The Only Democracy? » Archive
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.”
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
Mandatory Patriotism?
I am amazed at how the Israeli National Anthem only references the experiences of the Jewish citizens of Israel. Given that its lyrics are in Hebrew, and reference Jews and Zion, it seems unlikely to me that it would have much positive meaning for Palestinian citizens of Israel, among others. Not to the Israeli Education Ministry, however. They relieved “Mouad Biadasi of his position as Arab sector youth representative at the National Youth Council Conference because … Read entire article »
Filed under: Discrimination
Even Netanyahu wants an independent investigation
Despite his tough talk against the Goldstone Report, which he called “distorted,” “a prize for terror,”a “threat” on par with Iran, and said it would “make the UN irrelevant,” Netanyahu is now “leaning” towards complying with its demand for an Israeli independent investigation into the Gaza War. “Netanyahu is inclined to accept the justice and foreign ministries’ call for an extra-military inquiry into civilian deaths, aides say. The prime minister is apparently convinced that only … Read entire article »
Filed under: Victories for Democracy
Female Soldiers Break the Silence
The organization Breaking the Silence heroically collects testimony from soldiers about crimes committed against Palestinians. They are releasing their first report by female soldiers. It contains an account of a child killed by a rubber bullet to the abdomen, whose death was covered up. “A female Border Guard detailed to protocol she called ‘dismantling rubber’ – the dismantling of rubber bullets from clusters of three to single bullets, and peeling the rubber off of them. She … Read entire article »
Filed under: Featured, On The Ground Reports
Henry Siegman: the latest “insider” to turn against Israel’s government.
Henry Siegman reveals that time is not on Israel’s side, despite the outward popularity of the Netanyahu government and the seeming lack of effective pressure by the U.S. His establishment bona fides as former head of the American Jewish Congress gave him access to Israel’s past overconfidence and candor. “A vivid recollection from the time I headed the American Jewish Congress is a helicopter trip over the West Bank on which I was taken by Ariel … Read entire article »
Filed under: Victories for Democracy
Democracy causes too much traffic!
If we could just ban Palestinians from having cars, this would be so much easier! The latest excuse for Jewish-Only roads. “The Transportation Ministry warned on Sunday that if security is not strictly maintained on route 443, which up until a recent High Court of Justice decision was closed to Palestinian drivers, the alternate route, Route 1 from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, will not be able to withstand the volume of traffic.” … Read entire article »
Filed under: Uncategorized
A Victory against an Israeli Only Road.
When I first began to learn about Israel’s Occupation, I thought the aspect of the conflict most likely to get Americans involved was the existence of Jewish-only roads. After all roads are such a part of our national beliefs on democracy, opportunity, and mobility, economic and geographic. The fact that some roads are off limits to Palestinians living in the territories while the roads they are permitted are choked with checkpoints causing delays of many … Read entire article »
Filed under: Victories for Democracy
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.