Life for Christians in Gaza is tough, not least from Hamas and Israeli bombardment: To be a Christian in Gaza these days requires discretion. When I approached a group of Christians lunching in a beachside hotel — they were identifiable because the women did not wear Islamic headscarves — they insisted that Hamas is tolerant…
Showing all posts tagged Gaza
Accountability is what makes true democracy
At least somebody in Israel cares about the massive destruction caused by its recent onslaught in Gaza.
IAJV May newsletter
The following email was sent out yesterday to Independent Australian Jewish Voices (IAJV) signatories: Dear friends, We would like to inform you of the following events: – Haneen Zoabi is the Knesset’s only female Israeli Arab MP and she arrives in Australia this week. She’ll be appearing on many mainstream news outlets and giving talks…
This anger can only lead one way
Four Palestinians living in Israel and Palestine discuss the recent Durban II conference. They’re understandably angry. Here’s one, Dr Haidar Eid, from Gaza: Israel is the only state in the ’modern’ world in which citizenship and nationality are two separate, independent concepts. Israel is NOT the state of its citizens, but the state of the…
Enjoying the torture of others
This is the kind of country that the world should support? A report issued this week by Physicians for Human Rights-Israel indicates that the Shin Bet security services conduct a policy of forcing patients to provide information as a condition of being allowed to leave the Gaza Strip for medical care. According to the human…
The struggle away from the headlines
John Docker is an Australian Jew long associated with human rights. He’s also one of the founders of the Committee to Dismantle Zionism. He presented the following paper yesterday at the University of Sydney’s Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies conference, “After Israel’s attack on Gaza: How do we work for peace and justice?”. In…
Who’s really scared of listening to new voices?
The play about Jewish identity and Palestinian rights, Seven Jewish Children, premiered overseas recently to great acclaim (and the usual complaints by the Zionist lobby). It’s coming to Melbourne in a few week’s time and how does the Jewish establishment react? From today’s Age: A play that has been condemned by Jewish groups and some…
Let them suffer
One more way that Palestinians are suffering under Israeli “democracy”: More than 700 Palestinian workers in Gaza who suffered on-the-job accidents inside Israel used to receive monthly disability payments from Israeli employers. But in January 2009, workers stopped receiving these payments as the Israeli courts decided that Israeli insurance companies are no longer liable towards…
Just tell the Arabs to get less backwards
Israeli President Shimon Peres discusses the one-state solution with Atlantic journalist Jeffrey Goldberg. To dismiss the idea is expected, but how to ignore the ever-growing occupation? Both men achieve that mission well: JG: You hear this more and more, people talking about the one-state solution. It used to be a radical idea to suggest a…
You bomb, we rebuild
Palestinian and Israeli human rights organisations are calling for an end to international donor complicity in Israeli violations of international law: On 2 March 2009, major international donors convened in Sharm al-Sheikh to collectively respond to the destruction caused by Israel’s 23 day military offensive on the Gaza Strip (the offensive). During the conference, a…