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Human Wrongs, You're Doing it Right
It was actually "Hoomin Rongs, Ur Doin it Right".
That's what happens when a bunch of geeks who have just come from a Human Rights March and speak fluent LOLcat say to each other.
Yesterday was a busy day.
On the day of Israel's first Human Rights March; 21 activists were arrested in East Jerusalem for demonstrating against the eviction of Arab families in the Sheik Jarrah neighbourhood and bringing in Jewish families in their stead; Settlers vandalised a Mosque in the West Bank village of Yasuf, burning Korans and spraying graffiti to prayer rugs.
Just to contextualise the day for y'all.
My day was much better.
I got up early-ish in order to get to Tel-Aviv by 11 AM because that's when all the people were supposed to be gathering at Rabin square.
At first there were no contingencies I knew or felt a part of were there, so I was all awkward and just standing there.
Luckily a friend - who for the sake of this post I'll call "Phill" - arrived and he was also very surprised that our contingencies were lacking.
Then at around a quarter past 11 I suddenly saw multiple rainbow flags which made me happy, but they went to stand next to Meretz1, the Party I felt utterly and completely sold out their voters in order to widen their base and get more supporters.
Yes, we're all very factional... well, at least I am.
Then a few minutes later more friends of mine from campus arrived along with the red flags, yep, I stuck around in my "This is what a feminist looks like" tank top, my Keffiya and picked up a red flag!
I'm happy to march with the Socialists and Communists. I feel that most Anarchist orgs in Israel are focused almost exclusively on the Occupation, but Hadash2 and Maki3 talk about society at large and seem to have practical solutions for the fact that my country is not really a democracy - despite the voting of a new government every two or three years (not bad for a Banana Republic!) we don't actually have that much of a choice when it comes to "mainstream" leaders who ever since Rabin appear to all fall under the thrall of neo-liberalism and the ever creeping fascism.
Hadash is very much a fringe party and has never had a huge amount of representation in the Knesset - the reason Meretz lost most of it's power is because, as I said, they sold out.
At around half past a friend with whom I hang out with at Uni - we'll call him "Jon" - arrived and I was so happy to discover that he brought his Pride Flag with him!
Some ass told him to not wave it around because there were other contingencies (that Hadash might not identify with) were also waving around rainbow flags.
"Jon" looked at him as though he's grown another head.
I snorted loudly.
It so happened that I ended up carrying the Pride flag because "Jon" ended up carrying a huge banner with another person and I handed the red flag I'd been carrying to a future Member of the Party (some eight year old kid, I'd say) and "Jon" and I ended up marching the whole way together.
Someone brought a solar powered boom-box and there was music in the streets!
Well you know what's attributed to Emma Goldman, right? A Revolution without dancing and a Revolution not worth having!, or rather: If I can't dance, I don't want to be part of your revolution.
Same-Same...
We finally got to the plaza outside the Tel-Aviv Museum - which right across the street from the IDF HQ (I laughed, it's just too sad) and there were huge amounts of people that joined for the speeches.
It was vast.
Then the speeches began and everyone who came to march was acknowledged, all the different organisation - for gay rights, refugee rights, women's rights, immigrant worker rights, anti-racism, rights of the people who are occupied... just, huge amounts of people.
The Association of Civil Rights in Israel was the one who organised this march and also gave out the annual Emil Grunzweig Human Rights Award - the awards were established in 1981 and were renamed after the murder of Peace Activist Emil Grunzweig in 1983.
This year's award were given to Ruth and Paul Keidar of Yesh Din (There is Law) which provides legal assistance to Palestinians living in the Occupied Territories.
The award was also given to Nir Katz (z"l - rip) who was murdered at the gay youth club in August for his work as a volunteer and educator.
His mother came to accept the award in his name and her speech was just so moving I started to cry - as you know, I took the shooting quite hard and "Jon" was very sweet, holding me close as she spoke. I felt a bit guilty for crying because I didn't actually know Nir Katz, I know people who knew him... just, it very personal when it's a Hate crime.
Then there was music, more speeches, even more music, I found some geek friends, we ate doughnuts because it is Hannukah and we began to LOLcat.
Footnotes
(1) Meretz is what is considered, in the mainstream, the most Left you can go and still be a Zionist. I disagree, but that's beyond the point. Point is, is factionally speaking, you go more Left you risk de-legitimisation. Last year during the assault on Gaza they supported the attack and caused a bit of a crisis (I think, I was no longer following the internal politics when the Chairman decided to make the party about the white intellectual menz).
Back to text.
(2) Hadash - al Jabha is the acronym for the front for The Democratic Front for Peace and Eqaulity and is in fact a coalition of political and social organisations that try to co-operate to create a more equal and just society.
Back to text.
(3) Maki is the Israeli Communist Party and makes up the largest member base of Hadash.
