the Disillusioned kid: The Other Israel
| Email | Home | Linkage | Profile |

Tuesday, August 08, 2006

The Other Israel

Polls show, pretty conclusively, that the majority of Israelis support the ongoing assault against Lebanon, indeed many believe they should actually step up their attacks. Nevertheless, a majority by definition isn't the same as unanimity, and there are increasing instances of resistance.

The Palestinian news agency Ma'an reports that at least one Israeli artillery officer has refused to bomb Lebanese villages:
Israeli press sources have stated that Corporal 'Umri Zaid, from the Israeli city of Safad, who serves as an artillery soldier in the occupied Golan Heights, had refused orders to launch more than 150 shells onto the Lebanese village of Al-Jdairah.

The sources have reported that the soldier told his comrades that he wasn't ready to serve in an army that is professional in shelling civilians in their villages and cities. He packed his belongings and headed to his home.
Ma'an describe this as the "the first refusal since the invasion of Lebanon," but this appears to be erroneous. Refusenik support group Yesh Gvul report that Captain Amir Pasteur, First Sergeant Shapira Itamar and another unamed soldier have all been imprisoned for refusing to participate in the operation, while Ha'aretz describe Staff Sergeant Itzik Shabbat as the Second Lebanon War's "first conscientious objector". Ma'an indicate that Zeid may well end up joining his incacerated predecessors behind bars as "the deputy head of the artillery brigade has announced that he will take the soldier to court." Ma'an also suggests that Zaid's actions have "aroused discussion among other soldiers," quite what this means is unclear, but the implication seems to be that some of them might not think it's such a bad idea.

Meanwhile, the anarchists are making their presence felt (via) in the nascent Israeli peace movement in their inimitable fashion:
Yarkon Region Police arrested two anarchy activists who got out of hand during a march held in Tel Aviv in protest of IDF operations in Lebanon.

The police reported that about 60 anarchists began to dance on Allenby Street, refusing to evacuate the area. According to the police, the demonstrators threw bags of feces at the police.
Elsewhere the debate seems to be similarly heated:
Dozens of people protested opposite the US Consulate in east Jerusalem against the war in Lebanon and America's policy on the issue. During the protest clashes broke out between police and protesters. Five people were arrested for suspicion of attacking police officers
Anybody who was involved in the movement against the invasion of Iraq will remember the rapid fall-off in support which followed the commencement of hostilities. People inexplicably become much more reticent about opposing militarism and imperialism once it is actually underway than they are when it is strictly hypothetical. In Israel the war is much closer to home (indeed many people have been forced to flee their homes) and as such the effect of this phenomenon is greatly increased. The peace movement has a big mountain to climb and at the moment one might even argue if it has reached the foothills, nonetheless I think its very existence is a glimmer of hope in an otherwise relentlessly dark moment. (Cliched?! Moi?!)

Update 8/8/06: More illuminating mountaineering here.

Side Projects

Carnival of Anarchy
The Peace Pipe
UK Watch Blog

Acquaintances

Against the Current
Atopian.org
Culture hits and gendered bits
Daniel Randall
In The Water
Mike Wood
On The Barricades
Pizarro's Sword
Space Cat Rocket Ship
Surveillant Assemblage
TashCamUK FotoPage
The Naked Lunch
The Peace Pipe
The World of the Dynamite Lady

Strangers

Anarchoblogs
Antiwar.com Blog
Arte & Lingua
Barker in Valencia
Blairwatch
Bloggerheads
Blood & Treasure
Bombs and Shields
Boomablog
Born at the Crest of the Empire
Chase me ladies...
Chicken Yoghurt
Craig Murray
Dead Men Left
Direland
Disreputable Lazy Aliens
Empire Notes
Europhobia
Friends of Al Jazeera
Global Guerillas
Guerillas in the Midst
I Blame the Patriachy
Informed Comment
Insultadarity
Janine Booth
Lenin's Tomb
Life of Riley Blog
Media Watch Watch
Neil Shakespeare
NO2ID NewsBlog
One Hump or Two?
Otto's Random Thoughts
Perfect.co.uk
Pitch In For Uzbekistan
Registan.net
Run over by the truth
Solidarity With Iraqi Workers
Shut Up You Fat Whiner!
Sudan: Passion of the Present
Talk Politics
The Anthropik Network
The Daily (Maybe)
The Devil's Kitchen
The Disillusioned
The f-word
The Head Heeb
The Killing Train
The Revenge of Winston Smith
The Socialist Unity Blog
The Wicked Truth
Theory of Power
Things I Don't Have Time For
This (Fresh) Gringo
This Is My Truth
Thumping the Tub
Time The Dreaded Enemy
UK Watch Blog
UK Poli Blogs
underbrella
Under The Same Sun
Uzbekistan.neweurasia.net
What Fresh Hell Is This?
Where is Raed? (RIP)
Who Are You to Accuse Me?
Words and Rocks
Zeropointnine
Z-Net Blog

Neighbours

Asbo Community Space
Defy-ID
Eastside Climate Action
Faslane 365
Freecycle
Indymedia
No Borders
Nottingham Student Peace Movement
Refugee Forum
Stop the War
Sumac Centre
The Demo Project

Ivory Towers

Anarchist Studies Network
Centre for the Study of Social and Global Justice
Postanarchism Clearinghouse

Miscellania

Anarchist FAQ
Antiwar.com
Chagos Discussion List
Chagos Support Forums
Electronic Intifada
Future of Iraq Portal
Index of Political Blogs
Indymedia UK
Infoshop
Iraq Occupation Focus
Pledgebank
Refuser Solidarity Network
SchNEWS
Socialist Unity Network
The New Standard
UK Chagos Support Association
UK Watch
Weekly Worker
Wikipedia
WriteToThem.com
Z-Net

The Progressive Blog Alliance

Register here to join the PBA.