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Bio: Activist reporting from the privaleged side of the apartheid. (More)

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Sweep Them Under the Rug – No One Will Notice

By Tali Shapiro at Jan 28, 2009

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Special announcement: Some of you have emailed me and told me the comment function is amiss. I've talked about this with Chris and after a thorough check, he says everything is fine. So if you're having trouble with the comment function, please make sure you're logged in first. Thanks and keep'em coming :)

 

Israel is preoccupied with racism lately. Of course the cases that get the most coverage are the stories of the Holocaust-denying bishop, or the host of UN Holocaust memorial skipping the event, or how the Gaza offensive is spuring a rise in anti-Semitic incidents across Europe.

All this is true, and some of it even worrying, but the stories I'd like to focus on are of different events. Yesterday, I managed to read 5 stories of racism inflicted by Jews on the Arab citizens of Israel. The 8:00 O'clock news even included one story in their last segment. But that was yesterday, and today I couldn't even find all of the stories in the Ha'aretz website, because they're deeply buried in the archives. No followup stories in the 8:00 O'clock news either. That's why some of these are from memory.


Nazareth is Burning

"Nine human beings- seven of them minors- were arrested, today, for their alleged involvement in a line of arson cases and violent incidents towards Arabs, residents of Nazareth Eilit. Thus, the lately tensed relationship between Jews and Arabs, comes to it's climax."
(Micky Heimovitz, Anchorewoman for Channel 10 News)

Nobody said this out loud, but it was felt all over that the attack on Gaza strained inner Arab/Jew relations, inside Israel. That's what Heimovitz was obviously alluding to, in her prologue. The article that follows this prologue, however, states on the very first line that the wave of arson has been happening for a few months.

"The want to run the Arabs out of the neighborhood. We won't leave. They can come again and burn the door. We won't leave."
(Israli Arab, who's door was burned)
"As girls, we're afraid to go out at night, so they won't chase us, won't bother us."
"Were afraid to walk around our own city."
(14 year-old Arab Israeli girls)
"As far as I know, there's an organizing of grown men, with bigger abilities, that make sure to keep their future plans covert. It's not that they're afraid of the police. Absolutely not. They are afraid of the Shabak- of the Jewish sector... This country will, one day, wake up to severe uprisings. Their results will manifest in many bodies, scattered around Nazareth Eilit."
(Anonymous Israeli of Nazareth Eilit)


These were, without a doubt, hate crimes. All the suspects are religious (this is the type of religion that has nothing to do with spirituality, but the size of the yarmulke on your head). The suspects, of course, are denying all charges.

Tiberias is Bleeding
A young Arab man, Muhamad Mantzur, was attacked by eight 14-16 year-olds. He was walking along the dock in Tiberias, when the boys came up to him, asked him if he's from the city.  When Mantzur replied "no", they asked him if he's from the neighboring towns. Before he managed to answer, they pushed him to the ground, beat him with bats and kicked him. As they beat him, they kept yelling at him not to come back to Tiberias ever again. Mantzur says he was beaten for 10 minutes, until he managed to get up and get out of there.

Mantzur's mother blames the politicians for inciting hate:

"The talk of transfer has become the norm... no wonder there are boys who translate this into it being OK to beat Arabs."


No Arab Kids Aloud in the North
This is a story I can't find anymore. In the North, two happy parents entered their little girl into daycare. All seemed fine, the daycare owner was welcoming, but the next day she called to tell them that their daughter can't be accepted to the school. After further investigation, it seems that the parents of the other children didn't like the idea of an Arab child in their children's daycare.

The Anti-Semetic (wow! It's actually true in this case!) Bishop got a followup segment in the 8:00 O'clock news, today. Apparently Israel wants to have a hand inside the Vatican's staff line-up, as well. Muhamad Mantzur, however, didn't get a followup article. And the fear of an uprising in Nazareth Eilit will not be televised. Because nobody cares, and that's why it's so easy to sweep a few Arabs under the rug.

