Feature Archives

On Wednesday, October 21, youth in Israel marched through the streets of Tel Aviv in support of the Shministim- youth that is refusing to join the Israeli military. In Israel military service is mandatory at the age of 18, and the refusal to enlist caries jail sentences.

On Wednesday, October 21st, Ezra Nawi was sentenced to 30 days in jail, a 750 Shekels fine (about $150), 500 Shekels compensation to each of the two Israeli soldiers who accuse him of attacking them, and another 6 months in jail if he is convicted in the next three year of “illegal gathering”. Illegal gathering can be declared by any police officer, and basically means that Ezra will not be allowed to keep doing his solidarity work in occupied Palestine.

On Wednesday, October 21,Ezra Nawi, will receive his sentence at the Shalom Court in Jerusalem. Ezra's trial stems from an event two years ago, in which he was trying to stop the demolition of a Palestinian home by the Israeli occupation forces. Although a video capturing the event shows clearly Ezra's nonviolent actions, he was found guilty of assaulting a police officer. In the movie Ezra can be heard saying "Yes, I was also a soldier, but I did not demolish houses... The only thing that will be left here is hatred..."

On Thursday, October 22nd, Ehud Olmert, a war criminal and Israel's former Prime Minister, will be speaking at the Westin St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco for the World Affairs Council. During his last weeks as Prime Minister of Israel, Olmert unleashed a horrific war on the people of Gaza, that left over one thousand dead, a majority of them unarmed civilians, and hundreds of them children. It destroyed thousands of homes, leaving tens of thousands homeless. A demonstration calling for Olmert's prosecution for war crimes will be held at Union Square at 5:30 PM.
UPDATE: 22 Bay Area residents arrested for disrupting speech

On October 11th, Palestinian and Jewish LGBT/queer activists held a protest against promoting LGBT tourism to Israel in front of the Tel Aviv gay center. The protesters intercepted a group of travel agents and other guests attending the conference that took place inside the gay center. While entering, the guests went by the protesters, who were wearing T-shirts that read "Queers Visit Palestine, Not The Occupiers & Oppressors".

On Tuesday, October 13th, Shlomo Zand will be speaking about his newly translated book The Invention of the Jewish People, at 4pm in UC Berkeley's Dwinelle Hall. In this new book, Zand shows that the Israeli national myth has its origins in the nineteenth century, rather than in biblical times — when Jewish historians, like scholars in many other cultures, reconstituted an imagined people in order to model a future nation.

Palestine Freedom Walks are taking place in almost 30 cities across the United States on Saturday, October 10th. The Palestine Freedom Walks will be silent marches, on behalf of an equitable U.S. policy toward Palestine that advances freedom for the Palestinian people. In San Francisco the march will start at 11am at UN Plaza sidewalk near the Civic Center.