27th June 2011
Nir Nahshon, 28, was driving to his home in Jerusalem when the GPS sent him on a bad turn, and accidentally directed him into the east Jerusalem Palestinian Neighborhood Of Issawiya.
As he entered the village, a boy of 12 started shouting "Jew, Jew" in Arabic, and a mob instantly formed, pelting his car with bricks and stones.
He was rescued by one of the village Elders (Mukhtar) and his sons, and suffers from a relatively minor head injury.
The Palestinian residents of Issawiya, a village of about 12,000 (2006) in north east Jerusalem, are not Israeli citizens, but because they are within the municipal borders of Jerusalem they are given permanent residency and blue ID cards by Israel.
The population of Jerusalem is roughly 500,000 Israeli, mostly Jewish, and 250,000 Palestinian, mostly Muslim, to a total of about 770,000.
The Palestinian residents of east Jerusalem, given residency but not citizenship, customarily refuse to take part in Jerusalem's municipal elections. A Palestinian who leaves Jerusalem for more than 7 years loses their residency status and can never return.
The Palestinian neighborhoods of east Jerusalem suffer from lack of planning and investment by the municipal council they refuse to acknowledge, lack of schools and facilities, and in recent years the forced separation from surrounding villages caused by the security barrier (which in Jerusalem has much more to do with politics and real estate than security). The lack of planning causes many to build illegally, which in turn causes conflict when authorities destroy illegally built residence.
Information about Jerusalem can be found in Ir Amim, and B'Tselem. Ir Amim also does free tours of East Jerusalem with an emphasis on the security barrier and its effect on the city - highly recommended!
There is a great deal of justifiable frustration and mistrust.
But there are no excuses.
Hebrew, English links.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Finishing Hitler's work
26th June 2011
I try to only post real news and not "someone said something" kind of news, but I'll make an exception for this one.
Minister of Justice, Ya'akov Ne'eman was quoted saying "What Hitler - may his name and memory be forgotten - didn't manage to do is happening in the Diaspora with its horrific assimilation".
(Hebrew, English links.)
Someone should tell him that actually Hitler's ideas about Jews were much more to his own liking - inter-racial marriage was a big no no in Nazi Germany.
This Minister of Justice, in charge of the judicial system, was also quoted (and filmed) saying:
"Step by step, we will bestow upon the citizens of Israel the laws of the Torah and we will turn halacha into the binding law of the nation".
-- Editted
The keen eyed might notice this post is an exception in not just one, but two ways.
It was posted on the day of publication - it is not "Yesterday's News".
I suppose I felt personally attacked, and reacted hastily.
As a Jewish man married to a non-Jewish woman, I am considered by Ne'eman and his fellow religious fanatics a traitor to my people.
If this was only their personal view, who cares. But these men hold the highest official positions in the Israeli government, ministers of Justice, of Interior affairs, of Health... In Israel, I could not have married my wife, being of different religions - their is no civil law marriage in this country. The policies of this state are skewed by this racist approach in almost every area of life.
They say they are protecting the Jewish state.
I would like to tell him that in fact, I've never felt more Jewish. Embracing and being embraced by my non-Jewish family has made me, and my wife, invest much more than before in searching, studying, and celebrating our traditions.
Last year we had some twenty non-Jewish friends and family at our Rosh Hashana Seder, and they all enjoyed Gefilte Fish.
These religious self appointed saviors of the nation have the nerve to tell me my daughter is not Jewish because her mother is not.
No, it's no use.
This is today's news, and I am too pissed off to comment.
I just wish more of the secular liberal (diminishing) majority in Israel would get pissed off.
I try to only post real news and not "someone said something" kind of news, but I'll make an exception for this one.
Minister of Justice, Ya'akov Ne'eman was quoted saying "What Hitler - may his name and memory be forgotten - didn't manage to do is happening in the Diaspora with its horrific assimilation".
(Hebrew, English links.)
Someone should tell him that actually Hitler's ideas about Jews were much more to his own liking - inter-racial marriage was a big no no in Nazi Germany.
This Minister of Justice, in charge of the judicial system, was also quoted (and filmed) saying:
"Step by step, we will bestow upon the citizens of Israel the laws of the Torah and we will turn halacha into the binding law of the nation".
-- Editted
The keen eyed might notice this post is an exception in not just one, but two ways.
It was posted on the day of publication - it is not "Yesterday's News".
I suppose I felt personally attacked, and reacted hastily.
As a Jewish man married to a non-Jewish woman, I am considered by Ne'eman and his fellow religious fanatics a traitor to my people.
