The Only Democracy? » Archive
Travel Warning: Israel Offended
Reading Ha’aretz this morning, my eyes were diverted to an article about the indignation of the Israeli Tourism Ministry about – guess what? Anti-Israel bias, of course. Apparently, in the wake of the rocket attacks earlier this week, the US government issued a travel warning to Israel (particularly Eilat and the rest of Southern Israel), the West Bank, and Gaza without mentioning the Jordanian city of Aqaba, the only place with an actual fatality in … Read entire article »
Filed under: Discrimination, Talkback
TODAY: Day of Solidarity with Sheikh Jarrah!
Today has been declared a Day of Solidarity with Sheikh Jarrah, and activists from all over Israel will protest the eviction of Palestinian families from their homes in this East Jerusalem neighborhood. What’s happening in Sheikh Jarrah is just one example of the harmful Israeli policy of building settlements in the heart of the Palestinian neighborhoods located in close proximity to the Old City – a policy which is making it harder and harder to imagine how Jerusalem could ever be divided into the capital of two nations, a necessary component of almost every single proposed plan for peace. Israeli activists will hold vigils and protests today in the cities of Tel Aviv, Haifa, Wadi Ara, Beer-Sheva, Kfar Yasif, Gan Shmuel Junction, Tira, Taybe, Raanana, West Jerusalem, and of course, Sheikh … Read entire article »
Filed under: On The Ground Reports
“What Compels You to Do That?”: Teaching English As Activism in Hebron
By Rebecca Kirzner I teach English in Hebron. There. It’s said. The seemingly innocuous statement that generates an onslaught of questions, quizzical looks, and widened eyes. To be fair, it’s the type of statement that one does not often hear from a nice Jewish girl from New Jersey, living in Jerusalem. “What compels you to do that?” The question always catches me off-guard. What doesn’t compel me to do that? I teach students … Read entire article »
Filed under: On The Ground Reports
Jerusalem City Government Muzzles a Tour
by Rebecca Kirzner Sometimes it’s just too easy. I mean, really. Sometimes, the total idiocy of your political enemy just makes it so much easier to promote your ideas. This week, the Jerusalem Municipality requested that Ir Amim, a Jerusalem-based non-profit organization, remove its study tours of East Jerusalem from the events listing on the municipality website. Ir Amim is an Israeli non-profit organization which promotes a politically sustainable future for Jerusalem, and a Jerusalem which respects … Read entire article »
Filed under: Human Rights Activists in the Crosshairs
More Context on Sheikh Jarrah and the “New” Israeli Left
The reflection from Rebecca Kirzner, below, puts the large demonstration in Sheikh Jarrah last weekend in context—both politically, and by reminding us that it was just one demonstration among many. Much of the coverage of the protest spoke of the rise of a “new Israeli left” that had “never been seen before.” This is not quite true, and dismisses the ongoing and super-important contributions of groups like Ta’ayush, Anarchists Against the Wall, and Rabbis for … Read entire article »
Filed under: Featured, On The Ground Reports
On February 25th, World Says Open Shuhada Street
By Rebecca Kirzner Few will have the greatness to bend history itself; but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total; of all those acts will be written the history of this generation.” – Robert Kennedy, address delivered at the University of Capetown, South Africa, June 6, 1966. What will be the history of this generation, and which small acts carried out by which individuals, groups, governments, and campaigns … Read entire article »
Filed under: 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.