Articles Comments

The Only Democracy? » Archive

Remembering Bassem (Pheel) Abu Rahma

Remembering Bassem (Pheel) Abu Rahma

Exactly one year ago, Bassem Abu Rahma (who everyone called Pheel, which means “elephant”), was killed by Israeli forces. Pheel, as he did every Friday, was demonstrating at the Wall which cuts off Bil’in from its own lands.  His last words were to ask the soldiers not to shoot because an Israeli had been injured. He was shot in the chest by a tear gas canister, as can be seen in this video  (somewhat graphic). Pheel … Read entire article »

Filed under: Featured, Human Rights Activists in the Crosshairs

A Bedouin Tale

By Rebecca Vilkomerson A few nights ago I had dinner at the home of a dear friend, Ra’ed, the director of the Bedouin-Jewish environmental organization BUSTAN.  In the course of the meal, I heard a story that illuminates so many of the overlapping historicaland political factors that contribute to the injustice of the Bedouin story in Israel.  It goes like this: A couple of weeks ago, on a Friday afternoon, a few young men from the Bedouin town of Qasr al-Sir went walking on the hills just outside their village. Without warning, shots were fired from the other side of the hills, and one of the young men was killed, another wounded. The shots were fired by Israeli soldiers, who were practicing within a military firing range. A simple, unfortunate tragedy?  Not quite. Qasr … Read entire article »

Filed under: Discrimination, On The Ground Reports

Celebrating Passover and Land Day in Budrus

Celebrating Passover and Land Day in Budrus

By Rebecca Vilkomerson Monday evening: a standard seder in north Tel Aviv with my family, where the story of the historic liberation of the Jews from oppression by organizing themselves (my own personal takeaway from the Pesach tale) passed quite quickly by in favor of dinner.  Tuesday:  the first day of Passover, which coincides this year with Land Day, when Palestinians mark the day in 1976 when Palestinian citizens of … Read entire article »

Filed under: On The Ground Reports

First Day of Bil’in and Na’alin Closure–Follow It Live!

First Day of Bil’in and Na’alin Closure–Follow It Live!

This week, the Israeli Army declared the villages of Bil’in and Na’alin closed military zones from 8am-8pm on Fridays for the next six months.  It was announced that any Israeli activist in the villages during those hours would be arrested, foreigners would be deported, and Palestinians from other villages would be jailed. For over five years now, Fridays have been demonstration days, when Israeli and international activists join Palestinian protesters in their efforts to stop the … Read entire article »

Filed under: On The Ground Reports

Rise of a New Israeli Left

Rise of a New Israeli Left

By Udi Aloni and Ofer Neiman This article was originally published in Hebrew on March 2nd in  YNet, the website of the mass circulation daily Yediot Achronot. It seems that for the first time in many years the Israeli peace camp is reaping the fruits of its labor. Alarmed by the success of the struggle, which exposes Israel as an apartheid state, the state’s powerful players have begun a smear, counter-campaign, wasteful and vile, which seeks to … Read entire article »

Filed under: Human Rights Activists in the Crosshairs