Palestinian police prevented on Friday a rally organized by the militant group Islamic Jihad, which claimed responsibility for a car-bomb in Jerusalem on Thursday that left two Israelis dead, a senior member of the movement told AFP.
"The police would not give us a permit and because we didn't want to go against national unity, we canceled our event," Mohammed al-Hindi told AFP in Gaza City.
Al Hindi said Palestinian police called him early on Friday saying that Islamic Jihad needed a permit to hold its intended rally, and that the permission was not forthcoming.
Islamic Jihad had intended to hold the rally at a mosque run by their supporters near the Erez crossing point between Israel and the Gaza Strip.
The mass meeting was intended to celebrate Nabil Farraj Al-Arrir, a Palestinian member of Islamic Jihad who carried out a failed suicide attack on a bicycle against an Israeli post in Gaza on October 26.
The Jerusalem blast was in his name, according to Islamic Jihad's statement claiming responsibility.
The police of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's self-rule authority generally require that organizers of rallies and marches obtain permits, but during the past five-week Intifada or uprising, many marches have been held spontaneously and without official permission.
The police began taking steps Thursday to implement an agreement between Arafat and former Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres to end the violence.
Last Friday, Palestinian police blocked a demonstration to be held by Islamic Jihad's larger rival Hamas, fearing it would spark confrontations with Israeli soldiers, police officials said at the time -- GAZA CITY (AFP)
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