The Only Democracy? » Archive
Bridget Chappell: “Iron Fist Against Nonviolent Resisters”
Bridget Chappell, whose own arrest was reported in our earlier post, has another account of Israel’s crackdown on nonviolent resisters. Wael al-Faqeeh has been held without charge by the Israeli military since his arrest on 9 December 2009. The 28 January hearing that lasted approximately three minutes here in Salem court resulted in the extension of his detention by a further ten days. It was presided over by three military officers who constitute the panel of … Read entire article »
Filed under: Human Rights Activists in the Crosshairs
Hamas detains British journalist
One of the stories that inspired this blog was the detention of Jared Maslin, a Jewish-American journalist for Ma’an News Agency, covered here on our sisterblog Muzzlewatch. Well, unfortunately Hamas seems to be learning from its adversary with its own detention of freelance filmmaker and journalist Paul Martin. Hamas Interior Ministry spokesman Ehab Ghussein said in a statement that Martin is suspected of breaking Palestinian law, but did not elaborate. He said Martin … Read entire article »
Filed under: Human Rights Activists in the Crosshairs
Gaza girl paralyzed in strike can’t stay in Israel
YNet has this sad story: Will eight-year-old Maria Amen, who lost five of her family members when an Israeli missile hit her home in the Gaza Strip in May 2006 get a house of her own three-and-a-half years later? The eight-year-old lost her mother, two of her brothers, her aunt and her grandmother in the strike, and was also hit herself. She was left almost completely paralyzed to this day, and currently resides at a rehabilitation hospital … Read entire article »
Filed under: Discrimination, Featured
Action Friday: Celebrate Five Years of Anti-Wall protest in Bil’in.
Last week, 2.5 years after an Israeli Supreme Court decision deeming the path of the Wall on the lands of Bil’in illegal, preliminary infrastructure work to reroute the barrier in accordance with the ruling has finally began. Since the ruling, the state has twice been found in contempt of the court, for not implementing the decision. This Friday, the people of Bil’in, joined by Israeli and international supporters, will mark the five year anniversary to demonstrations … Read entire article »
Filed under: On The Ground Reports
JVP Action Alert: Support Mohammed Bakri
Support Actor/Filmmaker Mohammed Bakri Mohammad Bakri, a Palestinian citizen of Israel and one of the country’s most prominent actors and directors, has been fighting for his democratic right to free expression since 2002 when he made the world-famous film Jenin Jenin. Shortly after the Israeli military attacked a refugee camp in Jenin, banning reporters and human rights observers “for safety” reasons, Bakri snuck in and interviewed the survivors and asked them to tell their stories from … Read entire article »
Filed under: Human Rights Activists in the Crosshairs
Ajami update: Protests Begin
The prospect of a Jewish-Only building in the heart of an Arab neighborhood in Jaffa made famous by Israel’s Best Foreign Film nominee has, as promised, sparked protests, at first with graffiti (you can see a picture at Ynet’s article.) “Local Arab residents were apparently behind the spray-painting of graffiti slogans [in Hebrew] such as “Jaffa is not Hebron,” “Jaffa for Jaffa residents,” “settlers be gone,” and “enough with settlers.” And there is more to come. Neighborhood … Read entire article »
Filed under: Discrimination, Featured
Washington Post covers East Jerusalem
One of our goals here at The Only Democracy? is to pressure the U.S. mainstream media to cover the stories we follow, mostly through Israeli or Palestinian activists or news outlets. It is great to see the Sheikh Jarrah and Silwan conflicts turning up in the Washington Post! The article is the kind of historical context that U.S. news rarely delivers. The small Palestinian community in the Sheikh Jarrah area of East Jerusalem began as an … Read entire article »
Filed under: Discrimination
Military Recruiter in Ha’aretz: “Draft Dodgers Bring Crime.”
Nice to know that both military recruiters and motivational speakers are horrifying the world over. This article shows the techniques Yom Kippur War hero General Avigdor Kahalani uses to deepen young people’s knowledge of the region’s military history and to motivate them.” First up, sexism! You know those girls who go around saying they’re religious like that singer with her boobs hanging out? If you pretend you’re religious, I’ll take one of you and deal with her … Read entire article »
Filed under: Discrimination
Court Orders Sealing of Settler House, Jerusalem Mayor Promises Home Demolitions
Israel’s State Prosecutor Moshe Lador ordered the sealing off of an illegal house built by Jewish settlers in an Arab neighborhood of East Jerusalem. “In a letter sent to Barkat Sunday, Moshe Lador praised Barkat for saying that he would implement the long-standing court order to evacuate and seal off Beit Yonatan, a seven-story building in Silwan built without a permit five years ago by the right-wing group Ateret Cohanim.” Great news! Although I have trouble imagining … Read entire article »
Filed under: Discrimination, Victories for Democracy
“Jews Only” housing project in Ajami
The neighborhood made famous in Israel’s nominee for Best Foreign Film Oscar is now home to a “Jews Only” housing project. The Tel Aviv District Court rejected a petition this week against a decision to lease land in Jaffa’s Ajami neighborhood for the exclusive use of members of the religious Zionist community. “The petition, filed by Jaffa residents and human rights groups, challenged a decision by the Israel Lands Administration and the Tel Aviv municipality to lease … Read entire article »
Filed under: Discrimination
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.