Via Jews for Justice for Palestinians: Letter from a friend in Israel: Thank you,we are fine. After 3 weeks abroad we are back in an Israel where, in Tel Avivs centre, people are stopped by gangs who demand from you to identify yourself: Are you a Jew or an Arab? If Arab they beat you, if Jew they and demand you shout in public: Death to the Arabs! .If you refuse they beat you up while the police stands by and does not intervene. We are in a country where GANGS OF FASCISTS (in uniforms) go around to check in factories and stores in Jerusalem and demand employers not to employ Palestinians (who live in Jerusalem.). We are in a country where people you thought, until few weeks ago, were sane, are now against left demonstrations while the fighting is going on. ( Remember the first Lebanon war 1981 when, in the middle of the war, there was a demo of 400.000 against the massacre in Sabra and Shatila?) That ‘old Israel’ does not exist anymore. There is no” Peace now” on the streets now! We are in a country were Rabins Square has been taken over by organizations of the settlers to pray together for the 3 young settlers who were kidnapped. This when the army and government knew already, for 6 days, that the youngsters were already dead but kept the truth from the population so as to allow the buildup of a mood of vengeance and hate - thought necessary for the war consensus! We are In Israel where the Jewish Defense League and its offshoots (football hooligans) controls the streets. You do not know anymore what you can say to whom, not even in your family!!! Netanyahu has unleashed, after the murder of the 3 young settlers, an atmosphere of fear and hatred as preparation for the war. Under this atmosphere, groups which were marginal, captured the streets. A young Arab of 15 was burnt alive, many others beaten up, hundreds of Palestinians, inside Israel and in the West Bank, who protested were shot at, killed wounded and and arrested. We are in Israel where Social networks spew venom: Killing of one Jew is worth killing of 1000 Palestinians. Israeli TV is sterile, Israelis do not see what you see happens in Gaza, unless you turn to Al- Jazeera or other foreign Channels. Had it not been the summer vacation we would have had running knife battles at the universities where there is a significant minority of Arab students. We still do not know how it will be possible to open the universities in October. Arabs citizens of Israel are totally alienated and are afraid to talk Arabic in public. The work of the liberal left progressives- fraternization, co-existence, solidarity, mutual respect, equality between Israeli-Jews and Israeli-Palestinians- has gone, vanished under the bitterness of polarization. In Bar-Ilan (a religious university) a professor of Middle East Studies, Mordecai Keidar, has explained on a radio program that according to Arab values the most effective way to deter Palestinians from terrorism is to rape their mothers and sisters! When challenged he claimed that he is a feminist and denied that he suggested rape as policy - he spoke, he said “ only as an expert of Arab cultural norms”! He said it on the national radio! Another lecturer wrote to his students wishing them safety and wellness despite the situation where thousands are being killed. He was reprimanded by students and the University for not distinguishing between blood and blood also expressing sorrow for Palestinian casualties.(On this: Editorial in Ha’aretz daily today). We are in Israel where universities spy on the mail of their students and staff members. Yes, this is the Israel we are in. Anyone who supports it should know what they support. When this battle will end the long knives will come out. Please no ‘my Israel right or wrong’, Israel is a different country. It has been taken over by vengeance, hate, racism, intolerance. Values that have always been there but did not dominate - are now hegemonic!!! Be well Avi
Posted on: Thu, 31 Jul 2014 20:49:56 +0000
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