Date Posted: Thursday, April 15, 2004

Ultra-orthodox Jews were among those protesting Israeli Prime Minister Sharon's visit to the White House, denouncing the concept of Zionism.

By Hannah Abdullah

WASHINGTON, April 15 (MASNET) - As President George W. Bush endorsed Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's controversial Gaza withdrawal plan, protesters outside the White House sent a different message, demonstrating against the Israeli leader’s visit and the war in Iraq.

Sharon, who is in Washington this week to present his plan to withdraw settlements from Gaza and annex portions of the West Bank, drew criticism in both the United States and abroad.

Under Sharon's plan, 7,500 Israeli settlers would be withdrawn from the occupied Gaza Strip with the settlements handed over to the Palestinians. However, the plan envisions annexing portions of the West Bank, which under international law, belong to the Palestinians.

More than 100 protestors turned out at Lafayette Park, located directly in front of the White House, with some demonstrators traveling from as far away as Montreal, Canada, to express their dismay at the U.S.-Israeli summit.

"Any plan presented by Sharon is futile and against God," said Rabbi Dovib Weiss, who came from New York to attend the protest.

"It is forbidden in the Torah to oppress the Palestinians and I strongly support and believe in the transformation of self-rule."

The Jewish protestors were also joined by Christian and Muslim activists and anti-war groups, including A.N.S.W.E.R., which has been responsible for organizing large protests in major cities across the U.S.

"Given the realities of the vast amount of death and destruction in the region, the meeting between President George W. Bush and Ariel Sharon is morally reprehensible," said Mahdi Bray, Executive Director of the Muslim American Freedom Foundation.

Bray was among several demonstrators, including Sarah Friedman from A.N.S.W.E.R., later arrested by Park Police for civil disobedience.

Meanwhile, inside the White House, Bush welcomed Sharon's initiative, saying it holds "great promise for the Palestinian people".

"The realities on the ground and in the region have changed greatly over the last several decades, and any final settlement must take into account those realities and be agreeable to the parties," said Bush in a joint press conference with the Israeli leader.

But the White House was the subject of sharp criticism from Palestinian leaders for not including them in any negotiations.

"[Bush] is the first president who has legitimized the settlements in the Palestinian territories when he said that there will be no return to the borders of 1967," Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qorei told the Associated Press. "We, as Palestinians, reject that, we cannot accept that, we reject it and we refuse it."

Sharon has not met with Qorei since he took office in October and the Palestinian leader has indicated he would not meet with the Israeli leader after his visit to Washington.