The Only Democracy? » Entries tagged with "Israel"
The Deadly Fires: Israel’s Katrina?
The Israeli authorities announced Sunday night that the fire ranging in the Carmel hills since Thursday, Israel’s most devastating fire on record, is now under control. An even worse disaster was averted. The fire did not seriously spread into Haifa, Israel’s third-largest city, or its suburb Tirat HaCarmel. The main reason for the unacceptably high death toll, estimated at 40+ persons – far larger than any single terror attack on Israelis since 1978 – was irresponsibility in sending unprepared unprotected personnel right into the fire, esp. one tragic bus of prison-service cadets. Will this disaster open Israelis’ eyes like Hurricane Katrina did for many Americans? Some obvious questions are, how come a nation with the world’s most celebrated air force has zero air firefighting capabilities and relies on outside help? Or, why … Read entire article »
Filed under: Featured
Another Settler Arson of Salem’s Olive Trees
Uri Pinkerfeld, Villages Group coordinator for Salem and Deir El Hattab, reports: On Sunday November 14 2010, around 12 noon, smoke was seen rising from the olive orchards on the slopes of Jabal Kabeer above Salem. Several farmers went to locate the fire’s location, north of the settler bypass road, not far from the cistern. Two local teenagers who were shepherding nearby hurried to the location as well, and tried to put out the fire. They reported having seen two settlers run off towards the “Skali Farm” settler outpost. The farmers immediaterly called firefighters from Nablus and the officers of the District Coordination Office. The military allowed the fire truck to get to the orchards, but the road was too steep. Farmers eventually managed to put out the fire manually. Several dozen … Read entire article »
Filed under: On The Ground Reports
Hebrew Lessons at the Learning and Creativity Center in Susiya
Guest Post – Yael Arbel “You must come to see Susiya.” In all truth, I am fascinated by the stories I hear about Susya. I have not been there since the cold, muddy winter of 2002, when we trekked with Ta’ayush activists to bring blankets for those living there, only to be detained by the army. I don’t think I even got to see them at the end of that march. [editor comment: that particular march did … Read entire article »
Filed under: On The Ground Reports
Premiere of a Film Documenting Relationships between Israelis and the People of Palestinian Susiya
Tuesday, September 28th, brought us at the Villages Group great satisfaction. On that day, we and many of our friends in Susiya had the pleasure of attending the world premiere of the film “The Human Turbine” at the Haifa International Film Festival. Over a period of two years from 2008 to 2010, a film crew headed by director Danny Verete and producer Yehuda Bitton documented the evolving ties between the people of Susiya and the Israelis … Read entire article »
Filed under: On The Ground Reports, Victories for Democracy
Salem Music Center: 3-Year Plan
The Salem Music Center is a venture developing gradually thanks to the ongoing cooperation between its local Palestinian initiators, from the village of Salem near Nablus, the Israeli volunteers of the Villages Group, and donors from Israel and abroad (especially from Australia and the U.S). The first stage of this project, based on a proposal submitted last year, started on March 2010. The center’s founding team includes the project initiator Mr. Jubier Ihstayya (who serves … Read entire article »
Filed under: On The Ground Reports
Songs by Ikhlas-Yasmin Jebara from Salem: Part II
This continues the previous post, showing for the first time songs by our friend Ikhlas. The picture above was taken a few weeks ago, when Ikhlas visited the Mediterranean Sea for the second time in her life. The sea is only 47km from her home (measured via Google Maps), but the Occupation regime – especially its prisonlike nature during the past decade – prevents most West Bank Palestinians from visiting it. Both of Ikhlas’ beach visits … Read entire article »
Filed under: On The Ground Reports
Songs by Ikhlas (“Yasmin”) Jebara from Salem – Part I
Villages Group friend Ikhlas Jebara from Salem near Nablus, had been mentioned here before under her nickname “Yasmin”. Her father Sa’el was murdered in 2004 by a settler as he was performing his daily work as a van driver (the settler was convicted but escaped justice). Ever since then, we have been in touch with Muna, the widow, and her children. Ikhlas, the second of six Jebara children, is blind from birth and has last year graduated college with an English literature major. She also writes poetry in English. Following is a first sampling of her poems; a second group will be posted later. Feel free to contact Ikhlas directly at ikhlas_soh@hotmail.com. —————————— To say or not to say I wonder whether to say or not to say To be enthusiastic to revolve or to obey For … Read entire article »
Filed under: On The Ground Reports
Major Israeli Theaters Embrace The Settlements (+BIG UPDATE)
Some cultural news from Israel: Several of Israel’s leading theater companies have agreed to perform in the new cultural center in the settlement of Ariel, due to open on November 8. The companies include the Habima National Theater, the Cameri Theater, the Be’er Sheva Theater and Jerusalem’s Khan Theater. Ariel lies 20km inside the West Bank, deeper than any other sizable settlement. The divided highway leading to it – the best road in the West Bank – is open to Israelis only, *and* lacks any signs naming the numerous Palestinian towns and villages flanking the road. According to Peace Now’s 2006 settlement land report, 35% of Ariel’s area was confiscated from private Palestinian owners by military fiat. The rest is public land. No patch of Ariel’s lands was rightfully purchased. Occupied Palestinians … Read entire article »
Filed under: Featured
It’s getting deep in here…
Last month a post appeared on the Jewish Daily Forward’s blog “the sisterhood: where jewish women converse” entitled “Code Pink: Slinging Mud and Hate at Ahava,” which got the target of CODEPINK’s boycott campaign correct, but not much more. Debra Nussbaum Cohen’s blog presented a falsely black-and-white portrayal of the campaign, declaring it “anti-Israel”. Cohen singled me out as a Jewish woman in support of the boycott, which was “most distressing” to her … Read entire article »
Filed under: Human Rights Activists in the Crosshairs, Talkback
Israeli and Palestinian Women Find New Way to Challenge The Occupation
I will forgo my tendency for long introductions, and start with the actual news. We Do Not Obey More women follow Ilana Hammerman`s footsteps: we shall not obey illegal and immoral laws. (posted as a paid advertisement in Hebrew on Haaretz, August 6) On Friday, July 23, we went on a trip – a dozen Jewish-Israeli women with a dozen West-Bank Palestinian women and four of their children, one of them a baby. We drove through the interior hill … Read entire article »
Filed under: Discrimination, 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.