The Only Democracy? » Archive
7 hours ago in Al Arakib
By Yeela Raanan It seemed that there were “red lines” even for the police brutality against the Bedouins of the Israeli Negev – while destroying homes that had no possibility for acquiring building permits, arresting people on their village lands in order to make room for JNF trees, beating activists who dared request to see the official papers allowing the brutality – all that seemed to be “ok”. but until today – even for the police – the cemetery and the people waiting in the cemetery for the police to leave – were off limits. no more. After destroying the tents of the village – yet again, the JNF (yes!) bulldozer approached the gate of the cemetery attempting to run it down and destroy it.this was too much for the village people, who are sitting in their community’s … Read entire article »
Filed under: On The Ground Reports
Please Help Rebuild 13 Water Cisterns Destroyed by the Israeli Army
crossposted from the Villages Group blog) The situation of the Palestinian cave-dwellers in South Hebron Hills continues to be difficult. They suffer from permanent harassment carried out by the military and settlers. This year, however, has been even more difficult, due to a severe drought. As if it wanted to capitalize on the harsh conditions, on December 16th, the Israeli military destroyed 13 water cisterns belonging to Palestinian families in South Hebron hills. (direct link to video here; … Read entire article »
Filed under: On The Ground Reports
Al Arakib update: Four consecutive days of demolitions
From the Negev Coexistence Forum (NCF) Last week brought four consecutive days of demolitions in Al Arakib. For the first time on February 9 we witnessed bulldozers clearly marked as belonging to the Jewish National Fund (JNF-KKL), destroying tents that had been erected overnight by the residents. The JNF can no longer claim to have no involvement in the repeated destruction of Al Arakib. On the fourth day there were violent clashes between the residents and the … Read entire article »
Filed under: On The Ground Reports
Report from Sheikh Jarrah’s 65th weekly demo
By David Shulman February 11, 2011 Sheikh Jarrah It took the Planning Committee of the Jerusalem City Council less than fifteen minutes to approve plans for the next wave of evictions in Sheikh Jarrah. We knew it was coming. Six large Palestinian families—some fifty souls– are to be expelled from their homes, the houses will be demolished, and thirteen apartment units will then be built for Israeli settlers. We know the families, we know the neighborhood, and we know the meaning and intention of this move, a further step in the ethnic cleansing the government is intent on carrying through in Sheikh Jarrah. They probably feel that this moment, with all eyes focused on Egypt, is a good time to act. Some 90,000 housing units for Jews have been built … Read entire article »
Filed under: On The Ground Reports
Videos of women protestors and other recommended Egypt sources.
One of my sources sends the following recommendation for on-the-ground reports from Egypt. Here are three of the many women of the Egyptian Revolution – that will counter some of those images of passive Muslim women. Change in the Middle East is being pushed forward by women like Mona, Asma, Sarah, etc., too, and they are not few. There are many more women who are actively shaping the revolution, who are blogging, twittering, writing, vlogging … Read entire article »
Filed under: On The Ground Reports
Meanwhile in Israel..
By Jesse Bacon While their neighbors in Egypt struggled to defend their amazing movement from attack by pro-government goons, Israel used it’s remaining democracy to..further the investigation of NGO’s. The House Committee approved a motion for the first panel to be chaired by MK Fania Kirshenbaum (Yisrael Beiteinu ), who proposed its establishment. Her proposal calls for the panel to examine financial support by foreign governments and organizations for “Israeli organizations taking part in the campaign of delegitimization … Read entire article »
Filed under: Human Rights Activists in the Crosshairs
What will you do?
By Jesse Bacon My friend asked me, only half-jokingly “What if you have to change your name for your blog?” I wish a swift and durable success to the people’s movements in Cairo. I was just coming of age when the Berlin Wall fell (my “camp” was actually a nerdy kids Current Events class in June of 1989.) I was starting to wonder if I would ever see another wave of revolutions like that, sweeping aside … Read entire article »
Filed under: Victories for Democracy
No more cancer: Israeli Army admits Jawaher killed by tear gas
By Jesse Bacon I In a triumph of the obvious truth over incoherent lies, the Israeli Army now admits that Jawaher Abu Rahmah was indeed killed by tear gas at a demo, not as their anonymous speculation would have it by cancer or an honor killing. These tales violated basic plausibility, but they did provide animplausible denial, which is all Israeli government’s supporters need to fan out online with the narrative that there were “doubts about her death.” … Read entire article »
Filed under: On The Ground Reports
When and where will Israel’s Tucson be?
By Jesse Bacon By rights it should have been in 1995, when Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated. But the man who took over for him as Prime Minister after appearing at a rally where he was depicted as a Nazi is Prime Minister again. And Rabin’s party was just split into its final tiny segments. And the current mania doesn’t just target politicians, it targets human rights activists, as in this U.S. comic comparing Palestinians and their … Read entire article »
Filed under: Human Rights Activists in the Crosshairs
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.