The northern Arab city of Umm el-Fahm will go on a general strike Tuesday, as Jewish activists led by Baruch Marzel and Itamar Ben-Gvir lead a march through its streets with Israeli flags. A spokesperson for the city said Saturday that all schools and businesses will be closed Tuesday, and residents will turn out for a mass protest demanding that police bar the Jewish marchers from entering the city. "They have aggravated the situation, and we are just reacting," a spokesperson for the city said. "We are taking action against the organized racism of the Zionist establishment."
Last Thursday, Marzel and Ben Gvir were given permission to conduct the march, which has been delayed several times because police fear violence by the Arabs. After being ordered to do so by the High Court, police have approved an event in which 100 people will march on the outskirts of Umm el-Fahm. 1,000 police officers will be on duty to prevent unrest.
Marzel and Ben Gvir are both high-profile nationalist activists who currently serve as aides to MK Michael Ben-Ari (National Union).
Speaking to Israel National News Saturday night, Marzel said he was not intimidated by what he called the "threats" being issued by Umm el-Fahm. "I hope the police will not panic, and will enforce the law in Umm el-Fahm," he said.
"In the past, when settlers or Hareidi Jews would threaten legally-sanctioned marches, they would find themselves in jail for interfering with the legal rights of demonstrators," Marzel said. "The principles of freedom of speech and the rule of law demand that the march be allowed to proceed."
Marzel and Ben Gvir have been trying to hold the march for over a year, only to be turned down by police several times. Two months ago, they filed a petition with the High Court, which in turn ordered police to devise a plan that would allow the march to take place while the police maintained public order.
Election snafu
Before the recent Knesset elections, the Central Elections Committee gave Marzel permission to act as an election monitor in Umm el-Fahm. On election day, however, police blocked him from entering the city, and MK Aryeh Eldad was sent in as a substitute. Though Arab rioters threw stones and confronted the police outside the polling station, police were able to provide security for Eldad until he left to continue his election campaign in other venues.
Speaking to reporters after the incident, Marzel said that the blocking his entrance to the Arab town "shows that we have a major problem here. Today, the police have admitted that we do not control Umm el-Fahm. The police are unfortunately not strong enough to enforce the law, and today they have shown just how weak they are. It's time that the police be given different instructions by the government, and act against Arabs as we have seen them act against Jews," Marzel said.