V-day is an international day to raise awareness and put an end to violence against women. In Jerusalem, a local group of female actresses performed the Vagina Monologues. If you haven't seen them, you should. I've seen them before, but it was great to see them performed again, as they are so cathartic to watch. I laughed, cried, and reinvigorated the angry feminist in me. Also, who wouldn't get a kick out of seeing a religious head-scarf wearing Jewish woman on stage yelling the word "pussy??"
Here is a link to a video that a woman made for V-day on Jerusalem women's perspectives on sex, vaginas, etc. It's great.
My one qualm is that the monologues were only performed in Israel, and in the white Jewish parts of Israel, no less. I'm not sure if there was any effort to try to perform them in the West Bank or the Arab-Israeli towns, but I'm disappointed that it was performed to such a limited audience.
(Young Hebronite woman waving Palestinian flag. Behind her on the left is the Israeli military watch tower that guards the entrance to the now closed off Shuhada street. Behind on the right is one of the old Hebron streets. See more photos of the protest at "My photos")
Yesterday, Saturday 3/28 I went to a protest in the West Bank town of Hebron. This weekend there were many protests all over Israel and the West Bank to honor Palestinian Land Day. March 30, 1967, the Israeli government announced a plan to seize 20,000 dunams, or 5,000 acres of Palestinian land. Six unarmed Palestinians were killed by Israeli soldiers in the protests against the announcement. This day is to honor their deaths and to fight against the discriminatory land policies of Israel.
Anyway, I went to a protest there this past Saturday. An Arab-Israeli Parliament member was there, and had a face-to-face yelling match with the military commander who was trying to kick us out. Dressed in a suit, he had a crowd of tv cameras, photographers, and protesters behind him, and would not stop until the soldiers resorted to force, tear gas, and sound bombs. It was both depressing to see a parliament member powerless in his own country and utterly inspiring to see him be such a badass.
Hebron is hands-down the most heated town in the West Bank for many reasons. Check it out on Wikipedia for a general background. Ultra-religiosity in both the Jewish settlers and the Muslim population, enormous military presence, and unending harrassment by settlers to the Palestinians all are some reasons why life in Hebron is hard for the Palestinians there. The settlers in general, but especially in Hebron, are generally regarded as unreasonable, racist extremists, even by Israelis. Watch the video below to see what Hebronites have to endure every day while living there. Simple things like going to school are not simple for Arabs in Hebron, they have to fight their way through everything.
Things to notice in the video: The people wearing the tan vests are foreign activists who escort Palestinians and try to act as human shields. The soldiers- they don't do anything to stop these little hate-filled children from throwing stones, and that's because they are ordered not to. They are told by their commanding officers that they can't do anything unless they pose a threat to the soldiers themselves. So instead they yell at them, usually to no avail (notice the policeman in the parking lot yelling at the boy throwing stones), they try to put themselves between the two groups, or they don't do anything. My Israeli friend here said he once tied a settler kid to a tree to make him stop :)
It's the children that upset me the most. They are taught by their parents from day one to hate the Arabs, just because they are Arabs. It's not as if these kids' parents were there, they would have told them to stop. They were probably watching from their house windows, cheering them on. Yes, there is hate from the Arab Hebronites side as well, but it is in no way an equal fight. This is one example where you just can't be objective or neutral- it's just plain wrong.
Check out HEB2- it's an experimental video project that posts candid video footage of Hebronites' lives online.
I don't have much to say, so here is a link to a recent article I wrote for work. The opinions I express in this blog are not the opinions of the Alternative Information Center.
Picture of a t-shirt made for a soldier who graduated from sniper training.
There is a fashion trend among recent IDF training graduates that frankly, scares the crap out of me. It entails making t-shirts for your squad with sadistic slogans on the back of them, such as the one above. It is a picture of a pregnant Palestinian woman with a sniper target pointed at her, with the slogan beneath it, "1 shot 2 kills."Then there are other t-shirts that, for instance, have a picture of a bruised Palestinian woman with a slogan saying "Bet you got raped!" or another that says "Let every Arab mother know that her son's fate is in my hands!"...Oh. My. God.
In an article printed by Haaretz recently, the reporter spoke to an IDF soldier about the shirts: Of the shirt depicting a bull's-eye on a pregnant woman, he said: "There are people who think it's not right, and I think so as well, but it doesn't really mean anything. I mean it's not like someone is gonna go and shoot a pregnant woman." Yes, ensha'allah (God willing in Arabic) these shirts are not a reflection of reality and it's just an incredibly disturbing and wildly un-funny joke.
