An estimated 25,000 Israelis demonstrated here last night to urge the government to be more forthcoming in the quest for peace. The rally, which was orderly throughout, was organized by a group of 300 reserve officers who recently petitioned Premier Menachem Begin to agree to territorial compromises on all fronts in the interests of a peace settlement. Last week the reserve officers said they had a petition with 10,000 signatures.
Placards carried by the demonstrators bore such slogans as “Better peace in the State of Israel than war for the whole of Eretz Israel,” “Peace now” and “Peace today is no longer a dream.” Speakers said their objective was to convince the government to change its priorities. “For true and everlasting peace we must be ready for compromises an all fronts, south, north and east,” they said. They charged that the Begin government’s present policy “weakens and dilutes the chance of peace.”
Many Labor Party and Mapam Knesset members attended the rally, as did Communist and Sheli faction MKs. The organizers stressed, however, that their group is non-partisan and has no political aims. They said they would pursue their goal in a democratic manner.
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