Thousands Of Settlers Demonstrate In Contested West Bank Area: 'We Are Here Because This Is Our Land'

Thousands Of Settlers Demonstrate In Contested E1 Area In West Bank

Settlers were marching on Thursday evening towards the  E1 area of the West Bank for a demonstration demanding that the government build Jewish settlements in the contested area. 

E1 is an unbuilt area of the Ma'aleh Adumim West Bank settlement. 

Thousands of settlers and Right-wing supporters were present at  E1 Thursday. Right-wing MKs and high profile national-religious affiliated rabbis were expected at the demonstration.

Demonstrators held signs declaring as a persona non grata US Secretary of State John Kerry who is attempting to broker a peace deal between the Palestinians and Israelis. 

At one point the crowd could be heard chanting: "The eternal people do not fear the long road." 

Deputy Defense Minister Danny Danon (Likud) spoke at the rally about the importance of building at E1. 

The head of coalition Yariv Levin (Likud), said at the rally that he met this week with US Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiroand told him the Land of Israel was not a token that is traded to make a deal. 

Deputy Transportation Minister Tzipi Hotovely (Likud) told the crowds that E1 was a strategic point connecting Mount Scopus with Gush Adumim, and that it has to be built on to link to Jerusalem.

"Our message to the PM is don't be afraid to build because it angers the US. We are here because this is our land," Hotovely said.

Deputy Foreign Minister Ze’ev Elkin, who is also participating in the settler march to E-1, called earlier on Thursday on Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to ignore international pressure and “build wherever possible in the Land of Israel.”

“A majority of the people have spoken,” Elkin said at the start of the procession. “They are demanding construction and not a freeze. “Along the way, there will be difficult moments, but at the end of the day we will emerge victorious,” he said. “We need to be determined to the end because justice is on our side,” Elkin said.

“At a time when we are being threatened with boycotts and we are being asked to accept documents that infringe on our sovereignty over this land, we must say in a loud and clear voice: We are obligated to the citizens of Israel and not to the nations of the world," he added.