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Quarreling Lovers Make Up Over Missiles

Quarreling Lovers Make Up Over Missiles

The United States and Israel may be fighting, but fear not. These BAF (Best Allies Forever) have the equivalent of a bunch of roses to reconcile over, a sweetheart deal to buy fighter jets. The US supplies the cash, and Israel buys the weapons. It’s like a gift certificate! For your own store. That sells guns to a domestic (and foreign) violence offender, Israel, who America refuses to cut off no matter how badly they … Read entire article »

Filed under: Discrimination, Featured

Surviving Israel’s Military with Solar Power: Imperfect Life in South Hebron Hills

Surviving Israel’s Military with Solar Power: Imperfect Life in South Hebron Hills

By David Shulman. January 16, 2010 Mufagara, Bir el-‘Id, Tuba (ed’s note:report was delayed so the Israeli army wouldn’t wreck the project.) Ziad Muhammad Yusuf Muhamra, from Bir el-‘Id: sun-dried face, deep scars, lively eyes. It is hard for me to understand his Arabic, not only because it’s fast, slurred, and in South Hebron dialect. He was shot in the throat by a soldier in 1986 while he, Ziad, was sitting on the ground; … Read entire article »

Filed under: Featured, On The Ground Reports

More Context on Sheikh Jarrah and the “New” Israeli Left

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 »

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Entire Villages Declared “Closed Military Zones” for Protesting, UPDATED with Israeli Military Reaction

Entire Villages Declared “Closed Military Zones” for Protesting, UPDATED with Israeli Military Reaction

From the Popular Struggle Coordination Committee. Israeli Army: Bil’in and Ni’ilin a Closed Military Zone for a Six Months Period Dozens of masked soldiers raided the West Bank villages of Bil’in and Ni’lin this morning to post decrees designating the village’s lands as a closed military zone on Fridays for a period of six months. One week after the head of the Israeli Shin Bet threatened to aggravate the repression of the Palestinian popular struggle, a large military … Read entire article »

Filed under: Featured, Human Rights Activists in the Crosshairs

“Most Atrocious” Military Ad Ever!

“Most Atrocious” Military Ad Ever!

By Jesse Bacon The global Israeli Public Relations machine has been in full swing, what with ads comparing Israel to a man with undersized genitalia or a whole series of videos to debunk the supposed myths that Israelis ride camels, only eat kebabs, or are bombing people when it’s just really one big Independence party with fireworks! Well even if that latter debunking is effective,  there’s still the problem that sometimes a missile really  is just a missile,. … Read entire article »

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Secular, Religious Israeli Students Hold Different Views on Equal Rights and Military Service

Last month we posted an article about Israel’s increasing rejection of democracy as a preferred form of government.  On the question of equal rights for Arab citizens, about half of those surveyed opposed such equality. A new poll of Israeli high-school students reveals that nearly half of them  also do not  believe that Arabs citizens  are entitled to the same rights as Jews in Israel.   That view was held by 82 percent of religious students, and 39 percent of secular students. Some 91 percent of secular high school students said they want to enlist in the IDF, versus 77 percent of religious students. Eighty-one percent of the religious students said they would refuse orders to evacuate outposts and settlements in the West Bank, versus 36 percent of secular students.  Nearly a third of the students said they … Read entire article »

Filed under: Discrimination, Featured

How to Build the Home of Your Dreams in Gaza

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

Palestinian Child, 12 years old, To Be Tried as Adult By Israeli Military Court

Palestinian Child, 12 years old, To Be Tried as Adult By Israeli Military Court

The International Middle East Media Center (IMEMC) reports that Israeli Authorities have  decided to file charges against al-Hasan al-Mohtasib, a 12-year-old Palestinian child from the southern West Bank city of Hebron, who was arrested and charged with throwing stones at the Israeli military.  The boy’s seven-year-old brother was also detained and released after 10 hours. As the boys’ father,  Faydel,  frantically searched for his sons after witnesses told him they were kidnapped by soldiers, the children were moved from … Read entire article »

Filed under: Discrimination, Featured

Ezra Nawi goes to court tomorrow

Ezra Nawi goes to court tomorrow

Ezra Nawi goes to court once more. Tomorrow, Wednesday, March 3, the District Court will hear his case. There will be a solidarity protest outside the courtroom, starting at 1 pm (Israel time). You may recall that last year, Ezra was found guilty by  judge Eilata Ziskind of the Jerusalem Magistrate’s (Peace) Court of assaulting two policemen and participating in a riot back in 2007. On July 22, 2007, Ezra tried to stop a military bulldozer from … Read entire article »

Filed under: Featured, Human Rights Activists in the Crosshairs

A Personal Report: Bil’in Marks 5 Years of Struggle, UPDATED with Video

Amir Terkel, is a longtime JVP member who now lives in Ramat Gan, Israel with his wife and 2 children.  After attending the Bil’in 5th anniversary demonstration on Friday, he sent this message: An Uplifting Day An account of the  March in Bili’in marking 5 years of joint struggle. I’ll admit things were not looking (or smelling) so hot when we were being sprayed by the Skunk Canon, an indescribably nauseating combination of liquid smelling like a cross between raw sewage and decomposing animals that almost instantly induces your vomit instinct; this immediately followed by barrages of aluminum tear gas canisters fired 40 or 60 at a time. Having these burning hot projectiles rain down on you while you are temporarily blinded and choking from the tear gas was quite terrifying for me. one of many … Read entire article »

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