Corbyn and Tonge will appear in the rally

By Mustafa Abdel-Halim, IOL Staff

CAIRO, May 14 (IslamOnline.net)  - Thousands of Britons are to commemorate the Palestinian Nakba Day Saturday, May 15, planning to ask their government to force an end to the Israeli occupation and support the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes in what is now Israel. 

The demonstration is organized by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, formed by The Stop War Coalition in 1982 to mobilize opposition against Israeli occupation of Arab lands.

Petty Hunter, a member of the Campaign, said the march from  Trafalgar Square to Downing Street Saturday afternoon is to draw more than 5,000 British citizens and human rights activists.

"We must send a loud and clear message of support for the Palestinians at the rally and demonstration their Nakba Day," she told IslamOnline.net over the phone Friday, May 14.

"All over the Middle East, people will be watching to see the British response to Blair's cowardly acquiescence to Sharon and Bush's latest plans to dispossess the Palestinians," she added.

Israel’s creation has forced the departure of five million Palestinians to live as refugees in other Arab and foreign countries after Israel denied them return to their original homeland.

It also triggered a long-standing conflict between Israel and Arabs, particularly the Palestinians, seeking an end to the long seizure of their lands and the establishment of a Palestinian state.

Among the prominent speakers at the rally will be MPs Jeremy Corbyn, of Prime Minister Blair’s Labor Party, and Richard Burden and Jenny Tonge, who said in January that she would consider blowing herself up if she were to suffer as the Palestinians.

Jocelyn Hurndall, who is the mother of a British peace activist who died of shots by Israeli occupation forces in southern Gaza Strip in 2003, will attend the demonstration.

Sanctions

Hunter said the protestors would call for Blair to end toeing the  U.S. bias towards  Israel and impose sanctions against  Israel until the end of its occupation of Palestinian territories.

"It is ironically ridiculous for the Bush administration to impose sanctions against Syria for alleged occupation of Lebanon, while supporting Israel for the occupation of Palestinian lands," she added.

The British peace activist said that the rally would raise British people’s awareness of the atrocities of occupation forces against Palestinians and peace campaigners.

"The significance of this complete betrayal of international law has not been lost on the 52 former diplomats who have publicly criticized Tony Blair for the policies being carried out in the Middle East," Hunter said.

Blair faced on April 26, a withering and unprecedented criticism from 52 diplomats who put their names to a letter rebuking the prime minister for his foreign policy in the Middle East.

Muslims Participating

The Muslim Association of Britain is also a key player in organizing the Saturday rally.

The association officials urged the three million Muslims living in  Britain to show their solidarity with Palestinians and against Blair’s foreign policy.

"It gives a message to Palestinians, peace-loving people and the British government that Palestinians should get independence and occupation should stop," said Ihtisham Hibatullah, the head of the press office of the association.

He told IOL over phone that 20,000 people are to show up in the rally.

But Hunter lamented that the media ignorance of the event could keep the number less than expected.

"We sent press releases to such mega media outlets as the BBC. They showed no response," she said, blaming the Zionist influence for the blackout.

In May last year, Veteran British MP Tam Dalyell, the Father of the House of Commons, sparked outrage of the Jewish figures by accusing Blair of "being unduly influenced by a cabal of Jewish advisers".

Even his wife Cherie Blair was forced  in June, 2002, into a public apology for saying that young Palestinians felt they had no choice but to blow themselves up.

However, " we must make sure that the commemoration of the Nakba Day is fitting now," Hunter said, adding that the same day had drawn 50,000 people two years ago.