Palestinian Arab citizens protest againt Israel's (il)legal system

"Our lands can be confiscated, our sons
can be murdered, but our dignity cannot
be taken away. We shall not keep quiet and
we shall show the world what a racist establishment
this is, so that everyone knows what is taking place
in the State of Israel."

Israeli Arabs:
Mazuz threw us
to the dogs

Thousands take part in Sakhnin march in
protest of attorney general's decision not to
indict police officers involved in October 2000
riots which left 13 Israeli Arabs dead. 'I promise
the martyrs I will pursue the criminals,' says
father of one of casualties

Thousands of people took part Friday in a protest
march in the Arab city of Sakhnin in northern Israel
following Attorney General Menachem Mazuz's decision
not to indict the police officers involved in
the October 2000 riots, which left 13 Israeli Arabs dead.

The protestors carried a coffin simulating the Israeli
legal system and promised to continue their struggle
until those involved in the events pay for their actions.

The march was organized by the Higher Arab
Monitoring Committee, after Mazuz's decision
sent the Arab sector into an uproar.

The demonstration was attended by the family
members of the riots' casualties, including
Jamila Asala, who held the picture of her son
Asil, killed during the riots in the village of
Arabeh in northern Israel.

"Our lands can be confiscated, our sons can be
murdered, but our dignity cannot be taken away.
We shall not keep quiet and we shall show the world
what a racist establishment this is, so that everyone
knows what is taking place in the State of Israel.

"We will show them what dignity is.
Palestinian blood is the most precious thing,"
Asala said.

According to Asala, her son was killed as a
shahid (martyr) defending his land.

"This is a shahid of the land, of his people.
My son was murdered for being a Palestinian
defending his land. The passing years only increase the pain.

"This large amount of people is an answer to
Mazuz and to the racist establishment. They
thought that the years gone by have erased our
memories and caused us to forget, but a murdered
shahid will never be forgotten," she added.

'Same fingerprints on gun and pen'

Hassan, Asil's father, read out the names of the
police officers involved in the events and promised
to avenge the casualties' death. "I promise the
shahids that I will pursue the criminals. We will
pursue them to the last drop of blood," he said.

Hadash chairman, Knesset Member Mohammad
Barakhe, said that Mazuz's decision would have
far-reaching consequences.

"The impressive participation in the Sakhnin
demonstration is an unequivocal cry against
the racist establishment, headed by Meni Mazuz,
over their decision which throws us and our sons
to the dogs. The appeal to the courts should include
the murderers, their senders and those covering for them,"
he said.

Balad chairman, MK Jamal Zahalka, also
slammed the legal system, which he claimed
had betrayed the trust of the Arab public.

"The hand which wrote the Police Investigation Unit
report and the Mazuz report is the same hand which
pulled the trigger in October 2000 and killed 13 of
our sons.

"The gun that fired the shots and the pen used to
write the report have the same fingerprints on them.
The Arab public gave the Israeli legal system a chance
to reveal the truth, but it failed to do so," Zahalka said

"Whereas it is essential, if man is not to be
compelled to have recourse, as a last resort,
to rebellion against tyranny and oppression,
that human rights should be protected by the rule
of law" (From Preamble to the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights of 1948)

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