The Only Democracy? » Discrimination
Restrooms and Sanitation at Umm-Al-Kheir (a story for Shavuot)
Mohammed Salem is about 30 years old. He lives in Umm-Al-Kheir, in a home inherited from his late father right next to the fence of the Carmel settlement (sometimes spelled “Karmel”; see picture). In 2005, when Carmel built an expansion neighborhood, Mohammed was beaten by settlers involved in the construction. Since this assault, he has suffered from post-traumatic stress (PTSD). He has stopped functioning, fears and runs away from any stranger, and even from some family … Read entire article »
Filed under: Discrimination, On The Ground Reports
Gaza not un-besieged after all
When I was arguing with AIPAC attendees in Washington D.C., the one thing they didn’t seem to have an answer for was if the occupation of Gaza was supposedly over, why was Israel controlling all its borders? Well, with the seemingly heartening news that Egypt’s military government was opening the Rafah crossing, Israel’s defenders could briefly claim that even the Siege was over! This was absurd on the face of it, as Larry Derfner points out, … Read entire article »
Filed under: Discrimination, Featured
Why do protesters only count in Syria?
Mitchell Plitnick has an argument here about why Syria should stay out of Palestinian protests. It’s an interesting case though I am happy to see the larger issue of the Palestinian refugee diaspora raised, I agree that Syria is a deeply flawed messenger, given its current brutal crackdown on its own demonstrators. The New York Times coverage of the “Naksa” (a word I am embarrassed to admit I just learned this year” seems to support Plitnick’s … Read entire article »
Filed under: Discrimination
At Umm-Al-Kheir, Fighting Demolitions with Art
In November 2009, we reported to you about demolition orders, issued by Israel’s Civilian Administration of the Occupied Territories, against eleven structures in Umm-Al-Kheir (including stone and tin residential structures, lavatory structures, tents, and a tin storage structure). The structures are located in two residential clusters in Umm al-Kheir that are home to five extended families (over 100 children and adults). Thirty years ago, these families have had the misfortune of the Israeli settlement … Read entire article »
Filed under: Discrimination, On The Ground Reports
5 things you may not know about Silwan
The Israeli group Solidarity sent along this flyer from a joint action they did with Silwanic, a Palestinian center in the Silwan neighborhood that seeks to counter the erasure of Palestinian history by the right wing settler group ElAd that has been given dominion over its archeological sites. Feel free to download and share with any right wing family members you have who talk about the “City of David” while ignoring its Palestinian residents. You can … Read entire article »
Filed under: Discrimination, On The Ground Reports
Intolerance–Then and Now
This post is a bit of a departure for the website. While our focus is generally on what is happening in Israel and Palestine, we want to also occasionally draw the connections between the political culture here in the U.S. and in Israel and Palestine, and how they influence one another. Yesterday in Manhattan and LA, protests were held at the Museum of Tolerance in each city. The occasion was an event to honor the Freedom … Read entire article »
Filed under: Discrimination
Video from Israelis speaking out against Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions bill
Below is a short video of Israeli celebrities and several activists, among whom I was honored to appear. The video is in Hebrew and for an Israeli audience, but there are English subtitles. The video essentially is self-explanatory, but to give you a synopsis we are coming out strongly against the bill currently in advanced stages in the Israeli parliament (Knesset) that will make it illegal to support and advance boycotts, divestment campaigns and/or a call for sanctions (and perhaps other non-violent political expression) against Israel for its unlawful acts against Palestinians. We are all coming out for democracy, freedom of thought and expression, and stating that this law won’t stop us from resisting the occupation. From the Coalition for Women for Peace’s channel: This is the promo for a series of … Read entire article »
Filed under: Discrimination
Eviatar: Three Dead Children
Guest Post by Aharan Eviatar The recent ghastly events in Arizona, especially the killing of Christina Greene, gunned down by a political lunatic at age nine, lead one to think of the phenomenon of political killing of children and what it implies for society. In particular, I would like to bring up along with Christina, two other cases of killing of little girls, one in Arizona and the other in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The story … Read entire article »
Filed under: Discrimination
African Asylum Seekers in Israel
Debbie Herdan is a midwife and former Tel Aviv resident who was very active in the organization Hagar and Miriam, which works with African women in Israel who are either pregnant or have recently given birth. Debbie worked with Eritrean, Sudanese and Darfurian asylum seekers for several years and writes that they became like family to her. She passed on the following messages encouraging people in Israel to come out to a rally on December 24th in Tel Aviv (corner of Rothschild and Sheinkin at 10 am, for those who want to attend). The occasion is the declared intention of the State of Israel to require refugees to live in a refugee camp (run by the Prison Service). From Alma Zohar: Hello everyone, In the Jewish state, they are about to finally establishing … Read entire article »
Filed under: Discrimination
Israeli government thanks Palestinians for help with the fires…
By Jesse Bacon ..By not recognizing their names and refusing them entry for award ceremony in their honor. . This should remind us just how arbitrary the whole edifice of permits and checkpoints is that it can keep out people who helped contain the horrible fires and prevent worse disaster. I am also reminded of the U.S. soldier who was the first to die in the Iraq War and was posthumously awarded the citizenship he was … Read entire article »
Filed under: Discrimination
Pictures from ActiveStills
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.