The Only Democracy? » Archive
NYT Bronner Tries A Less Biased Path to Reporting on Palestine –and Trips Up
As the New York Times long-standing Jerusalem bureau chief, with primary responsibility for reporting on the Israel-Palestine conflict, Ethan Bronner has endured bruising criticism for pro-Israeli bias, recently exacerbated by charges of conflict of interest upon the revelation that his son has been inducted into the Israeli army. So Bronner craned his journalistic neck to peek at things from another perspective with a front-page story called “Palestinians Try a Less Violent Path to Resistance,” and you know right away from that headline … Read entire article »
Filed under: Human Rights Activists in the Crosshairs
No Such Thing As Israeli Nationality
There are currently over 130 different nationalities that have been recognized by the State of Israel for use in registering for an ID card. “Arab” and “Unknown” are, uniquely in the world, recognized as a form of nationality — but “Israeli” is not. On the other hand, if you are Jewish it matters not what nationality you are –Israel recognizes you as belonging to “the Jewish nation”. Now Jonathan Cook reports on a group of Jews and Arabs who are petitioning the Israeli Supreme Court to be recognized as “Israelis,” in a case that officials fear may threaten the country’s self-declared status as a Jewish state. Israel refused to recognize an Israeli nationality at the country’s establishment in 1948, making an unusual distinction between “citizenship” and “nationality.” Although all Israelis qualify as “citizens of Israel,” the … Read entire article »
Filed under: Discrimination
How Israel Gagged on Its Own Gag Order
by Gila Svirsky This story is a testament to the Internet. (Ed.: in particular blogger Richard Silverstein who broke the story!) And to Anat Kam, the whistleblower, who is widely regarded in Israeli security circles as a traitor and will probably soon be charged with treason. Anat (I’ll use her first name, though I don’t know her) is a 23-year old journalist who wrote for the popular Israeli portal Walla. Some months ago, Anat … Read entire article »
Filed under: Human Rights Activists in the Crosshairs
Wife and Nine Children of Bil’in Political Prisoner: Life Without Adeeb
Adeeb Abu Rahma, a taxi driver from the West Bank Village of Bil’in, is known for his firm committment to nonviolence during the weekly demonstrations against the Wall. At the July 10, 2009 demonstration, he was grabbed by Israeli soldiers as he walked away from them, his message of resistance on a sign he held. He has been imprisoned ever since, without trial. Adeeb is the sole provider for his nine children, wife and mother. Bil’in Village reports on an interview with Adeeb’s … Read entire article »
Filed under: Featured, Human Rights Activists in the Crosshairs
Swedish Palestinians Barred Entry for Promoting Coexistence
A Jewish-Palestinian joint dialogue group arrived from Sweden’s Olof Palme Centre for a visit to Israel. You might think they would have no problems gaining entrance into Israel. You would be wrong. Here’s the Ha’aretz editorial on the subject. Last week Israel deported three Swedish women from Ben-Gurion International Airport who had arrived in a group of seven young people of Jewish and Palestinian heritage, active members of a Jewish-Palestinian education group in … Read entire article »
Filed under: Human Rights Activists in the Crosshairs
Israel’s Nukes Are Off Limits, UPDATED with comment from Gideon Spiro
By Rela Mazali In an extensive, research-based 2009 position paper titled: On Nuclear Weapons: A Feminist Perspective, Edna Gorney and Hedva Eyal of the Isha L’Isha Haifa Feminist Center wrote, “the Israeli public remains excluded from the [nuclear] debate. The public does not ask questions, does not demand that the state takes responsibility, nor does it demand to be involved in decision making; it accepts and is … Read entire article »
Filed under: Discrimination
Palestinian Police Crack Down on Protest for Israeli Army. UPDATE: They Apologize
by Jesse Bacon Organizer Mousa Abu Maria, whose home was raided March 8th, has been detained again. This time, the force attempting to suppress his demonstrations in Beit Ommar was not the Israeli army, but rather the Palestinian Authority police. It seems both Israeli and Palestinian officials can agree on something: that protest must be crushed. His wife and co-organizer Bekah Wolf reports: While Salam Fayyad and other PA ministers march in Bil’in and Bethlehem declaring … Read entire article »
Filed under: Human Rights Activists in the Crosshairs
Israeli Military Offers “Cartoon” Theories to Explain Fatal Shooting of Bi’lin Protester, and Declines to Investigate
Ha’aretz reports that a year after Bassem Abu Rahmeh was fatally shot in the chest by a tear gas grenade as he stood unarmed at the weekly protest against the Wall in the West Bank village of Bi’lin, the military prosecution has decided that it would not investigate his death. Although ballistic experts had concluded that the grenade was fired directly at Abu Rahmeh based on footage of the shooting from three separate video cameras, the military found … Read entire article »
Filed under: Human Rights Activists in the Crosshairs
“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
Celebrating Passover and Land Day in Budrus
By Rebecca Vilkomerson Monday evening: a standard seder in north Tel Aviv with my family, where the story of the historic liberation of the Jews from oppression by organizing themselves (my own personal takeaway from the Pesach tale) passed quite quickly by in favor of dinner. Tuesday: the first day of Passover, which coincides this year with Land Day, when Palestinians mark the day in 1976 when Palestinian citizens of … 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.