Kfar Szold, a kibbutz in Upper Galilee, refused at the last minute to host a Peace Now rally against annexation of the Golan Heights which had been scheduled to take place there yesterday. A petition, signed by 170 members of the kibbutz, more than half of the members, and posted in the communal dining hall Friday, stated that it was inappropriate for a settlement at the foot of the Golan Heights, which was the target of Syrian shelling in the past, to be the site of such a gathering.
A month ago, the kibbutz secretariate gave approval for the rally at the initiative of one of its members, Dan Shovit, a writer. Many residents of upper Galilee and the Golan were to have participated. According to Peace Now, pressure was brought to bear by several kibbutz members who threatened to disrupt the rally by barring the kibbutz gates and deflating the tires of guests’ cars.
Kfar Szold is a member of Kibbutz Hameuchad, one of the kibbutz movements affiliated with the Labor Party. The movement supported proposed legislation to annex the Golan Heights which was overwhelmingly defeated in the Knesset last week. Peace Now plans to hold the rally at another kibbutz in the region.
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