In a conversation I had with an older Israeli who served in the IDF in his youth, he said, "this is one aspect of Israeli society of which Israelis don't understand how uncivilized we are." He explained, there is no way for soldiers to make sense of the position they are put in, or to be told what exactly is right and what's wrong. It's all just "being in the army." Israel is not a place that encourages talking about feelings, or processing what your government has asked you to do. One of the result of this, apparently, is for these recently trained soldiers to "express themselves" via these slogans.
I'm so offended by this. SO offended! But I'm also on the outside. I have no idea what it feels like to be put in a position in which I have to be a soldier. While refusing to serve in the army is an entirely different issue, and for another time, I'd like to think I'd be super righteous and not partake in crude humor like these shirts, and be a good person, etc. But, I can't underestimate the power of social norms and social pressure, and how incredibly difficult it is to deviate from them.
So in Tel Aviv, it's sort of obvious what spring time entails- people start wearing less clothing, the beaches start to fill up, there are more bikes, barbeques, and dogs, etc. It's like any other modern, western beach town. But in Jerusalem, the less-than-outdoorsy and oh-so-religious city, it's a little more vague. The drivers are too terrifying for people to ride their bikes, religious people don't really change their wardrobe for the summer (or do they? Not sure about that one), and dogs aren't really something they're into. Maybe they barbeque..? Well, one thing I've discovered they do is go hang out at these springs that are all over the city. Even if they do keep all of their clothes on while they swim, it's one of the local ways to get out of this damn-intense city and enjoy a little bit of nature! These springs are so pretty, and on one of the first warm days of the season, we busted out and went to the prettiest one.
Lounging spring-side
The view from the spring- on top of the hill is an Arab village called Wallaje. There are two mosques and you can hear them echoing during the call to prayer. Sublime. Please notice the argeelah (or hooka) on the left. This soldier-boy and his soldier girlfriend brought their very own to the spring. What Jerusalem spring experience would be complete without a travel argeelah?? Only in Israel.
Of course, after a nice, relaxing time, we ended our stint with an argument with our 20-year old hooka-smoking friends about the attacks in Gaza. They think we need to be "strong" and "not back down" to the Arabs. Again...only in Israel.
A New York Times article published since my last post- refers to the same testimonies, and highlights the clash between secular and religious ideologies in Israel.
I just can't stop thinking of different "Gaza" notes to write on this blog. At the risk of sounding whiny, or like a broken record, it's not at all about me. It's about honoring what happened to thousands of people while we all stood by and watched. Once an issue is out of the news, we so easily forget about it. Gazans are still lying in hospitals, wounded from these attacks. They are still picking pieces of their lives out from the rubble that used to be their family home. They just finished burying their loved ones. They just recently received aid. These attacks ruined their lives- forever.
Last Wednesday, the transcripts of a discussion among many IDF soldiers about their time spent in the recent Gaza attacks. It's nothing that the Palestinians in Gaza, or the UN workers haven't already said- there was recklessness, killing of innocents, and a blatant diregard for Palestinian lives, all at the cost of protecting Israeli soldiers.
When an Israeli friend of mine who served in the army about 5 years ago heard of stories of the intense brutality and mindless killing that happened in Gaza, he said, "I just can't imagine an Israeli soldier acting like that." According to him, in his time, even if it was just 5 years ago, and in his unit (which can make ALL the difference), soldiers were more responsible and humane. "I don't believe they would do that" he said with conviction.
Well, his experience serving in the IDF might have been different than what it is now, but Operation Cast Lead in Gaza is proof that times have changed. The IDF used to pride itself as being one of the most humane armies in the world, and still does, but it seems now as if it has just gone plain mad. According to a NYT article Ismael Haniya, the Hamas leader in Gaza even called it "el harb el majoona" or the "crazy war." During the attacks there was this intense feeling in the international community and news of "Oh my God, what are they doing??" A note found in Gaza, written in Hebrew, that says to shoot upon being rescued. The testimonies
There is this great organization in Israel called New Profile. It aims to move Israeli culture and society away from militarization and towards a new kind of thinking.
We understand that the state of war in Israel is maintained by decisions made by our politicians - not by external forces to which we are passively subject.
We are no longer willing to take part in such choices.We will not go on enabling them by obediently, uncritically supplying soldiers to the military which implements them. We will not go on being mobilized, raising children for mobilization, supporting mobilized partners, brothers, fathers, while those in charge of the country go on deploying the army easily, rather than building other solutions.
