ninjutsu

kartais atrodo kad ten viskas beviltiska, bet va paskaiciau laiska ir atrodo viltis yra. nedidele.

Last week probably set a record for demonstrations in Israel against the
occupation -- a result not only of the 37th "anniversary" of the occupation,
which we mark in June, but also of the ongoing violence in Gaza: Some 30-40
more Rafah homes were destroyed this week, while many Palestinians were
arrested and some killed. Comparatively speaking, the army is now showing
restraint compared with the original onslaught, thanks to the outcry from
people all over the world. If you ever lose faith that your faxes and phone
calls make a difference, remind yourself that hundreds of homes, maybe even
thousands, were saved as a result of your efforts in this campaign. Keep
them coming.

The streets of Tel Aviv had "walking exhibitions" this week, as protesters
donned "sandwich boards" showing photographs of Gaza and the so-called
"security wall". On Wednesday, shoppers downtown and university students
got to see these graphic scenes and, on Friday, a big beach day in Tel Aviv,
the exhibitors snaked through beach chairs and blankets, bringing some
reality into the sunbathing. More reality was brought to Tel Aviv's
cultural set on Saturday night, as women brought the photos of Rafah's
destroyed homes to the lines of people waiting to get into the Philharmonic,
Habima Theater, and a movie theater. "How can you watch movies when homes
are being destroyed in Gaza?" chanted the women. Just in case people in
cars missed the sights, the women also blocked the streets (see photo), and
a car accompanying them projected slides onto the shutters of buildings
along the road.

A remarkable photo and video exhibit opened on Tuesday in Tel Aviv, showing
not art, but the abuse of Palestinians committed by Israeli soldiers in
Hebron. And who were the photographers? 30 soldiers who themselves had
served there. Through their stories and photos, this exhibit tells terrible
tales of violence, physical abuse, and property vandalism during their tours
of duty. Yehuda Shaul, a 21-year old, organized this exhibit after
completing his service in Hebron as an officer of a high level combat unit.
(After his release from the army, Yehuda stood with us several times on the
Jerusalem vigil of Women in Black.) When asked if the photos showed
isolated incidents, Yehuda replied, "Breaking silence about this subject is
exceptional, not the acts themselves."

At Thursday's gay pride parade in Jerusalem, Kveesa Shchora ("black
laundry"), the anti-occupation movement of lesbians and gay men, marched
separately carrying their own signs. The ultra-Orthodox Jerusalemites
turned out to insult and curse them, with a prominent Kabbalist rabbi
declaring that homosexuals were "subhuman" and would be "reincarnated" as
rabbits. "Be careful what you wish for," said a lesbian friend, thinking
perhaps of the procreation patterns of these sweet animal friends.

On Friday morning, we held a bus tour for women attending the Feminist
Conference in the north of Israel, bringing participants to see the
"Security Wall", which most had never seen before. This was followed by a
large Friday vigil of Women in Black, in which many conference participants
took part.

Saturday morning saw a joint Palestinian-Jerusalem demonstration at 'Aram,
just north of Jerusalem, where the government has just begun work on the
Wall. Fortunately, this demonstration went smoothly, with no violence from
the border police, which was another exception to the rule, unfortunately.

Saturday night, Peace Now held a demonstration in Jerusalem, where several
thousand people showed up to demand that the government leave the
territories. Amnon Lipkin-Shahak, former army Chief of Staff, called upon
everyone to go see the photo exhibition of the Hebron-based soldiers (good
for you, Amnon!). Less nice was the part where Peace Now told the police to
shut down the video screening of "Women Resist the Occupation" that we were
showing on a side street – in no way interfering with the main body of the
demonstration, which we supported.

Finally, beautiful purple posters bloomed like flowers all over Israel this
week, calling out "Dai Lakibush, Yad l'Piyus", meaning "End the Occupation,
Seek Reconciliation", and having the women's symbol on it (photo, above
left). We simply can’t imagine who would have illegally pasted posters in 3
cities, covering the walls, traffic signs, garbage cans, billboards, bus
stops, & fences...