Brief video footage from Kfar Maimon playing at bottom of page
Close to 20,000 soldiers and policemen have surrounded the agricultural village, where Rabbi Avraham Shapira (pictured), former Chief Rabbi and head of Yeshivat Merkaz HaRav Kook, arrived Wednesday night to lead the march.
The crowd of more than 25,000 people sat down on the road across from the gates and sang songs of Israel. The police have reinforced their officers with water cannons and mounted police. Soldiers placed rolls of barbed wire fencing around Kfar Maimon in many locations. Leaders of the planned march and police officials have been negotiating all day without agreement.
The police said they would allow them to leave only through the southern gate, which leads to the main road which runs from Kibbutz Saad, towards Gush Katif, and Netivot, towards the center of the country. Police have blocked the road for three days and are allowing protestors to travel in the direction of Netivot, away from Gush Katif.
Knesset Members Effie Eitam (New Religious Zionism) and Aryeh Eldad (National Union) are among the crowd. People still are arriving from around the country and spokesmen have said they are prepared to stay in placed until the police allow them to march.
The huge number of policemen and soldiers on the scene is unprecedented in Israeli history. Southern district police stations are reportedly nearly empty of personnel.
Bentzy Lieberman, head of the Yesha Council, charged that new IDF Chief of Staff denied civil rights and gave orders to the police to prohibit the march. He said the orders have resulted in policemen going on public buses and ordering people to disembark because of suspicion that were intended to join the march.
One motorist reported that police stopped him 25 kilometers (15 miles) from Kfar Maimon and asked him where was going. He replied:
Former Yesha Council head Pinchas Wallerstein said:
The footage below is shot from Kfar Maimon on Wednesday evening
Close to 20,000 soldiers and policemen have surrounded the agricultural village, where Rabbi Avraham Shapira (pictured), former Chief Rabbi and head of Yeshivat Merkaz HaRav Kook, arrived Wednesday night to lead the march.
The crowd of more than 25,000 people sat down on the road across from the gates and sang songs of Israel. The police have reinforced their officers with water cannons and mounted police. Soldiers placed rolls of barbed wire fencing around Kfar Maimon in many locations. Leaders of the planned march and police officials have been negotiating all day without agreement.
Children amidst the 40,000 protestors sleep where ever they can in Kfar Maimon
The police said they would allow them to leave only through the southern gate, which leads to the main road which runs from Kibbutz Saad, towards Gush Katif, and Netivot, towards the center of the country. Police have blocked the road for three days and are allowing protestors to travel in the direction of Netivot, away from Gush Katif.
All ages are in Kfar Maimon to halt the Disengagement Plan
Knesset Members Effie Eitam (New Religious Zionism) and Aryeh Eldad (National Union) are among the crowd. People still are arriving from around the country and spokesmen have said they are prepared to stay in placed until the police allow them to march.
The huge number of policemen and soldiers on the scene is unprecedented in Israeli history. Southern district police stations are reportedly nearly empty of personnel.
Policeman mingles with protestors in Kfar Maimon. Photo: Uzi Baruch
Bentzy Lieberman, head of the Yesha Council, charged that new IDF Chief of Staff denied civil rights and gave orders to the police to prohibit the march. He said the orders have resulted in policemen going on public buses and ordering people to disembark because of suspicion that were intended to join the march.
40,000 are holed up in Kfar Maimon behind fences, barbed wire, and security personnel
One motorist reported that police stopped him 25 kilometers (15 miles) from Kfar Maimon and asked him where was going. He replied:
"I told him Netivot, and the policeman asked me why. I told him we were going to visit friends, and he seemed baffled and let me through. I knew the road to Kfar Maimon was blocked to cars so I drove several minutes on a dirt road through the fields until arriving outside the village."Lieberman emphasized that the demonstrators will not be provoked into instigating violence, and will continue their attempts to reach Gush Katif.
Former Yesha Council head Pinchas Wallerstein said:
"Even if we do nothing else, our determination itself will prevent the uprooting. We call on everyone to come here and join us. . Practically the entire police force is here, without sleeping or anything else, and there are helicopters in the air, and they simply won't be able to continue this way."Wallerstein said, and other Yesha figures later repeated, that the marchers will stop if "a great force stands against us. We will negotiate with them, then we'll try again, and then again and again - yes, with the women and children - until we succeed. There will be no violence... People are coming in, and the amount of police is also increasing, and this means that we are stopping the uprooting."
"Kfar Maimon is the center of everything right now" Even if you're on a bus that has been stopped, get off and walk, as people are doing now."
The footage below is shot from Kfar Maimon on Wednesday evening