Two young Palestinian men, Abdul-Khaliq Burnat and Mohammed Tamimi, had their day in (Israeli military) court last weekend. They have much in common: they both come from prominent nonviolent activist families, both are victims – along with their families and entire towns – of collective punishment, and it looks like neither young man will be going home anytime soon.
Israel, that “beacon of democracy,” is repressing free speech as it imprisons – and re-imprisons – young Palestinian activists. (Since the beginning of Israel’s occupation of Gaza & the West Bank, it has arrested more than 800,000 Palestinians, almost 20% of the total and about 40% of male Palestinians in the occupied territories.)
Liberal Israeli society is stepping up to advocate for African asylum seekers that their government is trying to deport. By standing up for asylum seekers in their plight while disregarding the Palestinians in theirs, these “allies” resemble the government they are protesting more than they’d like to admit.
Palestinians report that Israeli settlers have burned down agricultural land including valuable olive trees, while Israeli forces prevented the Palestinian owners from putting out the fires.
South Africans – who should know apartheid when they see it – called out Israel as “the world’s last functioning apartheid state” during a UN hearing this week. They no doubt recalled the words of South African hero, the late Nelson Mandela, who famously said, “We know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians.”
Israel has long strip-searched women and children, a policy that U.S. media often cover up, from AP to Democracy Now. Most recently a Palestinian-Finnish reporter refused to submit. Photo is from a previous incident in the Prime Minister’s office. See more info and video…
The UN Security Council is meeting Thursday, 25 January, to discuss implementation of UN resolutions on the Palestinian questions. On 22 February, they will also discuss the occupation and the UNRWA situation, which has become dire since the US decided to slash its contribution.
AJC announces its latest success in the international campaign to change the meaning of antisemitism to include criticisms of Israel…
Palestinian children often throw stones at Israeli army vehicles invading Palestinian land – but even if they don’t, they may be accused, arrested, or even abducted for “allegedly” doing so.
Western media coverage of Ahed Tamimi obscures Israeli violence and occupation, completely missing the point of her nonviolent resistance. See FAIR’s thorough analysis of news reports.
