The Only Democracy? » On The Ground Reports
Nocturnal Terror in Silwan
Ed’s note: Here is a story that ran earleir this week in Just Jerusalem. We are reposting it here in advance of an interview with the author, Daniel Dukarevich with additional actions expected this weekend. You can follow live tweets by Daniel from Silwan at JVP’s twitter feed right now, Saturday July 3rd. Another night sets in on Silwan. Just two days ago, hundreds of Israeli and Palestinian demonstrators marched together along the … Read entire article »
Filed under: On The Ground Reports
“Play the game, change reality.”
By Jesse Bacon Anyone who is grew up shooting virtual Nazis as I did knows that video games can be addictive. They can also be a nice respite from a fairly dull existence. They can even be achingly, vacantly beautiful. But when I became an activist, I wondered where were the games that would teach us about social justice? I didn’t really have time to look anymore, what with the activism and all, but all I … Read entire article »
Filed under: On The Ground Reports
Susiya’s Second Summer Camp – A Call for Aid
(crossposted on the Villages Group Blog) Dear Friends and Supporters, I’m writing to you in the name of Fatima Nawajeh, the initiator and organizer of Susiya’s summer camp. Susiya is a Palestinian village in Southern West Bank, an area known as Massafar Yatta or South Hebron Hills. For many years the reality of a summer camp inside their community was an unattainable dream for the inhabitants and the children of Palestinian Susiya. Their cave-dwellers’ village was evacuated by the Israeli army in 1986. Once again in 2001, the occupation army expelled Susiya’s residents and destroyed the families’ scattered dwelling places built after the first evacuation. Meanwhile, the nearby settlers of the Jewish Sussya (built and subsidized by the Israeli government on expropriated land in the 1980’s) continue grabbing more and more agricultural … Read entire article »
Filed under: On The Ground Reports
Mud and Hope in South Hebron
June 26, 2010 Bi’r el-‘Id There’s a strange beauty in the viscous black mud that comes up from the depths of the earth, from the bottom, or somewhere near the bottom, of the well we are cleaning in Bi’r al-‘Id. Bucket after bucket of it, lifted by pulley from down below, straggles to the surface, where we unload it and pour it out on the rocky escarpment. Its texture changes remarkably over the long morning hours from a watery top layer to heavy, shiny dark loam to a granular, sticky brown. It has a strong smell, like the sulphurous mud from the Dead Sea (not very far away) that people smear over their bodies for healing. Yehuda says the Palestinians of Bi’r al-‘Id should bottle it and sell it at the … Read entire article »
Filed under: Featured, On The Ground Reports
Stop the Bullets! Activism in the Buffer Zone
By Abu Waleed, Popular Campaign for Security in the Buffer Zone and Ellen Stark, International Solidarity Movement Stop the bullets! A call to stop the use of live ammunition by Israel against unarmed citizens in the Gaza ‘buffer zone’ The catastrophic Israeli attack on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, which left 9 dead, has rightly horrified the international community. However, lethal force by the Israeli military is nothing new to Palestinians. In the Gaza ‘buffer zone’, live ammunition is routinely used against unarmed demonstrators and farmers. The ‘buffer zone’ is illegal The Israeli military violently enforces a zone of 300 meters to 2 kilometers along Gaza’s lengthy border with Israel, in direct violation of the Oslo Accords of the 1990’s. This zone claims 30% of Gaza’s farmland, and some of … Read entire article »
Filed under: On The Ground Reports
Civil Disobedience Is….A Fun Day Out in Tel Aviv
By the Coalition of Women for Peace The trip to the Betar crossing point passed in almost complete silence. When we approached the checkpoint, the red sign, the metal tower, the speed bumps, the concrete barriers, the soldiers’ position, I felt my legs shaking – and not because of the bumpy road. I took a deep breath, slowed down but didn’t stop, rolled down the window, gave the soldier a causal wave and he indifferently motioned for me to keep going. ‘We made it!’” (Ilana Hammerman, “If There Is a Heaven,” Ha’aretz, 7 May 2010) One spring morning, not so long ago, four women crossed the Betar Checkpoint: Ilana Hammerman, an Israeli translator and editor, and three Palestinian girls from a village in the West Bank. The girls, Aya, Lin and … Read entire article »
Filed under: Human Rights Activists in the Crosshairs, On The Ground Reports
BDS in Hebrew
Ofer Neiman (a regular contributor to The Only Democracy?) and Ayala Shani published this article in Hebrew in Haaretz. As is often the case, the most interesting, and cutting-edge discussions, don’t get translated into the English version of the paper, perhaps in fear of offending sensitive Jewish American sensibilities? In any case, the article has been translated by Dena Bugel-Shunra, of Shunra Media. It was originally published in English in Jews Sans Frontieres. Only a boycott will persuade Israel by Ayala Shani & Ofer Neiman “Israel won’t change unless the status quo has a downside” – these words were written by journalist Tony Karon, a Jew from South Africa. This sentence reflects the rationale behind the broad BDS campaign – which includes sanctions, institutional boycott, and divestment – which has begun trickling down … Read entire article »
Filed under: On The Ground Reports
Exclusive Interview with Lubna Masarwa, Mavi Marmara survivor
By Jesse Bacon Lubna Masarwa has written about her experience aboard the Mavi Marmara, the Gaza Flotilla ship where 9 people were killed by the Israeli navy. But this is the first time she has spoken extensively about it. Listen to her story here. Part I, preparations for the voyage Part 2, the Israeli navy attacks Part 3 the activists leave the ship Part 4 prison Part 5 house arrest and return Conclusion … Read entire article »
Filed under: On The Ground Reports
Israeli Commandos be ashamed! Why did you kill so few?
By Amir Terkel That’s the banner this bus driver decided to adorn his bus with. Speaking of signs and the commandos, I’ve seen quite a few large banners along the highway that read: “Commando Soldiers, Israel is proud of you!” Public rage against opposing views has reached a boiling point. Last week on my way to a demonstration protesting Israeli action against the flotilla I walked by a crowd of right wing protestors screaming “Kill the … Read entire article »
Filed under: On The Ground Reports
13 Year Old Arrested in Bil’in–Update
A few days ago, I posted a video of a young child in Bil’in being arrested while working in his olive groves with his family. In the follow up video below, the child, Fadi Al-Khatib, talks about what happened after the last video left off, including being left blindfolded with his hands tied behind his back for hours before he ever reached prison, being hit in the neck and kicked, threatened with greater physical abuse and torture, and finally coerced to sign a confession that he threw stones at a demonstration. Ayed Abu Eqtaish, the representative of Defence of Children International, Palestine Section puts Fadi’s terrifying experience in context: approximately 700 Palestinian children and teenagers are arrested each year by the Israelis. … 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.