‘If they annex the Jordan Valley, it’s World War III’: Hundreds march in New York to protest Israel's West Bank annexation scheme

Hundreds of protesters marched through New York City to voice opposition to Israeli annexation plans in the West Bank and the continued occupation of Palestinian territory as Tel Aviv gears up for a major land grab.

A sizable crowd of demonstrators gathered in Brooklyn for Wednesday’s ‘Day of Rage’ rally, where marchers were seen carrying an array of flags and banners while shouting slogans for a “free Palestine.”

The gathering grew throughout the afternoon, according to local reporters at the scene, who estimated that some 2,000 people turned out for the rally. Though there were no reports of clashes with law enforcement, riot police were present, trying and failing at one point to corral protesters to one side of the street.

Dozens of speakers from local organizations addressed the crowd during the march, while members of Neturei Karta, an anti-Zionist Orthodox Jewish organization, were also spotted at the event carrying elaborate signs and placards.

Reporting from the rally, RT’s Caleb Maupin spoke with a number of participants, who explained their reasons for showing up.

“I’m utterly opposed to Israeli annexation of Palestinian land. They’re living on stolen land, and they’ve been murdering and destroying people,” said one activist. “If you look at the map, you can see the amount of land that Palestinians have been allowed to live on has been decreasing rapidly over the years.”

“If they annex the Jordan Valley, it’s World War III. Everything is on the table, everything is a go,” another marcher told Maupin. “If you look at what’s going on, Netanyahu is taking Israel and the Arab world into World War III… after they annex the Jordan Valley, we’re talking about war.”

Similar rallies were also staged in New Mexico and California. Early on Wednesday morning, protesters gathered outside the San Francisco home of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California) to protest against the annexation plan, calling on the lawmaker to join progressive Democrats in opposing the scheme, local media reported.

The protests come as Tel Aviv moves ahead on plans to annex all Jewish settlements in the West Bank – including in the strategically important Jordan Valley – many of which were built on Palestinian land in defiance of international law. While the move was initially slated for July 1, on Tuesday Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suggested the plan would be delayed as talks continue with Washington, which has yet to give its formal blessing for the land grab.

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