Merav Michaeli’s inaugural speech to Knesset.
Michaeli is an Israeli journalist, TV anchor, radio broadcaster, activist, feminist and newly elected Member of Knesset. Born in Petah Tikva, she is the granddaughter of Rudolf Kastner, who facilitated the departure of Jews out of Nazi-occupied Hungary during World War II and the Holocaust.
From the website VisualizingPalestine. This map depicts bus the segregated system of roads in the occupied territories, allowing Israelis (cars with Israeli license plates) freedom of movement and access to Jerusalem.
From the website VisualizingPalestine. This map depicts bus routes that run between West Jerusalem and West Bank Settlements, allowing Israeli Settlers freedom of movement and access to Jerusalem.
A friend of mine just informed me via twitter that this “infographic is very inaccurate: missing many bus lines while including ones that were shut down years ago.”
A brief introduction to the March 2012 United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA): In recent years, Israeli settler activity in the West Bank has significantly impaired Palestinian access to, and use of, a growing number of water springs. Springs are the single largest source of water for irrigation in the West Bank and an important coping mechanism for communities not connected to a water network, or poorly supplied, to meet domestic and livelihood needs. The main methods used by settlers to that end have been intimidation and threats, and the erection of fences around the targeted areas. This phenomenon comes in the context of Israel’s longstanding policy of settling its civilian population in the occupied Palestinian territory, in violation of international humanitarian law.
B’Tselem is the preeminent Israeli human rights organization and information center for human rights in the Occupied Territories. B’Tselem endeavors to document and educate the Israeli public and policymakers about human rights violations in the Occupied Territories, combat the phenomenon of denial prevalent among the Israeli public, and help create a human rights culture in Israel. B’Tselem is the Hebrew word ofr “in the image of,” and is also used as a synonym for human dignity. The word is taken from Genesis 1:27 “And God created humans in his image. In the image of God did He create him.”
In 2011, volunteers in B’Tselem’s camera project filmed over 500 hours of footage in the West Bank. This is two minutes collected from it, in order to sum up the passing year.
Himnuta, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Jewish National Fund in Israel (KKL-JNF), planned to evict the Sumarin family from their home in Silwan, a neighborhood of East Jerusalem on November 28. The Sumarins, a family of twelve, including five children, a pregnant mother, and a grandfather on dialysis, have lived in their home for more than forty years.
Due to public outcry, led by Rabbis for Human Rights-North America (RHR-NA), Rabbis for Human Rights (RHR) in Israel, and our supporters, the Jewish National Fund announced on November 24 it was delaying the eviction of the Sumarin family.
Now we must redouble our efforts to convince the Jewish National Fund to cancel the eviction permanently.
Click this link to sing the RHR petition!
I don’t always agree with JVP’s tactics, but as usual I think their message is spot on. As I get ready for Yom Kippur and starting a new year, I am going to keep the message of this video in the front of my mind. I am young, Jewish and proud. For those who observe the hag, I hope you have a meaningful fast.
