Jonathan Pollard remembered on Passover – Jerusalem

On Passover Eve, signifying the exodus from bondage, MK Uri Ariel (L) joins Efi Lahav (R), campaign manager for the release of Jonathan Pollard, in a mock, traditional, Pesach Seder opposite the PM’s residence with a chair reserved for Pollard himself. Jerusalem, Israel. 5-Apr-2012.

A Busy Jerusalem Day…

Christians celebrate Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday at The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Coptic Chapel. Jerusalem, Israel. 1-Apr-2012.

Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Archbishop Fouad Twal (C), joins priests carrying palm branches in a Palm Sunday procession at The Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Jerusalem, Israel. 1-Apr-2012.

A group of South Sudanese refugees protests opposite the Prime Minister’s Residence as collective protection from deportation for South Sudanese expires today. Jerusalem District Court has issued an injunction forbidding deportation before April 15th. Jerusalem, Israel. 1-Apr-2012.

A group of South Sudanese refugees protests opposite the Prime Minister’s Residence as collective protection from deportation for South Sudanese expires today. Jerusalem District Court has issued an injunction forbidding deportation before April 15th. Jerusalem, Israel. 1-Apr-2012.

Thousands take part in Palm Sunday procession ascending from Gethsemane to the Lions’ Gate, carrying palm branches, singing ‘Hosanna to the Son of David’ and accompanied by musical instruments. Jerusalem, Israel. 1-Apr-2012.

Two nuns descend from the Mount of Olives in Palm Sunday procession carrying palm branches in celebration of Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem. Jerusalem, Israel. 1-Apr-2012.

 

And what did you do today?

 

Women Sing “No!” to Discrimination

Infuriated activists protest with song in front of Rehavia neighborhood restaurant, Heimishe Esin, threatened by ultra-Orthodox Agudath Israel to invalidate its Kashrut certificate unless it stops employing female waitresses on Thursday evenings. Jerusalem, Israel. 15-Mar-2012.

Ethiopians Are Losing Hope – Jerusalem

For 23 days Ethiopian Israelis have been occupying a protest tent outside the Prime Minister’s Residence in Jerusalem, demonstrating against what they consider paralyzing racism and discrimination against them in Israeli society. Jerusalem, Israel. 6-Mar-2012.

Shetu Yaacov (R), 31, opposite the PM’s residence at Ethiopian protest test in front of handwritten banner reading “the danger of racism is on the rise”. Jerusalem, Israel. 6-Mar-2012.

Shetu Yaacov, 31, born in the district of Gondar in Ethiopia, immigrated to Israel in 1990 at the age of nine. Shetu lives, just barely, in a rented apartment in Jerusalem. He is late with his monthly rent payments and will soon have no choice but to leave Jerusalem to find an apartment with lower rent elsewhere. Although he has a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work and is currently employed by the Jerusalem Municipality indirectly, he cannot find a more stable job and must settle working through contractors on projects that deal solely with the Ethiopian community – he’s not wanted for anything else. Shetu believes it was his financial hardships that lead to his divorce. His ex-wife and one-year-old daughter have moved to his wife’s parents and he does his best to visit his daughter once every two weeks.

For 23 days Ethiopian Israelis have been occupying a protest tent outside the Prime Minister’s Residence in Jerusalem, demonstrating against what they consider paralyzing racism and discrimination against them in Israeli society. Jerusalem, Israel. 6-Mar-2012.

A recent study by Dr. Erez Siniver, chairman of the School of Economics at the College of Management, Academic Studies and Prof. Gil Epstein of Bar-Ilan University, based on Central Bureau of Statistics data from 2010 and comparing data for people with 12 years of schooling or less concludes that Ethiopian immigrants to Israel earn 30%-40% less then Israeli Arabs, until recently occupying the bottom of the scale.

Shetu Yaacov does his best to occupy the protest test whenever he can. He comes on weekends and between work shifts. He was here last week, freezing in the snow, when temperatures in Jerusalem hit zero. He believes it’s important to continuously occupy the protest tent until Ethiopians receive what they are entitled to and is very worried about the eviction order they were served by the Jerusalem Municipality, to be debated in the Jerusalem District court this afternoon.

Shetu details the demands of the protestors. First on their agenda is housing – many are unable to fund rent. They don’t even dream of buying an apartment. They can receive no assistance from their parents who in most cases are worst off. 95% of the working community are exploited by contractors, he explains, in low-pay jobs such as cleaning and security. “The younger generations, those of us who have married and brought children, cannot survive.” Many marriages break up and the people go back to living with their parents. “The government doesn’t care about us. That’s why we’re here. They close us in ghettos and isolate us from society.”