If this was only their personal view, who cares. But these men hold the highest official positions in the Israeli government, ministers of Justice, of Interior affairs, of Health... In Israel, I could not have married my wife, being of different religions - their is no civil law marriage in this country. The policies of this state are skewed by this racist approach in almost every area of life.
They say they are protecting the Jewish state.
I would like to tell him that in fact, I've never felt more Jewish. Embracing and being embraced by my non-Jewish family has made me, and my wife, invest much more than before in searching, studying, and celebrating our traditions.
Last year we had some twenty non-Jewish friends and family at our Rosh Hashana Seder, and they all enjoyed Gefilte Fish.
These religious self appointed saviors of the nation have the nerve to tell me my daughter is not Jewish because her mother is not.
No, it's no use.
This is today's news, and I am too pissed off to comment.
I just wish more of the secular liberal (diminishing) majority in Israel would get pissed off.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Alien invasion will bring us all together
17th June 2011.
Israeli and Lebanese researches are joining forces to try and fight a 200 million strong school of Jelly Fish lurking one kilometer off the shores of both countries, waiting for a westerly wind to bring them closer.
The Jelly fish are an intruding species, infiltrating the Mediterranean through the Suez Canal.
The are not only menacing beach goers (though their sting is no lethal, it is quite painful), they are also doing real damage to the fishing, as they pray on fish eggs and hatchlings.
Fishing in Israel has dropped by 20% in the last years.
Israeli and Lebanese researches are joining forces to try and fight a 200 million strong school of Jelly Fish lurking one kilometer off the shores of both countries, waiting for a westerly wind to bring them closer.
The Jelly fish are an intruding species, infiltrating the Mediterranean through the Suez Canal.
The are not only menacing beach goers (though their sting is no lethal, it is quite painful), they are also doing real damage to the fishing, as they pray on fish eggs and hatchlings.
Fishing in Israel has dropped by 20% in the last years.
HRC stands for Hypocritical Riduculous Council
17th June 2011.
The UN Human Rights Council approved the agenda for the next five years.
The agenda singles out Israel for human rights violations (again).
While ruthless dictatorships kill hundreds of their own citizens (Syria), women are denied basic rights and access to education in many countries (Saudi), and gay people are being hung for their "crimes" (Iran), Israel is the only country to be awarded its own clause on the HRC's agenda.
And then people say Israelis are paranoid.
well, just because you're paranoid, it doesn't mean they're not after you!
Here's a guy that says it better than I can.
I've been asked to add some more documentation on this:
This is the summary of the General Assembly resolution voted on Friday to approve the HRC's agenda.
This is the HRC's 17th session's agenda. Note articles 4 and 7. These articles became permanent items on the HRC's agenda since the 6th session, in 2007.
This is a link to the HRC's webpage.
You can see the agenda for each session (HRC sessions are listed on the right panel, in each of them there is a link for the agenda).
The UN Human Rights Council approved the agenda for the next five years.
The agenda singles out Israel for human rights violations (again).
While ruthless dictatorships kill hundreds of their own citizens (Syria), women are denied basic rights and access to education in many countries (Saudi), and gay people are being hung for their "crimes" (Iran), Israel is the only country to be awarded its own clause on the HRC's agenda.
And then people say Israelis are paranoid.
well, just because you're paranoid, it doesn't mean they're not after you!
Here's a guy that says it better than I can.
I've been asked to add some more documentation on this:
This is the summary of the General Assembly resolution voted on Friday to approve the HRC's agenda.
This is the HRC's 17th session's agenda. Note articles 4 and 7. These articles became permanent items on the HRC's agenda since the 6th session, in 2007.
This is a link to the HRC's webpage.
You can see the agenda for each session (HRC sessions are listed on the right panel, in each of them there is a link for the agenda).
Orwell would have been proud
16th June 2011
Itay Bar, 36, was born in Kibutz Shoval in the south of Israel.
About a month ago he and his wife, Neta, gave an interview to a column in Haaretz portraying different families in Israel. In the interview Itay mentioned that his father was catholic and his mother's parents were a Jewish Holocaust survivor and a catholic woman. This makes him non-Jewish according to the Halacha, which allows him to work at the Kibutz's dairy farm on Saturday without the farm loosing it's Kosher certificate, saving the Kibutz the trouble of having to hire some non-Jewish outside employee for that purpose.
The couple described their marriage in Las Vegas (with Elvis), and Itay said they could actually be married in Israel with a Rabbi, as he is accidentally registered as Jewish in the Ministry of Interior, but they didn't want to.
