The Only Democracy? » Archive
Time Magazine Weighs Risks of Israel’s Comfort with Status Quo
Time Magazine provides an in-depth analysis by Tony Karon of the dangers inherent in Israel’s failure to move forward on a two-state solution, the apartheid nature of the current status quo, the growing influence of Israel’s settlement movement, and the need for a change in strategy by Obama and his international allies. Another sign of mainstream media’s shift toward more honest discourse on these issues! For Palestinians, the status quo is desperate: living under siege in Gaza or walled up in the West Bank as more and more of their land is gobbled up by Jewish Settlements. For Israelis, the status quo is comfortable indeed: a booming economy, a vibrant westernized culture, and the Palestinian people out of sight and out of mind. So why should Israelis care about changing the status quo? The Time article … Read entire article »
Filed under: Discrimination
Amira Hass: “Giving In To Settlers” in Beit Sahour
Amira Hass traces the nibbling away of much of the land of the West Bank town of Beit Sahour for Jerusalem municipality and settlement expansion; the abandonment of an Israeli military base in 2007 opening the door for construction of a playground and hospital for Beit Sahour residents; and recent military orders declaring the area once again a closed military zone, and allowing construction of a guard tower there. Both the settlers and Beit Sahour … Read entire article »
Filed under: Discrimination
Teargassing the Na’vi in Bi’lin
In the weekly demonstrations by Bi’lin residents against the Israeli barrier that separates them from their agricultural land, both sides are armed: Israeli soldiers with an arsenal of ammunition and tear gas cannisters, and the demonstrators with relentlessly creative expressions of nonviolent resistance. This Friday, the demonstrators marched to the barrier dressed up as the indigenous blue-skinned Na’vi tribe, the heroes of the blockbuster movie Avatar (More videos of the protest are available on Friends … Read entire article »
Filed under: Featured, Human Rights Activists in the Crosshairs
Survey: Israel Increasingly Rejects Democracy
A survey conducted by the Israel Democracy Institute reveals that over half the Jewish population of Israel is opposed to full equal rights for Arab citizens and that Israel increasingly rejects democracy as the preferred form of government. The general conclusion of the survey, which is dubbed the “Israeli Democracy Survey” and will be conducted every year, is that Israel is basically a democracy in form more than in substance, and that it has yet to … Read entire article »
Filed under: Featured
Israel Begins Rerouting Bi’lin Barrier: “A Small Victory”
Israel began work today to a section of its so-called “security barrier” in the West Bank village of Bil’in — two and a half years after the Israeli Supreme Court ordered the state to return land to Palestinian farmers. The Jerusalem Post has the video and article. “Bulldozers were on site Thursday and tracks for the new route were being laid down. Some Palestinians welcomed the development but stressed it fell far short of their demand … Read entire article »
Filed under: Victories for Democracy
Israeli Army raids offices of Stop the Wall
In a late-night strike, Israeli military forces raided the Stop the Wall offices in Ramallah in the Occupied West Bank, and confiscated the organization’s electronic equipment and documents. “Some 10 military jeeps, hummers and an armoured bus surrounded the building as soldiers searched rooms, turning the office upside down and confiscating computer hard disks, laptops, and video cameras along with paper documents, CDs, and video cassettes.” Stop the Wall is part of a Palestinian grassroots campaign to … Read entire article »
Filed under: Featured, Human Rights Activists in the Crosshairs
Interactive Video
“You have a choice! Israeli Anti-Militarists Speak”
Four Israelis—Dorothy Naor, Sergeiy Sander and Eli Fabrikant, and Ofer Golani—talking about their personal histories, political views and activism in 132 short films.