Archbishop Joseph Raya, the Greek Catholic Archbishop of Galilee and champion of the cause of the former villagers of Ikrit and Baram, led today a peaceful protest march of the former villagers and their sympathizers from the walls of old Jerusalem to Prime Minister Golda Meir’s office. Mrs. Meir was not in her office at the time the estimated 2000 marchers arrived.
The former villagers and other Arabs from the Galilee area arrived here aboard a fleet of hired buses. Accompanying the group was Knesset member Uri Avneri of the Haolam Hazeh party and several Siah left-wing dissidents, as well as a contingent of US radical Zionists holidaying in Israel.
The marchers carried Israeli flags and banners, such as “Cry the Beloved Country.” A strong force of police was on hand, fitted out in riot gear. Police horses broke up a small counter demonstration of rightists who, unlike Archbishop Raya, had no license for a demonstration.
Archbishop Raya delivered a sermon outside Mrs. Meir’s office, advising Israel to “sow peace and brotherhood.” He spoke in Arabic, Hebrew and English, ending with the words “shalom, shalom, shalom.” The Arab demonstrators returned home immediately after the archbishop’s speech, but the Jewish protestors sat down on the ground and sang the Internationale in Hebrew before dispersing.
Before the demonstration, the Israeli Supreme Court had ruled that Archbishop Raya and his contingent could cross through the Old City of Jerusalem because the procession posed no threat to the city or the State of Israel. The court rejected a request from Jerusalem author and journalist Avraham Baruch that it order the march cancelled.
A rally was held here last night by young Mapam members, with Archbishop Raya participating, despite efforts by the Mapam leadership to call a halt to last night’s protest. The Mapam leaders were trying to adhere to Mrs. Meir’s request that Mapam, an alignment member, follow a closer government line on the Baram and Ikrit issue.
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