In Israel, couples can only get married by a religious clergyman, which means they have to be of same religion (and naturally gay marriages are out of the question).
People get around this by getting married out of the country - such marriages are accepted by the state (not same sex).
Recently there is an increase in young Jewish couples choosing to get married out of the country in protest of the monopoly religious authorities have over marriage.
Last week, requiring some document from the Ministry of Interior, Itay discovered his file is "blocked for service". Someone reported that his status as a Jew is suspect following the publication in the paper... The clerks started questioning him about his Jewishness and tried to get him to sign a request to change his religion status, which he refused. The religion status in official Israeli documents is referred to as "Leom" which translates best to "Nationality" or Ethnic affiliation. Itay considers himself Jewish for those purposes - his family celebrates Jewish holidays with the rest of the kibutz, though like many Jewish Israelis they are atheistic.
If only the Ministry of Interior was as efficient when it comes to providing service.
Itay Bar, 36, was born in Kibutz Shoval in the south of Israel.
About a month ago he and his wife, Neta, gave an interview to a column in Haaretz portraying different families in Israel. In the interview Itay mentioned that his father was catholic and his mother's parents were a Jewish Holocaust survivor and a catholic woman. This makes him non-Jewish according to the Halacha, which allows him to work at the Kibutz's dairy farm on Saturday without the farm loosing it's Kosher certificate, saving the Kibutz the trouble of having to hire some non-Jewish outside employee for that purpose.
The couple described their marriage in Las Vegas (with Elvis), and Itay said they could actually be married in Israel with a Rabbi, as he is accidentally registered as Jewish in the Ministry of Interior, but they didn't want to.
In Israel, couples can only get married by a religious clergyman, which means they have to be of same religion (and naturally gay marriages are out of the question).
People get around this by getting married out of the country - such marriages are accepted by the state (not same sex).
Recently there is an increase in young Jewish couples choosing to get married out of the country in protest of the monopoly religious authorities have over marriage.
Last week, requiring some document from the Ministry of Interior, Itay discovered his file is "blocked for service". Someone reported that his status as a Jew is suspect following the publication in the paper... The clerks started questioning him about his Jewishness and tried to get him to sign a request to change his religion status, which he refused. The religion status in official Israeli documents is referred to as "Leom" which translates best to "Nationality" or Ethnic affiliation. Itay considers himself Jewish for those purposes - his family celebrates Jewish holidays with the rest of the kibutz, though like many Jewish Israelis they are atheistic.
If only the Ministry of Interior was as efficient when it comes to providing service.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
smoking gun
14th June 2011
A document published yesterday by the British "Telegraph" appears to provide strong evidence that the events on the Syrian-Israeli border on May 15th were not only sanctioned by the Syrian army (bus loads of protestors could not make it to the border without cooperation from the Syrian army), but was actually orchestrated by the regime. The document describes 20 buses full of protestors sent with full authorization to cross army checkpoints, with a Syrian army intelligence officer to lead the border crossing.
A young man holding both American and Israeli passports is under arrest in Egypt. The 27 yrs old Ilan Grapel served in the Israeli army and was wounded in the 2006 war with Lebanon. Apparently he entered Egypt with his American passport to do some some work related to his Law school studies. Grapel is suspected of being a Mossad agent, but since the Egyptian Governor of south Sinai accused the Israeli Mossad for employing a shark to harm tourism in his region, I am going to remain skeptic...
A document published yesterday by the British "Telegraph" appears to provide strong evidence that the events on the Syrian-Israeli border on May 15th were not only sanctioned by the Syrian army (bus loads of protestors could not make it to the border without cooperation from the Syrian army), but was actually orchestrated by the regime. The document describes 20 buses full of protestors sent with full authorization to cross army checkpoints, with a Syrian army intelligence officer to lead the border crossing.
A young man holding both American and Israeli passports is under arrest in Egypt. The 27 yrs old Ilan Grapel served in the Israeli army and was wounded in the 2006 war with Lebanon. Apparently he entered Egypt with his American passport to do some some work related to his Law school studies. Grapel is suspected of being a Mossad agent, but since the Egyptian Governor of south Sinai accused the Israeli Mossad for employing a shark to harm tourism in his region, I am going to remain skeptic...
boomerang?
13th June 2011.
A UNRWA report marking five years of Israel's (partial) siege on the Gaza strip suggests the policy is strengthening Hamas's hold of the strip instead of weakening it.
While legitimate businesses in Gaza that were dependent on import via Israel collapsed, bringing unemployment in 2010 to 45% (!), Hamas businesses are booming (pun intended).
