WASHINGTON, Aug 13: More than 30,000 people demonstrated outside the White House overnight to protest Israel’s US-backed military operations in the Middle East while experts warned that the Israeli and US governments were the big losers in the month-old war in Lebanon.
The war has proved that “Israel cannot force peace through military means,” said former US ambassador to Israel Edward P. Djerejian.
A recent survey by the Beirut Centre for Research and Information, published in the US newspapers on Sunday, said that almost 90 per cent of Lebanese believed the US is not an honest broker.
“Our image suffers from this perception and makes diplomacy and democracy promotion more difficult,” Mr Djerejian said.
In Washington, protesters unfurled hundreds of Lebanese flags at a park outside the White House to show support for Lebanon.
“The large turnout once again proved that America’s rulers do not necessarily represent popular American sentiments,” said a spokesman for the anti-war group ANSWER, which organised the event along with the Muslim American Society and the National Council of Arab Americans.
The anger of the anti-war protesters was focused mainly on President George W. Bush and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.
“Bush is a war criminal,” chanted one of them. “Israel out of Lebanon now!” chanted others while some brandished signs that read: “Occupation is a crime”.
“Massacres and genocide against Palestinians must end today,” said Esam Omeish, president of the Muslim American Society, while addressing the large crowd. “Allah ho Akbar,” the crowd shouted.
Mr Omeish was loudly applauded when he gave “a message to President Bush” to “stop calling Islam ‘Islamic fascism’”.
“A lot of children, a lot of innocent citizens are dying in Lebanon and the Bush administration wants to give Israel more time to continue this massacre,” said Mr Omeish.
“No war is justified. What’s happening in Lebanon is downright criminal,” said Sara, a 28-year old woman from Maryland who gave only her first name. “As an American citizen I’m angry at what my country is doing with my tax money,” she said.
“We’re mad at what our government is doing. We’re protesting against what is happening in our country, which has turned into an occupying and aggressor nation,” said another protester, Michael Martinez.
As the marchers turned onto a street near the White House, they encountered about two dozen pro-war protesters.
Smaller protests were also held in San Francisco and Los Angeles where hundreds denounced Israel for destroying an entire nation over the kidnapping of two of its soldiers.
