JERUSALEM -- Thousands of Israelis gathered in Jerusalem on Monday for a rally to remember a cabinet minister assassinated by Palestinian radicals and demand an end to the Palestinian Authority.
They brandished banners calling Palestinian President Yasser Arafat a "murderer" and reading "Arafat invented hijacking," as they massed in central Jerusalem's Zion Square.
It was one of the largest demonstrations since a Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation erupted last year after peace talks stalled.
Right-wing leaders spoke from a stage posted with a picture of Arafat and Osama bin Laden, the Saudi-born militant the United States is pursuing in its anti-terrorism campaign after September 11 hijacked airliner attacks on New York and Washington.
Dubbed "The Twins," the pictures were accompanied by a banner reading "Get rid of Arafat, fight terrorism."
The right-wing show of support also served to put pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who launched the country's biggest offensive against the Palestinian Authority after Zeevi's killing.
Israeli forces remained in or around six Palestinian cities in the West Bank on Monday amid international and left-wing pressure to withdraw.
Jewish settler leader Benny Kashriel said his YESHA council of settlers in the West Bank and Gaza seek Arafat's exile.
"We should get rid of (Arafat) and wipe out the Palestinian Authority, not by killing and murder [as if Israel has any other methods], but to get rid of it and restore security to our towns," he told Israeli television. ------------------------------------------- Macdonald Stainsby Rad-Green List: Radical anti-capitalist environmental discussion. http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/rad-green ---- Leninist-International: Building bridges in the tradition of V.I. Lenin. http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/leninist-international ---- In the contradiction lies the hope.
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