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Israel supporters set to face counter-protest from pro-Palestinians at London rally

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Israel supporters planning a rally outside the Palestinian mission in London will be faced by a counter-protest from pro-Palestinians.

Groups including the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Jews for Justice for Palestinians, Jews for Boycotting Israeli Goods and the Jewish Socialist Group say they will be present outside the venue on Tuesday evening.

The pro-Israel rally, named “#IsraeliLivesMatter - Protest Palestinian Violence and Incitement,” has been organised by the Board of Deputies and the Zionist Federation, as well as other organisations.

They plan to commemorate the victims of the surge in violence in Israel and call on the Palestinian Authority to condemn attacks on Israelis. Board president Jonathan Arkush has called the lack of a response from the PA “nothing short of disgraceful.”

In an open letter to the Board and the ZF on Monday morning, some members of the community criticised the pro-Israel protest as inflammatory and divisive.

More than 100 people have signed the letter, which states: “When Jewish organisations, who claim to represent the voice of British Jewry, say only that ‘#IsraeliLivesMatter’, it shames us as people who care about the lives of everyone in the region.”

In response, the Board’s senior vice-president Richard Verber said: “The ZF’s hashtag may have been misinterpreted by some, but it is simply being used to highlight the media’s poor coverage of the indiscriminate stabbings which have taken place throughout Israel.

“We will be outside the Palestinian mission to respectfully mourn the deaths of those who have lost their lives and hold [Palestinian president] Abbas to account given that Shin Bet have said PA and Fatah officials are involved in incitement.

“We urge all those attending to follow the advice of the police and CST given the potential for counter-protests.”

The ZF has denied that it created the hashtag, saying it had been used by other groups in previous campaigns.

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