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CNN Live Saturday

Demonstrators in Israel Demand Withdrawal of Forces From Palestinian Territories

Aired May 11, 2002 - 18:03   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: Tens of thousands of Peace Now demonstrators are in Tel Aviv; they're demanding an end to the Mid East violence and a withdrawal of Israeli forces from the West Bank and Gaza. CNN's Jerrold Kessel has more for us from the Rabin Square in central Tel Aviv.

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JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): New beginnings, or harkening back to the past in Rabin Square, in the heart of Tel Aviv. The first such rally here in the past year and a half, since Israeli's have been battling the Palestinian uprising. The square, where Israel's late Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated at a peace rally, because of his peace policies, in the square, six years ago.

Yes, partly a demonstration for peace, but somewhat different from the rallies which have filled the square in years past.

Out of the occupied territories, the main slogan of the rally, "Out of the Territories for Israel's Sake." The belief that perhaps peace is now possible with the Palestinians under Yasser Arafat now, a widely felt sentiment. But beyond that, a belief that it is for Israel's interest, necessary to get out the West Bank and Gaza. And what they say they're trying to tap into here is a belief that this is an evolving mood among the mass of middle-ground Israelis who also believe that while they supported Ariel Sharon's military drive against terror, perhaps the future does not lie for Israel in a continued presence in the West Bank and Gaza.

In one corner of Rabin Square, just as the rally was getting underway, one thing that's attracting a good deal of attention -- these are the so-called Refuseniks, those officers and soldier who've refused to go and serve in the occupied territories.

There, some 500 already have signed up on their petition. Now, they're doing a pretty brisk business here of selling T-shirts and on it, it says, "Refusing for the Sake of the Country." Now that's the -- very much the affection that they're trying to sell along here. Now, they do say, admittedly, you know -- only 500 who've signed up in this way and have refused to go and serve, that they admit they're a minority very much within a minority. But, interestingly, perhaps even more than this rally as a whole, these are a group of Israelis who are having an effect on the rest of the society, making Israeli society come to terms with them. Because they say they're providing a real moral challenge to Israeli society as a whole.

A dramatic focal point of the rally when 77-year-old Yafia Kohni (ph) takes to the stage to sing. One of Israel's most famous folk singers, who once was, in the past an icon of patriotism in embattled Israel. Now, because of her strong, very strong -- criticism of the offense of the military offensive in the West Bank, she has been heavily challenged, even threatened. Now an embattled icon of those who want patriotism without dissent.

Ariel Sharon has built a consensus of Israelis for his battle against terrorism. The prime minister arguing that only when he has crushed terrorism can Israel turn to peacemaking. What they say they're trying to build here, is a rival consensus, that military action is no solution and Israel needs to begin disengaging from the Palestinians now.

Jerrold Kessel, CNN, in Rabin Square, Tel Aviv.

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