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The Only Democracy? » Entries tagged with "Israeli Supreme Court"

Support a Palestinian Family Fighting to Stay Together under Israel’s Citizenship Law

Reprinted with permission from Mondoweiss. Written by Udi Aloni, member of the Jewish Voice for Peace advisory board. There has been a flood of new laws, practices and rules of apartheid in Israel. Sometimes many of us feel paralyzed because of the racist manifestations in the judiciary, legislature and executive and don’t know where to start fighting. Yet when those laws begin to destroy the lives of close friends, we know this is a good place to start. On January 12th, 2012 the Israeli Supreme Court upheld a ruling allowing Israel to prevent Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza, who marry Israelis, to reside with their spouses in Israel. This law further permits the deportation of Palestinians who are currently living with their families in Israel. I remember a year … Read entire article »

Filed under: Discrimination, On The Ground Reports

Following Barrier’s Rerouting, Residents of Bil’in to Start Building “Bil’in West”

Following Barrier’s Rerouting, Residents of Bil’in to Start Building “Bil’in West”

From the Popular Struggle Coordination Committee VIdeo of the victory celebrations, warning contains LOTS of car honking! This Friday, as part of the weekly demonstration, residents of Bil’in will commence the construction of a new neighborhood of the village, ‘Bil’in West”, on lands returned to the village following the rerouting of Israel’s Separation Barrier. What: Construction of new neighborhood on lands returned to Bil’in Where: The mosque in Bil’in, West of Ramallah When: Friday, July 1st at 12:30 Six years after … Read entire article »

Filed under: Victories for Democracy

Bil’in VIllagers to move the wall themselves, updated with video

Bil’in VIllagers to move the wall themselves, updated with video

Update: here’s video from the day: After the Israeli military finally began to move the wall after a Supreme Court decision and 2 more than 5 years of protest (2 since the victory) , the village of Bil’in will take matters into their own hands again tomorrow. Popular Struggle has the information on the protest here. Bil’in Demonstrators to Take Down the Wall After nearly six years of weekly protests, the army began dismantling the Wall in Bil’in this … Read entire article »

Filed under: Victories for Democracy

The deputy assassin

By Rela Mazali In the second piece below, Israeli activist Nurit Peled-Elhanan comments on the recent appointment of a new Deputy Chief of Staff, Yair Naveh, who orchestrated (at least some of) Israel’s summary executions widely wordwashed as “targeted assassinations.” Peled-Elhanan claims the appointment is, in fact, apt and fitting to the deeds and spirit of Israel’s army. In response to these and to the appointment, she says, it is the parents and educators of Israel who bear responsibility for taking action. She writes, We must gather up our courage and teach our children to refuse. Refuse to take part in an organization that is led by war criminals, murderers of children. An organization like that cannot be anything but a crime organization. … There are so many possibilities, children, to contribute to … Read entire article »

Filed under: Discrimination

Israeli court welcomes pre-1948 land claims, from Jewish Israelis only

By Jesse Bacon It has been pointed out repeatedly, but now it’s official, the Israeli Supreme Court will accept your pre-1948 claim, if you are Jewish that is. In one of those cases that is a testament to presumably intelligent people’s ability to ignore the larger implications of their actions, the court has been ruling that Jews who left East Jerusalem during the founding of the state of Israel/ Palestinian Nakba/ Catastrophe have a right of return. I hope there are Palestinian refugees filing similar court cases, as many more of them were dispossessed during that time. I would love to hear an Israeli court explain why the Jewish Israelis claims are more valid. Here is the recent Ha’aretz coverage. Sheikh Jarrah has been a bone of contention between Jewish groups – … Read entire article »

Filed under: Discrimination

Israel Tries to Expel People For Their Beliefs

Israel Tries to Expel People For Their Beliefs

By Noam Sheizaf, cross-posted from his Promised Land blog with permission. Pay close attention to this item. It doesn’t seem like much, but it’s an important one: Two international activists, Ariadna Jove Marti (from Spain) and Bridgette Chappell (Australia), who are living in Bir Zeit in the West Bank (it’s near Ramallah, and well within the Palestinian Autonomy), were arrested by the IDF last month. The two were about to be expelled … Read entire article »

Filed under: On The Ground Reports

Israel Begins Rerouting Bi’lin Barrier: “A Small Victory”

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

International activists freed, then their office raided again by IDF.

International activists freed, then their office raided again by IDF.

Ha’aretz reports that international activists seized in immigration raids as part of Israel’s crackdown were freed by Israel’s Supreme Court. “The activists’ lawyer described their arrest as part of a campaign by Israel to choke off weekly demonstrations by Palestinians, left-wing Israelis and foreign activists against Israel’s West Bank separation barrier as peace efforts remain at a stalemate. Israeli soldiers raided the West Bank city of Ramallah on Sunday and detained Spaniard Ariadna Jove Marti and Australian … Read entire article »

Filed under: Featured, Human Rights Activists in the Crosshairs, Victories for Democracy

Israeli Supreme Court celebrates Tu Bishvat by ruling for trees over people

Israeli Supreme Court celebrates Tu Bishvat by ruling for trees over people

As an environmentalist, I am often told I care more about trees than people. It seems the Israeli Supreme Court not only values forests over people, but unnatural, politically motivated, man-made forests! “In its ruling on 4 January 2010 , the Supreme Court of Israel rejected the appeal of 486 Arab families who demanded that land in the destroyed village of Lajoun confiscated from them in 1953 by Israel for “settlement needs” but used for a … Read entire article »

Filed under: Discrimination

Eldar: “Spitting at the rule of law.”

Eldar: “Spitting at the rule of law.”

From Ha’aretz columnist Akiva Eldar, we learn that Israel is ignoring many rulings by its own Supreme Court. “At the offices of the Association for Civil Rights in Israel there is a blacklist of rulings by the High Court of Justice that have not been implemented. The list includes provision of protection for communities bordering the Gaza Strip, which has been delayed endlessly; the cessation of restrictions limiting foreign workers to a single employer; equalization of … Read entire article »

Filed under: Discrimination, Featured