Peace Now rallies in support of moratorium outside IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv

Peace Now rallies in sup

By BEN HARTMAN
Peace Now held a rally outside IDF General Staff Headquarters in Tel Aviv on Tuesday, in support of the settlement freeze ordered by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu last Wednesday. Across the street from the Kirya, the left-wing organization placed dozens of sacks of ice cubes on a palette, around which a crowd of around 50 activists held signs and chanted, among other things, "Yes to peace, no to settlements" and "No surrender to settler pressure." A sticker displayed across a number of banners read "Settlements: not Obama's problem, not the world's problem, our problem." Peace Now general secretary Yariv Oppenheimer told The Jerusalem Post the rally was meant not only to show support for the freeze but also to call on "Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak to adhere to international agreements and not fold in the face of pressure from settlers." The rally drew scant attention from passersby, though the occasional passing car honked its horn - either in support or to drown out the chants. A group of four soldiers standing guard at the Kirya could be seen smiling and occasionally breaking out in jeers and mimicry. The rally lasted for an hour, after which the crowd dispersed and a group of activists carried sacks of melting ice to a nearby gutter.