to take it forward and wherever politicians decide to take it forward."

"Tonight's event has shown that democracy has returned to its grass roots - the town square," continued Dayan, adding that it is in the town square where "people are hung."

The organizers of the rally earlier told the Post that the event was not a "one-off" but was the first of a series of activities and events whose aim was to bring down the government.

They said that the organizing committee had set up a headquarters whose mission it was to force Prime Minster Ehud Olmert to resign and that they "would not give up" until their mission was accomplished.

The organizers said that they did not have "a daily agenda" but that the next event would coincide with the publication of the protocols of the Winograd testimonies of Olmert, Defense Minister Amir Peretz and former chief of staff Lt.-Gen. Dan Halutz.

The third in the series of events was scheduled to take place when the final report was published, in some two or three months time, they said.

But Pharoah Olmert was not moved:

Earlier Thursday, political sources told the Post that Olmert and his advisers believed that the prime minister could survive the coming months until the release of the final Winograd report and that their strategy was to implement the report's recommendations "to the letter."

They said it was the "number one task" to show the recommendations were being implemented.

They said that when the time came for the final report's release, they did not believe the committee would call on Olmert to quit and that even if they did, the prime minister and his associates would be able to counter the demand by saying they were in the midst of carrying out all of the recommendations.

People need to start harassing Olmert and heckling him wherever he appears.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 11:27 PM