Countless tunnels dug under the border with Egypt are used to smuggle in everything from long range missiles to goats and children's toys, and the operators, Hamas's people, are turning huge profits.
The "tunnel economy" is so successful, Hamas was responsible for 70% of new jobs since the blockade was imposed. The organization's annual budget went from $40M in 2006 to $500M in 2010.
A UNRWA report marking five years of Israel's (partial) siege on the Gaza strip suggests the policy is strengthening Hamas's hold of the strip instead of weakening it.
While legitimate businesses in Gaza that were dependent on import via Israel collapsed, bringing unemployment in 2010 to 45% (!), Hamas businesses are booming (pun intended).
Countless tunnels dug under the border with Egypt are used to smuggle in everything from long range missiles to goats and children's toys, and the operators, Hamas's people, are turning huge profits.
The "tunnel economy" is so successful, Hamas was responsible for 70% of new jobs since the blockade was imposed. The organization's annual budget went from $40M in 2006 to $500M in 2010.
Monday, June 13, 2011
nothing new under the sun
9th June 2011.
I haven't written in a few days - was happily busy with more fun stuff...
Here are some leftovers from last week, I'm sure this week will bring plenty to look at.
The self proclaimed "non-political middle of the road" and grossly ideological right wing movement 'Im Tirzu' is making headlines again. Here's a group of young people who took it upon themselves to be the worse kind of proponents of Zionsm, doing everything a real politician can't afford to do - like saying the truth about how racist/fascist/non-tolerant they really are.
Marina Maximilian Blumin became famous being the runner up in Israel's "idol" TV show's fifth season. When her time to serve the mandatory Army service in the IDF came (at age 18), she was discharged, for medical (mental) reasons, and instead spent some time doing volunteer work, while developing a successful singing/acting career.
Last week 'Im Tirzu' demanded her employment to perform in a festival in the north of Israel be cancelled, as she "evaded the draft".
The letter they sent to the local council is so infuriating I am not going to raise my blood pressure trying to translate it. I think the persecution of persons for the fact they did not serve in the army (for completely legitimate reasons) is bad enough.
Oh, also, the Netanyahu coalition spent a weekend vacation together.
Of all nice places in Israel, they decided to go spend the weekend in Tzfat, a beautiful ancient Jewish city in the Galilee, whose current mayor and Rabi (yes, tax payer's money is paying for both) openly proclaim their effort to keep Tzfat "Arab clean", asking the public not to rent apartments to Arabs (and employing people to harass those who do).
Nice. Real nice.
I haven't written in a few days - was happily busy with more fun stuff...
Here are some leftovers from last week, I'm sure this week will bring plenty to look at.
The self proclaimed "non-political middle of the road" and grossly ideological right wing movement 'Im Tirzu' is making headlines again. Here's a group of young people who took it upon themselves to be the worse kind of proponents of Zionsm, doing everything a real politician can't afford to do - like saying the truth about how racist/fascist/non-tolerant they really are.
Marina Maximilian Blumin became famous being the runner up in Israel's "idol" TV show's fifth season. When her time to serve the mandatory Army service in the IDF came (at age 18), she was discharged, for medical (mental) reasons, and instead spent some time doing volunteer work, while developing a successful singing/acting career.
Last week 'Im Tirzu' demanded her employment to perform in a festival in the north of Israel be cancelled, as she "evaded the draft".
The letter they sent to the local council is so infuriating I am not going to raise my blood pressure trying to translate it. I think the persecution of persons for the fact they did not serve in the army (for completely legitimate reasons) is bad enough.
Oh, also, the Netanyahu coalition spent a weekend vacation together.
Of all nice places in Israel, they decided to go spend the weekend in Tzfat, a beautiful ancient Jewish city in the Galilee, whose current mayor and Rabi (yes, tax payer's money is paying for both) openly proclaim their effort to keep Tzfat "Arab clean", asking the public not to rent apartments to Arabs (and employing people to harass those who do).
Nice. Real nice.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Sick to my stomach
Wednesday 8th June 2011.
Spent the day sick in bed so don't really remember what the news was about.
Also, Shavuot Holiday in Israel makes the media more concerned with cheese cakes then reality.
Today (Thursday) finally some people are beginning to mention that actually, shooting unarmed protestors is wrong. Very few are brave enough to say this.
Zvi Zamir, former head of the Mossad in a rare statement "I'm concerned that soldiers, my grandchildren, are firing on unarmed men". He goes on to state the obvious - other non-lethal methods could and should have been used to prevent unlawful crossing of the border.
