Tag Archives: human rights

Israeli Ministry of Tourism Presents: Militarism, Sexism Galore

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The Israeli Ministry of Tourism presents a new and highly militaristic, sexist and simply obnoxious campaign for bringing more tourists into the Jewish-Democratic State of Israel, to experience the lush and beauty of Israeli apartheid.

One should wonder who are the tourists that would be persuaded to visit a state that’s so highly militarized, racist and sexist? A state that does not abide by its obligations under international law and who violates the most basic human rights for non-Jews? A state whose most liberal city, Tel-Aviv, boasts at having the highest percentage of military commanders in their municipality’s ad campaign, along with boasting the 92% draft rate of its high school graduates who serve in the army (aka ITF, IOF or IDF). A state whose vast majority is proud of holding ethnic-supremacist ideals, or at the very least think it is ok.

Please choose to stand by the basic rights of Palestinians and insist on their freedom, justice and equality in this land. For more information:http://www.bdsmovement.net/

Doing propaganda:

Noa Tishby – http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0864332/

Gilat Ankori – http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0030184/

Sources:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNVHY49TqWc
http://kol1mevie1.org.il/
http://www.mako.co.il/travel-visit-israel
http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/survey-most-israeli-jews-would-support-a…
http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/apartheid-without-shame-or-guilt.premium…
http://electronicintifada.net/blogs/ali-abunimah/cool-tel-aviv-proudly-boasts…

From: Israeli Ministry of Tourism presents: militarism, sexism galore – YouTube.

Facebook censors cartoons against racism, capitalism

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Facebook censors cartoons against racism, capitalism.

(But leaves the racist pages alone — including those calling for rape, murder, and other horrors – F.I.)

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The comic artist Mysh is one of my favorites in Israel. His work is not only conscious and critical, but also brilliantly drawn and at times, extremely funny. Last year I posted here his “Israeli Machine” video, which captured the hope I saw in the J14 movement more than any 1000-word essay I have written on this issue.

Mysh’s drawings have since turned more critical and dark, reflecting the change in the national mood as the summer of hope turned into an Israeli winter. Yet some of those recent works have been incredibly popular on Facebook, shared and liked by thousands of Israelis; other pieces even got some international attention. That’s when Facebook began to censor Mysh.

“A couple of days ago, I got a message that one of my works, titled The Real Superhero, was removed from the site,” Mysh told +972 over the phone today. “I actually suspected it was the nudity – the drawing is showing a naked Clark Kent, with the S carved on his chest – maybe it was too much for some people. But this morning, I couldn’t get into my Facebook account, and I saw that another one of my sketches, titled A Problem of Self Esteem, was also removed.”

Here is The Real Superhero:

The Real Superhero (by Mysh)

And this is the Problem of Self Esteem, a work inspired by the latest race riot in Tel Aviv.

A Problem of Self Esteem (by Mysh)

The Hebrew on the back of the muscular man has all kinds of popular racist slogans: “A good Arab is a dead Arab;” “Death to the Sudanese,” “Run over the Dosim (degrading name for Orthodox Jews);”Russians to Russia, Ethiopians to Ethiopia,” and more.

Mysh was also warned by Facebook that further flagging of his work would lead to the removal of his page. He was banned from the site for 24 hours.

“When they removed a third work, titled the Green Sabrah, I understood that there was something systematic here, and that I have to take care of it. I wrote a letter to Facebook, but the reply was that the department that dealing with my problem is on leave until June 6th.”

“The Green Sabrah: In control. But not in control of himself” (by Mysh)

“My work is critical and provocative, but I don’t think I am violating any of the house rules. My images are not inciting to violence, pornographic or extremely graphic. I really don’t know what to do now. The irony is that I have been praising Facebook recently as this amazing tool for promoting your art. I don’t have a site and I dread the thought that I will have to be a multi-platform person. I am quite bad with technology. I guess this was a kind of a wake up call for me, that this place I trusted is censored too.”

Mysh is 34, lives in Tel Aviv; he also directs films and animation. If you want to support him, joinhis Facebook page. We will also be featuring his work here on +972 from time to time. And for those who missed it, here is The Israeli Machine:

The Murder of Mustafa Tamimi

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This is not the type of thing I normally write about. Not because it isn’t important, but because some issues are too big, complex, emotional, incendiary, and controversial for me to get a handle on. But this week I was swept up in this tragedy, so I want to include it here.

This was originally part of the round-up post I’ll be publishing shortly. But it got so big, and it is important enough to merit it’s own post. So in some ways it covers all the links to the event, reactions, lack of reaction, photos, video… And in other ways I still don’t feel it’s a complete post. I would normally give some background on the conflict, on Nabi Saleh, on the laws governing protests in the West Bank (or in other words — why Palestinians don’t get even the basic right to assemble)… I might share my own feelings about this, bring other examples of similar incidents, some statistics… But this is what I can do right now (and this is why I generally don’t do this kind of post!)

The short version: Mustafa Tamimi was a Palestinian who on December 9, 2011, participated in a protest (which takes place every week) in Nabi Saleh, a village near Ramallah (read more about the struggle in Nabi Saleh here). He was shot by an Israeli soldier, in the face, at close range, by a tear gas grenade (crowd control weapon designed for launching into the air; all prescriptive uses of this grenade launcher call for this use only, including the IDF’s own regulations). He died from his wounds.

Articles telling the story:

Here is a news article covering the story: Nabi Saleh Palestinian Shot In Head With Tear Gas Canister (warning: includes graphic photos)

Here is a chilling first person account of the event by Palestinian activist Linah Alsaafin.

And another by Ibrahim Bornat.

Videos:

Here is a video of the protest:

Here is a video that includes a photo sequence of the shooting

(warning: graphic photos)

Photo Album

Here is a Facebook photo album of the entire Nabi Saleh protest, including photos of Mustafa Tamimi being shot (warning: graphic photos)

.Here is the Israeli government’s response

“Palestinian Protester Death an Exceptional Incident, Say IDF Officials”

Here is a video proving it is NOT an exceptional incident, but rather a policy, “informal” as it may be:

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And to add insult and injury on top of injury and insult, the Israeli military attacks mourners at Tamimi’s funeral

Human Rights for Palestinians?

The irony of Tamimi’s killing occurring on Human Right’s Day is not lost upon many of us.

Memorial For Palestinian Human Rights