Hebron demo against occupation, settlements

A report in Ha'aretz today quoted one of the Peace Now activists - Doron Narkiss, 52, a teacher from Tel Aviv - saying: "I'm here to protest the occupation in one of the most violent places in the territories. I want my name down as one of the people who are opposed."

Peace Now's right to protest in Hebron -- and in a location where pro-settler rallies routinely take place -- had been challenged. Arguing that the Peace Now demonstration might lead to violence by settlers, the IDF attempted to ban the demonstration. However, in a ruling yesterday Israel's High Court upheld Peace Now's right to demonstrate.

Peace Now believes that settlements undermine Israel's security, squander its financial resources, and endanger its future as a Jewish, democratic state. The Jewish settlement in Hebron, lying at the heart of a large Palestinian city, is comprised of some of the most violence-prone settlers.