Gideon Levy characteristically illuminates the hypocrisy and self delusion with which Israeli media is dealing with the massacres of unarmed protestors.
In Syria - the Assad regime is butchering unarmed ideological freedom fighters, whereas the IDF is forced to defend the border from paid brutes sent by Assad to divert attention from his own domestic violence issues.
Note - I will be adding links to Israeli media, in Hebrew most often than not, for the purpose of anchoring my posts in real "Yesterday's news"
Spent the day sick in bed so don't really remember what the news was about.
Also, Shavuot Holiday in Israel makes the media more concerned with cheese cakes then reality.
Today (Thursday) finally some people are beginning to mention that actually, shooting unarmed protestors is wrong. Very few are brave enough to say this.
Zvi Zamir, former head of the Mossad in a rare statement "I'm concerned that soldiers, my grandchildren, are firing on unarmed men". He goes on to state the obvious - other non-lethal methods could and should have been used to prevent unlawful crossing of the border.
Gideon Levy characteristically illuminates the hypocrisy and self delusion with which Israeli media is dealing with the massacres of unarmed protestors.
In Syria - the Assad regime is butchering unarmed ideological freedom fighters, whereas the IDF is forced to defend the border from paid brutes sent by Assad to divert attention from his own domestic violence issues.
Note - I will be adding links to Israeli media, in Hebrew most often than not, for the purpose of anchoring my posts in real "Yesterday's news"
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
An eye for an eye
Monday, 6th June 2011. Day after the Nachsa.
On Sunday some Palestinian refugees holding Syrian nationality were killed by the IDF when trying to cross the border into Israel.
On Monday, body guards of Palestinian resistance leaders visiting the El-Yarmuk refugee camp to attend funeral processions reportedly opened fire, resulting in 14 residents of the camp dead.
On Sunday some Palestinian refugees holding Syrian nationality were killed by the IDF when trying to cross the border into Israel.
On Monday, body guards of Palestinian resistance leaders visiting the El-Yarmuk refugee camp to attend funeral processions reportedly opened fire, resulting in 14 residents of the camp dead.
the day before yesterday news
Sunday, 5th June 2011.
Nachsa Day - marking the 6 day war of 1967.
Hundreds of Syrian citizens of Palestinian origin attempted a repeat of the 15th of May events, running the border between Syria and the Israeli annexed Golan Heights, near the Druze village of Majdal Shams.
The Israeli army fired tear gas and some live rounds at the unarmed protests trying to cross the border into Israel.
According to the IDF 5 protestors were shot to death, and another 8 were killed when an old landmine exploded inside the Syrian territory, after protestors threw Molotov cocktails and started fires.
According to Syrian official media, the number of killed protesters is almost double and many wounded.
That same day, some 80-120 Syrian security personnel were killed in what is reported by the Syrian regime as an ambush by armed gangs, and by the opposition as a butchering of soldiers by their fellows and commanders for refusing to fire at unarmed protestors.
Also that same day, at least 35 civilians were killed in the Syrian town of Jisser A-shgor by President Assad's security forces in another bloody round of growing civil unrest.
Israeli media, as usual, neglected to ask to obvious question - why were unarmed protestors shot and killed? Were they posing a serious threat to the soldiers? Was the shooting necessary? Was it moral?
Nachsa Day - marking the 6 day war of 1967.
Hundreds of Syrian citizens of Palestinian origin attempted a repeat of the 15th of May events, running the border between Syria and the Israeli annexed Golan Heights, near the Druze village of Majdal Shams.
The Israeli army fired tear gas and some live rounds at the unarmed protests trying to cross the border into Israel.
According to the IDF 5 protestors were shot to death, and another 8 were killed when an old landmine exploded inside the Syrian territory, after protestors threw Molotov cocktails and started fires.
According to Syrian official media, the number of killed protesters is almost double and many wounded.
That same day, some 80-120 Syrian security personnel were killed in what is reported by the Syrian regime as an ambush by armed gangs, and by the opposition as a butchering of soldiers by their fellows and commanders for refusing to fire at unarmed protestors.
Also that same day, at least 35 civilians were killed in the Syrian town of Jisser A-shgor by President Assad's security forces in another bloody round of growing civil unrest.
Israeli media, as usual, neglected to ask to obvious question - why were unarmed protestors shot and killed? Were they posing a serious threat to the soldiers? Was the shooting necessary? Was it moral?
Yesterday's News in the ME
I'm starting this blog to give cool headed day old commentary on yesterday's news in the ME.
Comments are welcome - but be nice!
Comments are welcome - but be nice!
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