The "Zochrot" organization, an organization that describes itself as "aspiring to the recognition of the right of return," intended to hold an event yesterday, Monday, to mark "Nakba Day," the day of the Palestinian tragedy, in which films would be screened in the streets of 11 different locations in the country including three locations in the streets of the city of Jerusalem – the plaza of the Jerusalem Theater and the Binyanei Ha'Uma complex.
A member of the Jerusalem city council, Adv. Yair Gabai, discovered the intention of the organization and asked the Jerusalem Theater to prevent activists of the organization from entering the theater plaza. Representatives of the Jerusalem Theater did not delay and demanded that the Jerusalem police prevent such an event from taking place in its vicinity. On the same night, plays, concerts and cultural events for over 2,000 people were planned to take place at the theater.
Gabai personally demanded of Maj. Gen. Ilan Franco to prevent the event from taking place.
In his letter Gabai writes that "if the police have granted permits for these events, I ask that they be nullified so as not to create unnecessary provocations in the streets of the city. And if permits have not been granted by the police for these events, I ask that these unlawful events be dealt with and that police forces be dispatched to the sites of the demonstrations in order to disperse activists from the area."
Due to Gabai's intervention the police acted with great vigor. Security forces arrived at the place where the organization intended to carry out the demonstrations, prevented them from distributing fliers to passersby and halted the demonstration.
It should be noted that if it were not for council member Gabi's alertness and fast response, the events of the organization would have taken place unimpeded on the eve of Jerusalem day, which this year is the 40th year of the unification of the city, and to his credit the events were cancelled.