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Jerusalem
(ANTARA News/AFP) - Some 1,000 Israelis and Palestinians gathered in east
Jerusalem on Friday for a protest march to support the Palestinian bid for
United Nations recognition.
The
marchers waved Palestinian flags and carried signs reading "marching to
independence" and "only free people can negotiate for peace," an
AFP photographer said.
The
Palestinians plan to ask the UN General Assembly to recognise a Palestinian
state when the world body gathers in September, a move opposed by Israel, which
says progress can only be made through negotiations.
"This
march has been considered by many as carrying special significance, since it
will serve as a litmus test for the extent of popular support among Israelis
and Palestinians for the diplomatic efforts for a declaration of
independence," organisers said in a statement.
Organisers
said they planned to march from the Old City to the neighbourhood of Sheikh
Jarrah, the site of weekly protests against efforts by Jewish settlers to move
into largely Arab neighbourhoods in the city.
The route
is the reverse of a march held last month by right-wing Israeli youth to
commemorate Israel`s capture of east Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East war.
Israel
later annexed east Jerusalem, claiming it as it as its "undivided and
eternal capital," a move that has not been recognised by the international
community.
The
Palestinians claim east Jerusalem as the capital of their would-be state.
Organisers
had said they feared right-wing Israeli groups would try to disrupt the march,
but there were no immediate signs of disturbance amid a heavy police presence.
Editor: B Kunto Wibisono
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