'We'll march even if George Mitchell doesn't like it'

Last update - 20:26 23/04/2010

By Liel Kyzer

A famous right wing activist refused a police request on Friday that he cancel a march through an Arab neighborhood in East Jerusalem that he has planned for Monday.

The activist, Itamar Ben Gvir, was in the news earlier this year for penning a letter to White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, threatening to protest his upcoming visit to Israel.

The march that Ben Gvir has planned is to go through the Arab neighborhood of Silwan in East Jerusalem. Ben Gvir says it is in protest of U.S. Middle East envoy George Mitchell's visit to the region.

Ben Gvir claims that police are demanding that he cancel the march so as not to embarrass Israel diplomatically while Mitchell is visiting.

Polce say they want him to cancel the march because it would stretch the police force thin as they are already busy securing Mitchell during his visit.

Ben Gvir said in response to the police request: "We will not cancel the march. Mitchell is not the prime minister. There is no legal reasoning to this request; it is our right to march, even if Mitchell doesn't like it."

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http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1164971.html