Back to text.
That's what happens when a bunch of geeks who have just come from a Human Rights March and speak fluent LOLcat say to each other.
Yesterday was a busy day.
On the day of Israel's first Human Rights March; 21 activists were arrested in East Jerusalem for demonstrating against the eviction of Arab families in the Sheik Jarrah neighbourhood and bringing in Jewish families in their stead; Settlers vandalised a Mosque in the West Bank village of Yasuf, burning Korans and spraying graffiti to prayer rugs.
Just to contextualise the day for y'all.
My day was much better.
I got up early-ish in order to get to Tel-Aviv by 11 AM because that's when all the people were supposed to be gathering at Rabin square.
At first there were no contingencies I knew or felt a part of were there, so I was all awkward and just standing there.
Luckily a friend - who for the sake of this post I'll call "Phill" - arrived and he was also very surprised that our contingencies were lacking.
Then at around a quarter past 11 I suddenly saw multiple rainbow flags which made me happy, but they went to stand next to Meretz1, the Party I felt utterly and completely sold out their voters in order to widen their base and get more supporters.
Yes, we're all very factional... well, at least I am.
Then a few minutes later more friends of mine from campus arrived along with the red flags, yep, I stuck around in my "This is what a feminist looks like" tank top, my Keffiya and picked up a red flag!
I'm happy to march with the Socialists and Communists. I feel that most Anarchist orgs in Israel are focused almost exclusively on the Occupation, but Hadash2 and Maki3 talk about society at large and seem to have practical solutions for the fact that my country is not really a democracy - despite the voting of a new government every two or three years (not bad for a Banana Republic!) we don't actually have that much of a choice when it comes to "mainstream" leaders who ever since Rabin appear to all fall under the thrall of neo-liberalism and the ever creeping fascism.
Hadash is very much a fringe party and has never had a huge amount of representation in the Knesset - the reason Meretz lost most of it's power is because, as I said, they sold out.
At around half past a friend with whom I hang out with at Uni - we'll call him "Jon" - arrived and I was so happy to discover that he brought his Pride Flag with him!
Some ass told him to not wave it around because there were other contingencies (that Hadash might not identify with) were also waving around rainbow flags.
"Jon" looked at him as though he's grown another head.
I snorted loudly.
It so happened that I ended up carrying the Pride flag because "Jon" ended up carrying a huge banner with another person and I handed the red flag I'd been carrying to a future Member of the Party (some eight year old kid, I'd say) and "Jon" and I ended up marching the whole way together.
Someone brought a solar powered boom-box and there was music in the streets!
Well you know what's attributed to Emma Goldman, right? A Revolution without dancing and a Revolution not worth having!, or rather: If I can't dance, I don't want to be part of your revolution.
Same-Same...
We finally got to the plaza outside the Tel-Aviv Museum - which right across the street from the IDF HQ (I laughed, it's just too sad) and there were huge amounts of people that joined for the speeches.
It was vast.
Then the speeches began and everyone who came to march was acknowledged, all the different organisation - for gay rights, refugee rights, women's rights, immigrant worker rights, anti-racism, rights of the people who are occupied... just, huge amounts of people.
The Association of Civil Rights in Israel was the one who organised this march and also gave out the annual Emil Grunzweig Human Rights Award - the awards were established in 1981 and were renamed after the murder of Peace Activist Emil Grunzweig in 1983.
This year's award were given to Ruth and Paul Keidar of Yesh Din (There is Law) which provides legal assistance to Palestinians living in the Occupied Territories.
The award was also given to Nir Katz (z"l - rip) who was murdered at the gay youth club in August for his work as a volunteer and educator.
His mother came to accept the award in his name and her speech was just so moving I started to cry - as you know, I took the shooting quite hard and "Jon" was very sweet, holding me close as she spoke. I felt a bit guilty for crying because I didn't actually know Nir Katz, I know people who knew him... just, it very personal when it's a Hate crime.
Then there was music, more speeches, even more music, I found some geek friends, we ate doughnuts because it is Hannukah and we began to LOLcat.
Footnotes
(1) Meretz is what is considered, in the mainstream, the most Left you can go and still be a Zionist. I disagree, but that's beyond the point. Point is, is factionally speaking, you go more Left you risk de-legitimisation. Last year during the assault on Gaza they supported the attack and caused a bit of a crisis (I think, I was no longer following the internal politics when the Chairman decided to make the party about the white intellectual menz).
Back to text.
(2) Hadash - al Jabha is the acronym for the front for The Democratic Front for Peace and Eqaulity and is in fact a coalition of political and social organisations that try to co-operate to create a more equal and just society.
Back to text.
(3) Maki is the Israeli Communist Party and makes up the largest member base of Hadash.
Back to text.
Meretz
(Anonymous) 2009-12-12 10:29 pm (UTC)(link)