Right on.
Below is a link to the pdf of an exhibition this organization is putting on. It is a bunch of examples of the militarization with in Israeli culture- everything from a breast cancer fund to a children's coloring book...
This my friend Jess's blog about the project she is currently working on. She raised money herself to be able to come here and do this video/photo project on midwifery in Israel and Palestine. Very cool.
(Picture of graffiti done by British street artist, Banksy, on the Israel-Palestine separation wall)
While living here, I've been trying to figure out and understand what the Jewish Israeli identity is all about. Since I'm "Jewish," I'm curious to find out what binds me to this people and what we have in common. As far as collective identity goes- there's not much.
This incredible article published in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz a couple of months ago highlights a study conducted by two Jewish Israeli researchers on what defines the Israeli collective identity, and how it relates to Jewish Israelis' perception of Palestinians/Arabs. In part, it concludes:
Israeli Jews' consciousness is characterized by a sense of victimization, a siege mentality, blind patriotism, belligerence, self-righteousness, dehumanization of the Palestinians and insensitivity to their suffering.
And finally someone just comes out and says it. In one of the most popular Israeli newspapers, no less.
Here are a couple of examples of this that I've personally experienced here:
1- In a conversation with Jewish Israeli I know, he was saying that he thinks most internationals (aka, me) who come here to be activists and fight for the Palestinians aren't well-informed of the history. He said, "Even before 1948, in the 20s, the Palestinians went around killing Jews for no reason. For whatever reason, it's how they've always been, it's in their nature." Whoooa, buddy. Zionism and the plan to push Palestinians out of this land was in action a good 40 years before the State of Israel established. Either way, his argument is an example of what this study shows. It's exemplifies a mentality of Jewish victimization and Palestinians as a violent, irrational people.
2- How Jewish Israelis acted during the recent attacks in Gaza was incredibly difficult to understand. Jerusalem is something like 50 km from Gaza. That's so close!! And in West Jerusalem (the Jewish side), there was no noticeable difference in the way people acted. Myself, my Israeli and Palestinian co-workers, and foreign friends (granted, all activists) were in this constant state of teary-eyed shock. How could this be happening so close, yet we are all so helpless? How can this be happening at all?? Then talking to the Jewish Israelis I know, I would then be thrown into another level of shock and utter disappointment at how unphased and cool they were when addressing the "war" in Gaza. I would think, "Why aren't you as upset as I am? How can you just carry on, life as usual??"
Well, the above article explains it all. The mentality of it's either us or them. Even though they have no military, live in one of the most concentrated areas of the world (with 1.5 million people living in 140 square miles of land), and have no way out.
I've heard statements like, "All I know is that if we don't look out for the Jews, then no one will" or "Aren't we entitled to our own state, finally, after all of our years of suffering?"
Sure, why shouldn't the Jews have their own state? In theory, it's a great idea. But is this the kind of state Zionists want? A place where its citizens are always on the defensive? Where people scare themselves into losing their sense of humanism? Where most spend what could be the most fun and adventurous years of their lives serving in the military and contributing to the subordination of an entire people? Is it really worth it?
*This is what was shot at Tristan Anderson This past Saturday, and American protester, Tristan Anderson was hit in the head with a tear gas canister shot at him by Israeli soldiers. Here is an excerpt from an article about it:
"The heavy impact from the tear gas canister being shot directly at him, from about 60 meters, also caused severe damage to his right eye, which he may lose. Tristan underwent brain surgery in which part of his right frontal lobe and shattered bone fragments were removed.
The Israeli army began to use the Rutger rifle and a high velocity tear gas canister in December 2008. The black canister, labeled in Hebrew as “40mm bullet special/long range,” can shoot over 400 meters and weighs 130 grams without the propeller. The gas canister does not make a noise when fired or emit a smoke tail and has a propeller to accelerate the weapon mid-air. A combination of the canister’s high velocity and silence is extremely dangerous and has caused numerous injuries, including a Palestinian male whose leg was broken in January 2009."
The town where Tristan was shot is called Ni'lin, and there are protest there every weekend. The separation wall that is being built around the entire West Bank is especially contraversial in this town, because it will cut out thousands of square miles of land from the town. Land that will then become part of Israel. What happened to Triston is awful. Unspeakably horrible. This poor man.
