Palestinian Freedom Riders

[sabotabby]

Okay, how come I don't see anyone blogging about this story?

To summarize: Six Palestinian activists boarded Israeli-only buses. They were, of course, arrested. I gather that there's a good deal of media coverage in Israel, but in the news here, this has been overshadowed by OWS.

The idea that there are certain roads and certain buses for people of one ethnicity and not another is so incredibly blatant and glaring that I can't imagine how anyone even bothers to justify it. I mean, does this remind anyone of anything? The reaction of Israeli observers, however, was pretty gross.

A 16-year-old Jewish Israeli, who wished to remain anonymous, said that the Freedom Riders shouldn’t be able to board the bus because, “It’s an Israeli bus.”

“We live here, this is our land,” he said.

When asked about those who feel differently, the boy replied, “Those who say this is Palestinian land don’t have proof.”

He added that Palestinians enjoy a lot of freedom. “We give them identity cards and they can do whatever they want.”

So remind me again: Why don't the Palestinians use peaceful methods to obtain their rights like Gandhi did?

Comments

[unemployia.livejournal.com]

i was send this link this morning by a kidz city volunteer who was part of this baltimore action: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2E7wzXTEYos

[unemployia.livejournal.com]

""Learn about the Palestine Freedom Rides which started today in PAlestine/Israel and check out this video/song/project I worked on with Baltimore JVP in solidarity with the rides"

[unemployia.livejournal.com]

wow sorry, if I wasn't so tired I could figure out how to make that one post.

[sabotabby]

Haha, it happens. Thanks for the link!

[ironed_orchid]

Wow, and people still think that the term 'apartheid' is inappropriate.

Did you see this video that eumelia posted the other day?

[sabotabby]

Not only did I see it, but I know her IRL. :)

[ironed_orchid]

Of course you do. You're just that fucking awesome!

[zingerella.livejournal.com]

Thanks for bringing this to my attention. People are gross.

[sabotabby]

Did you see the picture accompanying the article? Because...yeah.

[funnel101.livejournal.com]

Palestinians ARE using peaceful methods to obtain their rights. They just don't get reported, because scary-Palestinian-terrorist is what most Americans want to hear.

http://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ie=UTF-8&ion=1&nord=1#sclient=psy-ab&hl=en&nord=1&site=webhp&source=hp&q=palestinian%20peaceful%20protest&pbx=1&oq=&aq=&aqi=&aql=&gs_sm=&gs_upl=&fp=821091db997afe78&ion=1&ion=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.,cf.osb&fp=821091db997afe78&biw=1163&bih=732&ion=1

[sabotabby]

My point exactly. I have been hearing way more about some Hamas militants who can't fire a homemade rocket on an actual trajectory than about these significant, peaceful actions.

[funnel101.livejournal.com]

Yeah.

FYI, Jewish Voice for Peace is a group you'd probably get a lot out of being involved with. I get their emails and really find them valuable, though the group is US-centric.

[sabotabby]

I am "involved" with them to the extent that I'm on their mailing list. There is actually a group here, but it's more a theoretical group that is mostly involved in other groups. I think they might have been the ones that originated the information about the Freedom Riders, though it's hard to tell because our Palestine solidarity mailing lists are a bloody mess sent around by people who hit "reply all" more than anyone ever should.

[springheel-jack.livejournal.com]

I read about this on al-jazeera. I was all like yeah woah.

[sabotabby]

Al-Jazeera remains the only useful information source.

[sashajwolf.livejournal.com]

Yeah, gross is the right word.

Well done to the 17-year-old girl who tried to challenge her friend's racist remarks, though.

[pofflewomp.livejournal.com]

Bloody hell.

[pofflewomp.livejournal.com]

My mother told me about this the other day, so it might have been on news in the UK. I haven't been watching news, though.

It is shocking and horrible.

[tinyrevolution.livejournal.com]

"though there were no security elements in the American rights struggle"

Oh FFS.

[eyelid.livejournal.com]

You forgot to note this bit:

"The restrictions increased during the violent Palestinian uprising of 2000-05, when buses were frequently blown up by suicide bombers."

and:

"Although no specific rule prevents Palestinians from riding the "Israeli" buses - they are generally not allowed into the Jewish settlements these buses serve. The Palestinians also need permits to enter Jerusalem."

I don't think you can ignore the context of these laws. Doing so is disingenuous. If you - or, G-d forbid, your children - were going to be on these buses, and Palestinians kept blowing them up, you might have a different view of the situation.

When I was in Israel for less than three months in 1994, there were several bus bombings by Palestinians with large casualty counts. It was the law that all school classes had to be accompanied by an armed soldier, because Palestinians had a habit of taking classes of children hostage and killing them. What has stopped those bombings/killings? Keeping non-resident Palestinians out of Israel proper and/or off the buses entering Jewish areas. Nothing else works. You don't have to like it, but those are the facts.

Maybe you don't think the safety gained is worth the cost. Maybe if you were there you'd prefer to risk your life and those of your family members and friends and other people in order to make a stand for equal rights. But I am skeptical; it sounds a lot like an "but _I_ would NEVER have an abortion" kind of argument. And I don't think it's fair to ignore the fact that those risks were very real.

I don't think ignoring either side's legitimate points is helpful.

And I don't think straw-manning Israel's position by assuming that it is that of a random 16-yr-old child is helpful either.