 

 

 

 

Comment On This Blog Post  See All Comments (2)

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Attacks on Jews in London

By Andrews, John at Jan 29, 2009 00:41 AM

Tali

Whenever the IDF attack Palestinians / Lebanese at home there is always an increase in anti semitism and attacks on jewish people abroad; this is certainly true in London where I live. The recent atrocities in Gaza have resulted in the usual increase in physical attacks, desecration of graves / grafitti on synagogues etc in London.

If I were a Jew outside Israel I think I would be a bit pissed off with the the government of Israel for jeopordising my safety by their colonialism. Unfortunately, the majority of jewish people in and around London, led by the The Jewish Chronicle and other fairly rabid faith newspapers, seem to blindly chant the mantra 'Israel is good, Israel can do no wrong'. 

A paradigm shift in mindset is needed to break this cycle of violence but I cannot see any evidence of a shift here in London.

Best wishes

John Andrews

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Miss_s_clause

Re: Attacks on Jews in London

By Shapiro, Tali at Jan 29, 2009 06:44 AM
This war only tightened the rhetoric from the Israli Hasbara. Jews outside of Israel won't be able to see the truth, until the Jews inside do.

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3866

Anti Islamic Studies?

By Ward, Peter at Jan 28, 2009 20:31 PM

I definitely observed a spike in anti-Arab/Islamic racism among many my orthodox Jewish peers here in New York (it happens I am in close contact with Chasidim and other sects do to where I live and work) coinciding with the worst of Israel's atrocities (now subsiding). Incidentally, pointing out the lack of proportionality in reacting to anti-Arab racism compared to antisemitism (of which whole university courses are now built it seems)* on the Left Business Observer mailing list disturbed the wah of one or two sensitive liberal souls.

***

*I'm not referring to historic antisemitism or the Nazi Holocaust but antisemitism as it exists at present.

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Miss_s_clause

Re: Anti Islamic Studies?

By Shapiro, Tali at Jan 29, 2009 06:39 AM
Peter, all this neo-Nazi stuff has nothing to do with Jews directly. The film America History X shows, pretty well, how these things can happen. I’d put down a hefty sum and bet that anyone who sprays a swastika on a Jewish tombstone, would just as happily string up an Arab. These kids that beat Mantzur, would have attacked a Russian Israeli any other day. The Jews’ (understandable) reaction to the Holocaust was to erect a tradition of memorandum. “Remember and never forget.” This stems from the telling of a history as “the story of prosecution”. The Muslim world tends to tell a story of glory (as far as I understand it). I think it’s still hard for Muslims around the world to except what the Palestinians have been reduced to.

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Person

Re: Anti Islamic Studies?

By Archibald, Mike at Jan 29, 2009 11:29 AM
According to NGOMonitor there have been approximately 250 incidents reported of 'anti semitism', but that is world wide. Again, I am more familiar with Canada, where the Canadian Jewish Congress put up a video of the Gaza demonstrations here in canadian cities. There were a couple of signs that had the star=swastika, and some flag burning. There was one chant translated that said "the jews are our dogs"-whatever THAT is supposed to mean. There was supposedly a 150% increase in anti semitic actions worldwide, but its not surprising that LAST year there was reportedly a 20% DROP in antisemitic actions. Which means that this is just over a doubling on incidents over 'the norm'. In Canada politicians are loathe to get involved, which has provoked the jewish lobby, and some columnists, to state they aren't 'doing enough', to clamp down on the protests. So actually, when you consider just how brutal this invasion is, the anti semitism has been VERY moderate. There was one case reported in a paper here about a jewish boy wearing his star who was beaten, but usually the CJC is quick to jump on anything like that, and it hasn't been reported anywhere else, so it really can't be substanciated. The protests are especially moderate considering that many protestors no doubt have friends and family at risk. One woman who was really screaming at a demonstration was clearly being baited, and it was clear that other protestors there were trying to calm her down.

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Miss_s_clause

Re: Re: Anti Islamic Studies?

By Shapiro, Tali at Jan 29, 2009 16:16 PM
Mike, here's an article I just found a second before I read your comment: http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=45462 This is how it goes. The more I learn the more I realize that it's always been this way. All these people screaming "anti-Semite" at me (like I really care what race you are- you're a bloody murderer!), making sure I fear to speak out in the name of what must be "good". I doubt myself always- it's a self defense mechanism, but I know what I'm after must be good.

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