The Only Democracy? » Archive
World-Class American Jazz Harpist Conducts Workshop at Salem Music Center
On Saturday, October 15th, 2011, American master jazz harpist Park Stickney visited the Salem village Music Center near Nablus. Stickney was in Israel-Palestine to give the opening concert for the new Jaffa Harp Festival. The Festival organizer, harpist Sunita Staneslow and her spouse Fred Schlomka informed Park about the Salem center, and he decided to include it in this – his first – visit to the country. During his visit at the Center, Park held a … Read entire article »
Filed under: On The Ground Reports
Please Help Palestinian Community Organizer Follow His Dreams
From David and Ehud at the Villages Group: Hi friends I am happy to tell you that Ibrahim Nawaja, who has run the Susiya creative and learning center, with great success , for almost a year (see also video below), has been accepted to Dar Al Kalima college (Arabic link) to study Documentary Film Making. This is a great opportunity for him. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1OoXxBrqA4&w=640&h=360] For those who know Ibrahim, you know what an exceptional, creative and sensitive person … Read entire article »
Filed under: Featured, On The Ground Reports
Israel’s Tahrir[3]: Ripple Effect on Politicians, Financiers Continues…
In late August, after first sending proxies to defame Israel’s social-justice protesters as “radical lefties” – a move that backfired spectacularly; then trying the silent treatment, hoping that the Israeli public known for its short attention span will lose interest – only to get served with repeated bouts of unprecedented nationwide protests; Prime minister “Bibi” Netanyahu tried a third trick: appoint a committee. The move won him a partial reprieve, mostly from the mainstream media. And using the quiet and the back-to-school period, local governments began dismantling the tent cities one by one. Now the committee, headed by Prof. Manuel Trachtenberg – a well-meaning, former-Argentine-radical, but nevertheless neoliberal economist – has submitted its conclusions. They include partial restoration of some of the social safety net that Bibi has worked so hard … Read entire article »
Filed under: Victories for Democracy
UPDATED with Video and more Commentary: Israel Settlers Nearly Lynch Activists with Police Looking on.
I was waiting a few days as the disturbing emails piled my inbox, trying to wrap my head around them and think what angle to bring this story from. To Hell with my angle. These are activists who’ve seen a lot over the years, staring down police brutality in Sheikh Jarrah (East Jerusalem), and enduring settler and military violence all across the West Bank. But this time, they say, was different. A palpable fear of death. So let’s hear it from them: (note: in Israeli discourse the word “lynch” has a different connotation, and denotes any violent mob assault) Were you ever at a lynching? Were you ever someplace where an unbridled mob was beating you and your friends and then chasing you to beat you again? Were you ever the victim of … Read entire article »
Filed under: Featured, Human Rights Activists in the Crosshairs, On The Ground Reports
Palestinian Return, Jewish Return, and Insufferable Western Bias
This text is cross-posted from Daily Kos, where it was part of an ongoing debate. First, we had user “soysauce” in a brilliant rec-list diary, countering the Bibi government’s slogan that it isn’t enough for Palestinians to recognize Israel – they need to recognize it as a Jewish state. To my understanding, the 2 main reasons soysauce cited against doing this, were 1. Discrimination against Palestinian citizens of Israel, and 2. Relinquishing the Right of Return. Then … Read entire article »
Filed under: Discrimination, Featured
Susya Elementary School – Second Year Opens
The local school of Palestinian Susya, founded last year, has opened its second year of activity this month. On Thursday, September 22nd, we visited and met the school staff: Principal Muhammed, and the four teachers – Amjad, Nizar, Ahmad and Hima. Our expectations and hopes that the Susya school will be growing vigorously and that the number of classes will increase from year to year, have been put aside as of yet: this year, too, there … Read entire article »
Filed under: On The Ground Reports
Israel’s Tahrir [2]: First effect on electoral politics – Labor Party Revived
Away from the drama in Georgia and at the UN, a potentially major electoral development took place in Israel yesterday. Knesset Member Shelly Yachimovich was elected Wednesday night to lead Israel’s Labor Party. In the final round she defeated her former political mentor, Amir Peretz (who led Labor to the 2006 elections) by 54% to 46%. Yachimovich is the second woman to lead Labor in the party’s century-long history. The first woman was world-famous, US-raised Golda Meir, party leader and Prime Minister from 1969 to 1974. But the two women are almost diametric opposites. Whereas Golda was a calcified, conservative, elitist nationalist and anti-feminist who rose within party ranks – Yachimovich is a fast-rising star, a journalist who entered politics only six years ago (ironically, it was Peretz who recruited her … Read entire article »
Filed under: Victories for Democracy
Another Round of Israeli Military Vandalism at Umm-Al-Kheir
Yesterday morning, Thursday September 8 2011, around 7 AM, the IDF military regime’s “Civil Administration” officials arrived at Umm-Al-Kheir, accompanied by a bulldozer and military forces, to destroy homes. The residents of Umm-Al-Kheir – situated in the West Bank, roughly 8km north of its southernmost border – are Bedouins, originally living on land that became part of Israel. They were driven out following the 1948 war (see more details here), and in the 1950s purchased the … Read entire article »
Filed under: Discrimination, On The Ground Reports
Freedom Theatre attacked yet again
Missed this item last week because of earthquake/hurricane, but the Freedom Theatre was attacked again on August 22nd: Freedom Theatre targeted again After the Israeli army targeted the theatre twice during the last month, arresting three of its members, today at approximately 02:00 in the morning of the 22nd August the Israeli army again surrounded The Freedom Theatre and the Nagnaghiya family home. Jacob Gough, the Acting General Manager at The Freedom Theatre left the office at about … 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.