The Only Democracy? » Archive
Muli Peleg on Israeli Democracy
By Jesse Bacon. I attended a talk by Muli Peleg on “Israeli Democracy” at LimmudPhilly, the Jewish “Learningfest”. This is an event that is quite open to broad participation but certainly attracts many people from the organized “mainstream” Jewish community. This represented one of the few classes taught by an Israeli, or on the conflict at all.Peleg, a professor at Netanya College who is doing a visiting gig at Rutgers, laid out a shockingly honest critique … Read entire article »
Filed under: Victories for Democracy
How to Build the Home of Your Dreams in Gaza
From Gisha’s Gaza Gateway. Building the “perfect home” is a dream shared by many people, especially if you are one of the tenants of the 3,500 homes that were destroyed or of the 56,000 homes that were damaged in last year’s military operation in the Gaza Strip. This week, we’ve pulled together some instructions to help you build your dream house in Gaza. Make sure to keep these useful tips handy! First of all, because of … Read entire article »
Filed under: Discrimination, Featured
Hebron Women Take On Netanyahu
From International Indymedia. On March 3rd, over a hundred Palestinian women marched Hebron’s streets to resist Ibrahim’s mosque becoming an Israeli Heritage Site. The Women’s Empowerment Project gathered women from Hebron to march from Hebron’s Muncipality Office down to the mosque. The exclusively female crowd chanted and held banners while peacefully, but decisively, demonstrating. At the checkpoint, the women had to wait for approximately 20 minutes before being allowed entrance into the mosque. An overall elated … Read entire article »
Filed under: On The Ground Reports
Activists Calling On the Pixies to Cancel Their Concert
By Jesse Bacon Full disclosure: I have been a Pixies fan since 8th Grade. Their final album had just came out, and it was a blast of noise that sounded like the tunes emanating from an alien spaceship, a particular obsession of the band. Their reunion tour made me feel I had become an adult, at the same time that my childhood was weirdly coming to life. 1989, the year of their last album, was also the … Read entire article »
Filed under: Discrimination
Palestinian Organizer Assaulted at an Israeli Checkpoint
By the Popular Struggle Coordination Committee 02 March 2010 Mahmoud Zwahre, a prominent member of the Al-Ma’asara Popular Committee Against the Wall and Settlements, was brutally assaulted at the Israeli Container Checkpoint near Bethlehem this morning. Zwahre was on his way to a Ramallah meeting when his car was stopped. Zwahre was detained after a Border Police officer positioned at the checkpoint recognized him from the weekly demonstrations held in Al-Ma’asara … Read entire article »
Filed under: Human Rights Activists in the Crosshairs
Hass: Quietest Year for Israelis, Worst Year for Palestinians
By Jesse Bacon. Amira Hass quotes Palestinian Agriculture Minister Ismail Daiq as saying that “The year 2009 was the quietest for Israelis from the security point of view and the most violent for the Palestinians from the point of view of attacks by settlers in the West Bank.” This simple equation shows us that the Palestinians are not being punished for their own actions, rather for their simple existence. Hass backs up Daiq’s quote with … Read entire article »
Filed under: Discrimination
Burston: Israel is De-legitimizing Itself
Bradley Burston was never one of the Ha’aretz columnist I read regularly, like Gideon Levy, Akiva Eldar, or Amira Hass. I certainly did not expect to be featuring his work on this blog. But I noticed that his recent column was circulating widely among my friends, including those who care about Israel but are not involved in opposing Israel’s policy. I can see why this column, about envying the people who “hate Israel.” touched a … Read entire article »
Filed under: Discrimination
Response from Physicians for Human Rights-Israel
I wrote Physicians for Human Rights-Israel about the case of Maria Amen we covered previously and the issue of Palestinians getting access to medical treatment. Here is their response, reprinted with permission. Dear Jesse, Thanks for approaching us on the issue of the Israeli policy at Erez Crossing. Unfortunately, Maria Amn’s case about which you wrote was one of the very few cases of Palestinians who were accidentally injured during Israeli attacks and were eventually recognized … Read entire article »
Filed under: On The Ground Reports
New Struggle in Beit Sahour
The New Statesman reports on a budding protest movement in one of the historic centers of Palestinian protest, Beit Sahour. Like many of the campaigns we follow here, it is resistance to an attempted takeover by settlers. Ush al Ghrab (‘Crow’s Nest’) is a small piece of land being targeted by a group of Jewish settlers and their allies. The area had previously served as a military base, before being evacuated in 2006. Since then, local … Read entire article »
Filed under: Discrimination
Abdallah Abu Rahmah’s Letter from Ofer Jail
The Popular Struggle Coordination Committee released this letter from Bil’in protest leader Abdallah Abu Rahmah. This letter from Abu Rahmah was conveyed from his prison cell by his lawyers. For information on his case and actions to take for his release see here Dear Friends and Supporters, It has been two months now since I was handcuffed, blindfolded and taken from my home. Today news has reached Ofer Military Prison that the … Read entire article »
Filed under: Human Rights Activists in the Crosshairs, On The Ground Reports
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.