JERUSALEM (JTA) — About 1,000 right-wing activists at a Jerusalem rally called on Israel to ignore the U.S. demand to freeze settlement activity.
The demonstration Monday night outside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s residence also called on visiting U.S. Middle East envoy George Mitchell to "go home."
The demonstrators also marched carrying torches from Jerusalem’s Paris Square to the U.S. Consulate.
"We are here to call on the government to fend off U.S. pressure to halt construction in Judea, Samaria and Jerusalem," said Danny Dayan, chairman of the Yesha Council settlers’ umbrella group. "Not one construction plan has been approved since the inception of Netanyahu’s government, yet the bulldozers are being readied to raze outposts."
Earlier Monday, young right-wing activists attempted to set up new outposts throughout the West Bank. Evening news programs showed police disbanding groups of teens from various locations.
