MK Ofer Cassif: conscientious objection to serve is the coherent feminist response.

From a feminist perspective the Israeli military is an embodiment of patriarchy and militarism, and refusal to serve IS the coherent feminist response.

[…] The ethos of Annie Oakley found especially fertile ground in Israel, particularly among those aligned with liberal feminism. For that current, military service for women in general - and especially in combat roles - expresses gender equality because it grants women the same rights, duties, and opportunities that men have within the state. Regarding equal rights, liberal feminism argues that if a woman is physically and mentally fit, denying her entry to a combat unit violates her civil and human rights and her equality vis‑à‑vis men. Furthermore, in a society that sacralizes military service, women must serve in combat and as leading fighters in order to gain equal access to prestige, material rewards, and positions of political and other power. If the army is the ticket of entry to the centers of power in society, then preventing such service for women is a harmful exclusion and unlawful discrimination that perpetuates their inferiority. Opening the gates of the most elite units to women, then, is seen as a victory for distributive justice and the ultimate gender equality of rights and opportunities. But here that victory becomes the triumph of militaristic patriarchy, and consequently deepens gender inequality, intensifies gendered oppression, and represents an utter betrayal of genuine feminism.

Hebrew https://zoha.org.il/143974/

Ofer Cassif is an Israeli politician and member of the Knesset representing Hadash (part of the Joint List / Hadash‑Ta’al bloc).

#paelstine #israel #colonialism #IDF

An Phailistín- Sharon Shannon ft Róisín Elsafty (2003)

https://video.liberta.vip/w/vcByrg4wjKJNaSNFXYoEHk

Huge turnout despite the weather

Text from the police below

We're turning around and going back across

#auspol #Paelstine

Message from NSW Police: In consultation with the organisers, the march needs to stop due to public safety and await further instructions.

#Paelstine-Israel

Was surprised to see Michael Kölling of King's College (London) on the list of participants in the “Expanding Horizons in Computing Education” conference (April, 21st) at #Israel’s open university. He’s the only foreigner participating.

@academicchatter
@palestine
@israel
#GazaGenocide
#IsraelWarCrimes
#KingsCollege #UK

#Paelstine / Trump suggests Jordan and Egypt take in more Palestinians from Gaza

Trump proposed this as a solution to the humanitarian crisis caused by Israel’s revenge war, indicating it could be either a temporary or long-term arrangement. Previously the US opposed the forced displacement of Palestinians (ie ethnic cleansing).

https://www.reuters.com/world/trump-says-jordan-egypt-should-take-more-palestinians-gaza-2025-01-26/

@israel
@palestine
#IsraelOccupation
#IsraelWarCrimes
#EthnicCleansing

#Paelstine / When 'progressive' politics masks colonial hierarchies…

Israeli-Palestinian graduate student Jiwara Badr confronts Israeli attitudes toward Palestinians in a startling essay he titled “Let's talk about this village that you're so eager to burn”.

It opens with Badr's firsthand experience in #Jerusalem (al-Quds), where he hears drunk bar patrons enthusiastically singing "Let Your Village Burn" - a moment that crystallizes what he sees as mainstream Israeli attitudes toward Palestinian communities. This scene is immediately juxtaposed with his late-night encounter with Palestinian workers repairing streets in Tel Aviv, highlighting the stark irony at the heart of his argument: the same people some Israelis gleefully speak of harming are essential to building and maintaining Israeli society.

The echoes of Kristallnacht in these calls for burning villages are chilling, but equally striking is Badr's critique of Israel's liberal left.

[…] Don't misunderstand me. I don't operate on the principle of 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend.' To the other part of the nation, the 'Kaplanists,' champions of democracy and supporters of the regular protests, I have a few words for you too. You who stood in the squares for almost two full years in freezing cold and scorching heat, in rain and sun, waving flags and shouting slogans empty of any real content, listen carefully to what I have to say.

Put aside your naive fantasies about 'the good old Israel.' Because we, the Arabs - just like all those you love to call 'Bibists' with obvious contempt - have no intention of allowing you to 'restore former glory.' For you, 'Jewish and democratic state' is just another worn-out slogan; for us, it's one big paradox - another mechanism of oppression disguised as fake 'equality.' And if you don't align with us and internalize the new political reality, where your status is losing height, don't expect to see us standing behind you and certainly not beside you - not in Kaplan Square and not in Neve Shalom.

The equation is very simple: if you're not with us, we're not with you.

