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The Only Democracy? » Entries tagged with "Racism"

Netanyahu’s UN Speech also had REALLY-NOT-FUNNY parts…

…but they were completely upstaged by his Wile E. Coyote climax. These parts are highly worth revisiting. Bibi’s brazen, out-and-out racism and lunatic brand of nationalist-supremacy, were expressed in no uncertain terms upon the United Nations stage. The man’s true colors were there for all to see. I owe the discovery of the lesser-known first half of Bibi’s speech, to Palestinian-American comedian Amer Zahr, a.k.a. The Civil Arab. Myself, I was probably going to ignore the Bibi speech altogether – had the Web not suddenly exploded with images of Acme bombs. But Zahr, as he says, must listen: As a Palestinian, I tuned in. It’s my duty. Plus, I say the guy’s name at least 3-4 times a day (I won’t tell you how), so the least I could do … Read entire article »

Filed under: Featured

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

Antisemitism and Political Blogging: Personal Reflections

My 5-year involvement with the progressive-liberal Daily Kos blog site has been somewhat intermittent. Although I love to blog, there is still this other pesky thing called “life” that often tends to take precedence. At other times, despair about my main blogging subject (Israel-Palestine, hereafter I-P), and the apparent futility of the I-P scene here, had kept me away for weeks or even months. So it was nearly 2 weeks late that I received the meta “headline news”: an Antisemitism epidemic was diagnosed at Daily Kos. The list of symptoms was detailed in a public letter, with dozens of examples from diaries and comments. The good citizens of this progressive-liberal community were called upon to take action, to eradicate the disease from among us – because at other times when good … Read entire article »

Filed under: Discrimination, Human Rights Activists in the Crosshairs

Their First and Last Day of School

Their First and Last Day of School

A school in Omer asks two Bedouin students not to come back after their first day of school. Omer is a suburban community near Be’er Sheva, an elite escape in Israel’s destitute south. Of course the golden quote cannot be found in the English Haaretz article, only in the Hebrew one. In the past I have allowed Bedouin students to study at my school with a presumption that if I give them the best possible education they … Read entire article »

Filed under: Discrimination

Bibi, Stop Racist Talk against Turks and Release All Footage!

(expanded version of Occupation Magazine post) Today (Saturday), Israeli PM `Bibi` again claimed, in rather crude terms, that the reason why the IDF killed 9 activists on Monday but today boarded the MV Rachel Corrie peacefully, is because of “…the difference between a ship of peace activists, with whom we don’t agree but respect their right to a different opinion from ours, and between a ship of hate organised by violent Turkish terror extremists…” This continues a race-baiting campaign against the Turkish ship and IHH, which started well before Monday’s attack. As CindyCasella’s excellent diary shows, just like in previous controversies the Israeli PR machine churns mostly lies. They are already backtracking from a claim IHH has Al Qaeda ties. But they’re still at it. Call Bibi’s racist bluff: demand that Israel release all … Read entire article »

Filed under: Human Rights Activists in the Crosshairs

…In Israel, it has been “Arizona” all along!

…In Israel, it has been “Arizona” all along!

(by Assaf Oron, crossposted from his DailyKos diary) I am encouraged by the wave of justified indignation, and spontaneous boycott movement, against the new Arizona law. Indeed, requiring citizens and legal resident to carry proof of their status at all times, and encouraging police to profile passersby who “look suspicious”, runs counter to the soul of democracy. The bigots who put together the Arizona law should be made to pay. And hopefully it will be declared … Read entire article »

Filed under: Discrimination, Featured