RELIGIOUS ISSUES PROTEST ERUPTS OVER ISRAELI FLAGS AT INTERFAITH MARCH.

WEST HILLS- An interfaith march for religious unity turned confrontational Sunday when Muslim participants pulled out after Orthodox Jews started singing Israeli songs.

Muslims said they felt alienated by the continuous barrage of Israeli patriotic songs at the event, and they broke from the rest of the participants in fury when Israeli flags were distributed to marchers.

``Anyone who is for America, come and march with me!'' Wafaa Khattab, a Muslim, shouted as she broke from the crowd and crossed to the other side of Saticoy Street. ``Fight terrorism. Eradicate poverty, oppression and ignorance.''

Jewish marchers continued waving their flags and singing over the growing protests of the Muslim minority, eventually joined by Christians, including priests, and people of other faiths.

The event was attended by no more than 200 at its peak.

``I came here to show the unity for our country, for Americans, not to divide one another by raising someone else's flag,'' Khattab said. ``I understood we were ending up at the temple, but it shouldn't be like this.''

Officials of Em Habanim Synagogue in West Hills defended their choice of music and their display of Zionism. They said the rally had always been billed as a rally and Torah dedication - a march to celebrate the addition of a new Torah from Israel to the temple.

``It said a Torah dedication, and the essence of the Torah is Israel. I don't think it was misleading. ... If you're Jewish, you're not waving (the Israeli flag) in their face. ... We're just trying to show we're concerned,'' Jacques Hay, temple director and rally co-organizer, said.

Following the march along Saticoy for one-half mile, those in the main group met behind the temple and stressed that they wished the people across the street would join them.

Protesters said temple members came over and asked them why they were protesting against Israel, but the protesters insisted that neither Israel nor Judaism was the target of their complaint. They said they were protesting what they considered the inappropriateness of singling out one faith and any other country at a rally they had expected to show American and interfaith unity.

``I just think the world had better come together and make peace and stop fighting over little trivial things,'' Jean Stone of Van Nuys, who stayed with the rally protesters, said. ``This is ridiculous.''

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1) Jews carry Israeli flags Sunday in West Hills at an interfaith march in which Muslims and Christians broke away.

(2) Wafaa Khattab, a Muslim, walks beside a marcher carrying an American flag Sunday and screams across a street in West Hills at other marchers with Israeli flags - inappropriate, she said, in an interfaith event.

David Sprague/Staff Photographer