Thousands of left-wing activists marched in Tel Aviv Saturday marking "42 years of occupation". Protestors were chanting: "End the occupation – start living".

The marchers belong to organizations and parties such as Hadash, Meretz, Gush Shalom, and Yesh

Opinion Don’t ever call me Nazi Yoram Kaniuk Settlers who refer to IDF troops as Nazis to provoke civil war Don’t ever call me Nazi

Din.MK Dov Khenin (Hadash) spoke at the protest. "42 years of occupation are 42 years too many," he said. "This year Israel is at a crossroads: Either we move to create a just Israeli-Palestinian peace or dangerous deterioration leads us to terrible regional war."

He said "occupation norms" were slowly penetrating Israeli society and threatening democracy with such occurrences as "the Nakba laws, the harming of freedom of speech and politics, and more".





Banner depicting IDF troops says 'murderers in uniform' (Photo: Ofer Amram)

MK Nitzan Horowitz (Meretz) spoke of US President Barack Obama's plans for Mideast peace.

"Obama is drawing a clear line between supporters of peace and democracy and those who oppose peace. Israel must be in the first camp, beside the US, and the path there is clear: The end of settlement and the adoption of the two-state solution," he said.