This rally is meant to be the climax to a summer of protests. The Israeli government with its eyes on the impact of people power elsewhere in the Middle East has been taken aback by the
spontaneity
and scale of the demonstrations, which have included people from across Israeli society. Many other countries look enviously at Israel's growing economy, but people here feel the wealth has not been shared. The government has quickly set up a panel of economic experts, it says, to take action. Many protesters here do not seem convinced.
Turkey has said it's preparing to challenge Israel's blockade of Gaza at the International Court of Justice. It's the latest sign of strain between the two countries since last year's Israeli raid on ships heading for Gaza, in which nine Turks were killed. Speaking to Turkish state television, the foreign minister said Turkey did not accept the findings of a UN report into the raid, which said that Israel's blockade of Gaza was a legal security measure. His comments come a day after Turkey expelled the Israeli ambassador. The UN report said Israeli commandos had used unreasonable force during the raid.
State television in Cuba has announced the death of the Defence Minister Julio Casas Regueiro, a veteran of the Cuban revolution. General Casas Regueiro reportedly died of heart failure. He was 75. He
was responsible for
the Cuban military's
substantial
economic activities until 2008 when he was made defence minister by the new President Raul Castro. Julio Casas Regueiro was an accountant who fought, under Raul Castro's command, against the Batista regime.