Second on the agenda is education and schooling; “After thirty years our community is in the country I cannot understand the racism that forces our children to go to separate kindergartens and schools.”

Shetu is frustrated with, what he calls, paralyzing racism, that won’t allow him to work as a social worker with communities other than Ethiopians. Many of his friends cannot get jobs at all. He heard from a young woman who changed her name on a job application so that she could not be identified as Ethiopian. She was summoned for an interview but as soon as she entered the room it was obvious to her she would not get the job.

Suicides are becoming very frequent, Shetu explains with great emotion; “People who have been through the hell of the camps of Gondar, come to Israel, lose hope and kill themselves.”

Shetu Yaacov, 31, explains with great emotion; “People who have been through the hell of the camps of Gondar, come to Israel, lose hope and kill themselves”, outside the Ethiopian protest tent opposite the PM’s residence. Jerusalem, Israel. 6-Mar-2012.

“My personal situation is relatively good. Others have lost hope” he summarizes.

Unbiased Affordable Housing Demanded in Jerusalem

A poster on a tree opposite the Knesset building portrays Housing Minister Ariel Atias as a Dutch woman claiming costs for housing in The Netherlands do not exceed 30% of household income. Jerusalem, Israel. 31st January 2012.

Knesset Member Nitzan Horowitz (L), of the New Movement – Meretz, joins protestors outside the Knesset to show solidarity with their struggle against proposal by Housing Minister Ariel Atias (Shas). Jerusalem, Israel. 31st January 2012.

Protest opposite Knesset as Economic Affairs Committee discusses proposal by Housing Minister Ariel Atias (Shas). “Government is lathering us with soap” targets proposal that will allegedly benefit Haredi sector. Jerusalem, Israel. 31st January 2012.

Al-Arakib Bedouins Escalate Their Protest – Jerusalem

Bedouins of the unrecognized village of Al-Arakib in the Negev Desert escalate their protest against KKL and its intention to forcefully evict them from, what they call their own land, in favor of forestation. Jerusalem, Israel. 29th January 2012.

Bedouins of the unrecognized village of Al-Arakib in the Negev Desert escalate their protest ascending to Jerusalem to protest in front of the Keren Kayemet LeIsrael – Jewish National Fund offices. The KKL-JNF is a quasi-governmental, non-profit organization, founded in 1901 to buy and develop land in Ottoman Palestine and later the British Mandate for Palestine for Jewish settlement. The Bedouins demonstrate against the intention of KKL-JNF to forcefully evict them from, what they call their own land, in favor of forestation. Some 85,000 Bedouins reside in 36 unrecognized villages in the Negev Desert. Residents of Al-Arakib claim their village has already been demolished 35 times. The KKL-JNF has recently deployed bulldozers on site and seem ready for the next phase although Al-Arakib residents claim their plea is still being debated in court.

Sheik Sayach Al-Turi, of the unrecognized Bedouin village of Al-Arakib in the Negev Desert, protests against KKL and its intention to forcefully evict Al-Arakib residents from, what they claim is their land. Jerusalem, Israel. 29th January 2012.

More here: Images Of My Thoughts

Ethiopians March for Equality – Jerusalem

Thousands of Ethiopians and supporters join Mulet Hararo, who set out on a 70Km 3-day trek to Jerusalem from his home in Kiryat Malachi, at the Wohl Rose Garden opposite the Knesset protesting racism. Jerusalem, Israel. 18th January 2012.

Mulet Hararo, 26, an IDF officer and physical education student, who just finished a 70Km 3-day trek to Jerusalem from his home in Kiryat Malachi is joined by thousands of Ethiopians protesting discrimination. Jerusalem, Israel. 18th January 2012.

Check it out HERE!

Haredim Attempt to Ignite Jerusalem

Police break up rioting by hundreds of Haredim in the neighborhood of Mea Shearim near Kikar Hashabbat following the arrest of six community members this morning for alleged tax offenses worth millions. Jerusalem, Israel. 15th January 2012.

Hundreds of ultra-Orthodox Haredim riot and set dumpsters ablaze in the neighborhood of Mea Shearim protesting arrest of six community members this morning for alleged tax offenses worth millions. Jerusalem, Israel. 15th January 2012.

