BERLIN
Thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators turned out on the streets of Berlin on Friday to protest Israeli attacks on Gaza.
Crowds gathered in Berlin’s Adenauerplatz for the annual Quds Day march. Activists and Orthodox rabbis joined around 4,000 protestors calling for an end to Israeli operations in Gaza.
“We are here to demonstrate against the state of Israel,” Rabbie Chaim Bleier said. “The state of Israel has no right to speak in the name of the Jewish people."
“There is large number of Jewish people who reject the state of Israel and who condemn what is happening now in Gaza. We say Free Gaza, Free Palestine, in the name of Judaism.”
Another protester, Rabbi Holhtlauser Alter, said: “Judaism is a religion from God. Zionism is only a movement of not more than 120 years. Zionism is a political movement to fight and murder and occupy land. But we are against all these.”
In a counter-protest by pro-Israeli activists around 300 people gathered. The two groups exchanged insults on the street but a heavy police presence prevented clashes.
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