———

This is a powerful commentary that resonates deeply with me as a Jewish Israeli. The truth is that Israel's left was comfortably [part of the] establishment until it found itself on the outside. It never formed genuine partnerships with most Israelis, let alone with Palestinians. Instead, it maintained a position of privileged criticism while benefiting from the very systems it claimed to oppose… being so afraid to speak out, let alone demonstrate against the genocide in Gaza, is really the end of the story for Israel’s left in that respect (or whatever is left of it).

Hebrew https://www.mekomit.co.il/%d7%91%d7%95%d7%90%d7%95-%d7%a0%d7%a0%d7%91%d7%a8-%d7%a2%d7%9c-%d7%94%d7%9b%d7%a4%d7%a8-%d7%94%d7%96%d7%94-%d7%a9%d7%90%d7%aa%d7%9d-%d7%9b%d7%9c-%d7%9b%d7%9a-%d7%9c%d7%94%d7%95%d7%98%d7%99%d7%9d/

@israel
@palestine
#IsraelOccupation
#IsraelWarCrimes
#GazaGenocide

#Paelstine / B'Tselem report exposes systematic abuse of Palestinians by Israeli soldiers in Hebron

A new B'Tselem report details the systematic abuse of Palestinians by Israeli soldiers in Hebron during the summer of 2024. Twenty-five testimonies describe arbitrary arrests and brutal attacks on men, women, and children, including beatings, torture (cigarette burns, genital blows), and injections of unknown substances. Victims, targeted while going about their daily lives, were often taken to military facilities for the abuse, then released without charge.

https://www.btselem.org/publications/202412_unleashed

@israel
@palestine
#IsraelOccupation
#israelWarCrims
#OccupiedWestBank
#Hebron #Apartheid

#Paelstine (Israel) / Arab citizens of Israel emerge as the most peace-oriented group, with 72% supporting a two-state solution and 89% preferring regional peace over conflict

Recent surveys reveal stark differences in Israeli and Palestinian perspectives on a two-state solution. Among Israeli Jews, support for a two-state solution has dramatically declined, with 68% opposing such a resolution and 42% supporting a Jewish supremacist state between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. Generational and religious divides are pronounced, with only 8% of young Israelis (18-34) and 1-3% of religious groups supporting the two-state solution. In contrast, 40% of Palestinians currently support a two-state solution, a notable increase from pre-war levels, with significant variations between Gaza and the West Bank.

The surveys also highlight nuanced attitudes towards conflict and peace. While 45% of Israeli Jews prefer war over peace, 65% of Palestinians opt for a regional peace agreement. Notably, 93% of Gaza residents desire de-escalation, compared to two-thirds of West Bank residents who favor escalation. A significant 40% of Palestinians are politically unaligned and lean towards progressive views.

Data Sources: Comprehensive survey analysis based on multiple Palestinian and Israeli polling institutes, including:

- PSR (Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research)

- ISEP (Institute for Social and Economic Progress)

- AWRAD Research Center

- University of Tel Aviv researchers

- Multiple surveys conducted between May and September 2024

Addressing the difficulties of conducting surveys in Gaza under Hamas, Dr. Khalil Shakaki (PSR) switched from paper forms to tablets, which directly transmit results outside of #Gaza. It’s much harder to tamper with or manipulate results. Shakaki now follows method already used by other institutes like AWRAD and ISEP.

Hebrew https://www.haaretz.co.il/magazine/2024-10-30/ty-article-magazine/.highlight/00000192-dd3a-dd90-a7d2-fd3f1b850000 or https://archive.is/SHODL

@palestine
@israel
#IsraelOccupation
#IsraelWarCrimes

#Paelstine / Israeli Deputy Mayor Posts Derisive Photos With Blindfolded and Shackled Palestinian Prisoners

The Deputy Mayor of Be'er Sheva, Israel, posted derisive photos on Facebook from his recent stint as an army reservist in the occupied West Bank. The photos showed blindfolded and shackled Palestinian prisoners, with mocking captions quoting biblical verses and calling the prisoners "cowards" and "Nazis." One appalling caption read: "When the customer asks for a selfie. A people of cowards. Am Yisrael chai (the people of Israel lives)."

While the Israeli military condemned the posts, stating they do not align with the IDF's values and that photographing prisoners violates privacy rules, privacy is certainly not the primary issue with such dehumanizing photos. The real concern is the apparent disregard for the rights and dignity of detained Palestinians (often for no real reason other than intimidation), and the potential violation of international laws governing the treatment of prisoners and civilians in occupied territories.

https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2024-05-21/ty-article/.premium/israeli-deputy-mayor-posts-photos-with-blindfolded-shackled-palestinian-prisoners/0000018f-9c15-d6da-a1cf-ff379d6b0000 or https://archive.ph/PbmHF

@palestine
@israel
#IsraelWarCrimes