ANTI-WAR DEMONSTRATIONS IN ISRAEL

The demonstrators who gathered in front of Defense Minister Ehud Barak's home in Tel Aviv protested at the Israeli government's Iran policy. Hundreds of people showed reaction by shouting slogans against Israel's Iran policy and said they were against a military operation against Iran. The demonstrators said that Ehud Barak and Prime Minister Netanyahu should embark upon cooperation with the international community instead of drawing up war plans against Tehran. They called for common sense and asked the government not to rule out the sanctions and negotiation options, saying that Israel should never act on its own regarding Iran.

Commentaries in the Israeli media have said that Defense Minister Barak and Prime Minister Netanyahu are planning to attack Iran before the presidential elections in the US in November but cannot find enough support in the cabinet for their action.

The Israeli media which alleges that Iran has speeded up its nuclear programme and is aspiring to get a nuclear war head quotes Prime Minister Netanyahu as saying that all problems Israel is faced pale into insignificance beside the Iran issue.