Along with how atrocious this whole thing is, I'm also totally appalled that THIS is the only incident that is getting the international media's attention. The New York Times, the AP, the Israeli press all wrote articles the day it happened. Even the title of this post "American citizen critically injured..." implies this message of "wake up, reader! Someone who matters has been hurt!!" Here is a list (from the article I linked to above) of many of the other people who have been hurt/killed in Ni'lin in the past year:
"Ahmed Mousa (10) was shot in the forehead with live ammunition on 29th July 2008. The following day, Yousef Amira (17) was shot twice with rubber-coated steel bullets, leaving him brain dead. He died a week later on 4 August 2008. Arafat Rateb Khawaje (22), was the third Ni’lin resident to be killed by Israeli forces. He was shot in the back with live ammunition on 28 December 2008. That same day, Mohammed Khawaje (20), was shot in the head with live ammunition, leaving him brain dead. He died three days in a Ramallah hospital."
A TEN year old? I mean, really!? Not only do many people here value the lives of Palestinians less than others, but apparently the international press feels the same. I know this isn't a ground-breaking conclusion, but it's just so damn sad.
(Photo of my fantastic roommates and I dressed up for Purim. On the left is the little prince and on the right is an American hillbilly)
So last week was the Jewish holiday of Purim- I've included below a description of what it is made by a religious friend of mine in Israel:
"In its essence this is a holiday of opposites, where everything and anything is excepted, where normal is banned… why? I know what you may be thinking and its not because jews have so many commandments to follow, so lets give them one holiday to break loose- on the contrary. This holiday is like this because its believed that each one of us, with in himself has this somewhat abnormal- and amazingly free spirit, that is beyond borders and regulations, and this is a chance to let that all shine. But if so- why limit this?? Why not let us run free of limitations all year long?
That would be so amazing! Being a free spirit- completely! Doing exactly what we want- at all times!!!
But- for us to work together, to live in a world consisting of cooperation and relationship- certain ways of communicating these amazing spirits have to formed- and with that some of the basic lights are lost- but only to create much stronger and greater lights between people and the world were in. BUT to ensure that we don’t loose our light, our amazing source, we get this holiday, once a year, to regenerate, to refuel, to ensure that our encounter with the world is done from the most real and honest place…"
For me, the jury's still out on religion and all of the rules involved. But, as far as religious holidays go, I'm really into this one! Read about the "Story of Purim" on Wikipedia.
In modern Israel, where most people consider themselves secular, Purim is a 3-day stretch where everyone (all Jewish Israelis, anyway- secular, religious, etc) has this free pass to get TOTALLY wasted. And dress up in costume. And of course, eat a lot :) It's in one of the religious text that Jews are commanded to get so drunk that they can't remember their name. Really, it is. For a little background, Israeli society is really intense- which is a huge understatement. It's a militaristic country where everyone is really tough and on the defense all the time. By tough I mean little old ladies push me out of the way to get on the bus and no one uses the word please. EVERYONE here serves in the military (ok, except for the really religious and the 500 refuse-niks). It's not an easy thing to experience, especially since serving in the army means you are taking part in the occupation of an entire people. This topic is a huge issue on it's own, but I wanted to make the point that, putting all political opinions aside, a few nights of revelry, drinking, and chaos is an unbelievable release. It's like the whole society lets out a big sigh. And I think I'm still hungover.
After a lot of internal debate over if I should start a blog, I'm finally taking the plunge. I figured it's an easy way to keep in touch with everyone and share those random thoughts, links, etc when they pop up. Especially since I've been so bad at keeping up with my emails.
I'm also bombarded with so much information and new experiences here that I want to share. I feel like I straddle a lot of divides here- cultural, societal, political, spiritual- and have been learning so much about this place and myself as a result. In the end, I'm just curious about what the heck is goin' on and am in this constant state of questioning just about everything.
The title of this blog is simply how I feel so much of the time and how I sometimes feel where the peoples of this region to be- when I really try to understand both "sides" of this conflict, when I hear racism, when I see violence and discrimination, when people fail to listen. Totally stuck. I think progress can happen- if we learn to stop bouncing back and forth between the same old arguments, start taking some risks that might scare the crap out of us, and learn to be truly progressive. Of course, this is just my opinion and effort to make a catchy title for my blog- I do not intend to over-simplify or demean the intense and complex nature of what's happening in this region. I also don't mean to imply that I remain completely "stuck" on issues here. I have opinions and most probably consider me to be a "pro-Palestinian activist"... but it's so much more complicated that that.
So here it is. My blog. Please please please feel free to comment and participate and post your own thoughts, etc, because that's what "blogging" is all about, right?