Police break up rioting by hundreds of Haredim in the neighborhood of Mea Shearim near Kikar Hashabbat following the arrest of six community members this morning for alleged tax offenses worth millions. Jerusalem, Israel. 15th January 2012.

Hundreds of ultra-Orthodox Haredim riot in the neighborhood of Mea Shearim near Kikar Hashabbat protesting arrest of six community members this morning for alleged tax offenses worth millions. Jerusalem, Israel. 15th January 2012.

Hundreds of ultra-Orthodox Haredim riot in the neighborhood of Mea Shearim near Kikar Hashabbat protesting arrest of six community members this morning for alleged tax offenses worth millions. Jerusalem, Israel. 15th January 2012.

Hundreds of ultra-Orthodox Haredim riot in the neighborhood of Mea Shearim near Kikar Hashabbat protesting arrest of six community members this morning for alleged tax offenses worth millions. Jerusalem, Israel. 15th January 2012.

Hundreds of ultra-Orthodox Haredim riot in the neighborhood of Mea Shearim nearHundreds of ultra-Orthodox Haredim riot in the neighborhood of Mea Shearim near Kikar Hashabbat protesting arrest of six community members this morning for alleged tax offenses worth millions. Jerusalem, Israel. 15th January 2012.

Hundreds of ultra-Orthodox Haredim riot in the neighborhood of Mea Shearim near Kikar Hashabbat protesting arrest of six community members this morning for alleged tax offenses worth millions. Jerusalem, Israel. 15th January 2012.

Breadcrumbs Are For Birds – Jerusalem

Youth Protection Services worker distributes breadcrumbs to colleagues symbolizing the unfair wages service employees earn at a demonstration outside the Ministry of Social Affairs. Jerusalem, Israel. 10th January 2012.

Bedouins Protest Prawer Plan – Jerusalem

Thousands of Bedouins demonstrate opposite the Prime Minister's Office protesting the implementation of the Prawer Plan, suggesting relocation of 30,000 Bedouins from unrecognized villages in the Negev Desert into state planned towns. Jerusalem, Israel. 11th December 2011.

Thousands of Bedouins demonstrate opposite the Prime Minister's Office protesting the implementation of the Prawer Plan, suggesting relocation of 30,000 Bedouins from unrecognized villages in the Negev Desert into state planned towns. Jerusalem, Israel. 11th December 2011.

Thousands of Bedouins demonstrate opposite the Prime Minister's Office protesting the implementation of the Prawer Plan, suggesting relocation of 30,000 Bedouins from unrecognized villages in the Negev Desert into state planned towns. Jerusalem, Israel. 11th December 2011.

1771 Days

"No leadership. No mutual responsibility. No state"

Social Workers’ Struggle

In their fourth week of strike thousands of social workers demonstrate in front of Ministry of Finance demanding better salaries. Jerusalem, Israel. 27/03/2011.

1,730 Days

Shalit family protest tent - 1,730 Days of captivity for Gilad Shalit in Gaza. Jerusalem, Israel. 21/03/2011.

Buji Is A Social Worker

Thousands of social workers, striking for three days, demonstrate today at the Ministry of Finance for better wages.  Jerusalem, Israel. 08/03/2011.

MK Isaac Buji Herzog is one of them!

More HERE

Anyone remember Pollard?

Activists mark 9,000 days of imprisonment for Jonathan Pollard setting up a picket tent under the Calatrava Chords Bridge in Jerusalem. They plan on protesting for three days.

Jonathan Jay Pollard, an American born in 1954, was a civilian intelligence analyst. He was convicted of spying for Israel and received a life sentence in 1987. Israel granted Pollard citizenship in 1995 but denied that he was an Israeli spy. In 1998 Benjamin Netanyahu admitted Pollard had been an Israeli agent.

Pollard’s wife, Anne, was sentenced to five years in prison and paroled after three and a half years because of health problems. At the end of Anne’s parole she immigrated to Israel. Jonathan divorced Anne and later married Elaine Esther, an activist for his release.

Over the years activists and Israeli politicians have lobbied for Pollard’s release. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has in the past voiced very strong support for Pollard, visiting the convict in prison in 2002. Pro-Pollard activists are now trying to ride the wave of the Gilad Shalit campaign and to tie the two together. They voice anger at the fact that the PM, in his recent U.S. visit and talks with Pres. Obama, only had Gilad Shalit on his agenda, not even mentioning Jonathan Pollard.