We have been following the ongoing intimidation of the Israeli anti-militarism organization New Profile by the Israeli government. Here is their latest update:
July 15, 2009
Dear Supporters,
As with our earlier (two) updates, we would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued and faithful support of New Profile during these critical times. During the recent months your visible show of support has been truly significant and heartening.
The ongoing attempt to delegitimize New Profile is being played out, for now, on the forms and desks of bureaucrats. There are two official scenarios already in process: 1) A petition to the High Court of Justice to revoke New Profile's registration as a non-profit organization, which would amount to shutting off our legal channel for receiving funds; 2) The criminal investigation of New Profile for alleged incitement and assistance with obtaining fraudulent exemptions from the army. (For full background information see two previous updates: http://www.newprofile.org/english/?p=166; http://www.newprofile.org/english/?p=102.)
The court case is now stalled, pending the results of the police investigation. The police, for their part, after the high drama of an orchestrated "raid", have completed their initial interrogations and transferred the case back to the Attorney General. The computers they confiscated were returned to their owners 30 days after being impounded. Written and printed materials have not yet been returned. Further investigative work may be initiated by the police, at any given time, including additional interrogations. We can only assume that the material gathered is now being combed for alleged criminal offenses towards possible indictments.
New Profile members are working very hard both as a movement and as individuals, to resist the intentionally exhausting and dispiriting effects of waiting out the course of this laborious bureaucratic legal process. Just one of our means for doing this has been the unorthodox move of taking a series of close, candid, intimate looks back at the investigators and their practices. (For our series "Investigating the Investigation", authored by various New Profile activists, see: http://www.newprofile.org/english/?p=119#more-119.)
We would like to reiterate that police harassment of New Profile and the interrogation of eleven of our members are not isolated events. They are part of a virulent drive of state McCarthyism, a stepped-up systematic persecution of left-wing activists and voices. This drive arguably obviates the remnants of Israel's claim to democracy and parodies its ludicrous boast to representing a single democratic beacon in the Middle East.
Among human rights organizations in Israel, Adalah (www.adalah.org/eng/index.php) for instance is still preparing a report on the recent, sharp escalation in combined state and university repression of student activists and, in particular, Palestinian citizens of Israel; the Association of Citizen’s Rights in Israel (www.acri.org/eng/) will soon be publicizing their comprehensive report on state violence against activists, left-wing groups and individuals, as well as their international supporters.
Our last update, listed, among others:
- Samih Jabarin, who still remains under house arrest months after being arrested for participating in a political demonstration in Umm al Fahm, though he has finally been allowed to return to his place of residence in Yaffa. The conditions of his house-arrest have significantly improved and while still bound to them, he will now be able to resume part of his work at the Arab-Hebrew Theater until the next court session, set for September 2009. (See: Link to the petition: http://www.atzuma.co.il/petition/friendsofsamieh/1/1000/.)
- Anarchists Against the Wall, some of whom have recently been sentenced to prison terms. (Read more on their website, www.awalls.org.)
- Ezra Nawi, who's sentencing has been postponed, dragging out the legal process. (See: www.supportezra.net.)
This list is constantly expanding. Some of the newer instances include:
1) The recent interrogation of members of Yesh Gvul, for alleged "incitement to evade military service", while promising "financial incentives". This longtime refusers' group, primarily supporting refusal to serve in the Occupied Territories, was also questioned regarding their web link to New Profile's website. (For more information, see: http://www.yeshgvul.org/news.asp?id=81a03ef84f6d0ab2ad2b7d21cec9ea71.)
2) The kidnapping by Israel's navy, on June 30th, of the passengers and crew of “The Spirit of Humanity,” on board which the Free Gaza Movement was bringing food, medical supplies and human rights monitors towards Gaza port. Amongst the 21 passengers detained and later deported were Nobel laureate Mairead Maguire and former US Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney. (For detailed information, see: www.freegaza.org.)
3) The continuing refusal of Israeli state authorities to allow members of the UN investigative mission on the events of December-January 2008-9 to enter Israel. The mission, headed by world renowned jurist Richard Goldstone, has been hearing testimonies in the Gaza Strip. (For a report on the mission, see for instance: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3739538,00.html.)
And yet, we would also like to point out that within the overall context of political and racist persecution, each separate instance of repression represents individual state policies and specific bids for control by the state. New Profile's criminalization and our attempted shut-down are directed, in particular, at intimidating the huge numbers of young people who fail to comply with conscription law today. The drive against us targets this popular display of mistrust and indifference, this major threat to politicians' fear-based hold on voting constituencies and to military commanders' uncontested control of "national security" issues.
New Profile's criminalization follows a fault line that has long been quaking beneath the surface of Israeli society and is now visibly cracking open.
We will send out further updates as the events unfold and we'll also turn to each of you to take concrete action when needed. We'd like to remind you, though, of our ongoing need to inform and engage more and more people and of our list "What you can do" at: www.newprofile.org/english/?p=102#what-you-can-do . Please take one of these actions into consideration.
Again, we hugely appreciate your continuing interest, caring and support.
Sincerely,
Ruth Hiller & Rela Mazali
Traitors
Heros. Good for them,
Turncoats
FYI: Digg.com is blocking all submissions from this site. They claim it is a hate site: Hello from Digg.com, As you know, Digg is a community-driven website – our community has consistently reported the domain to which you refer for Terms of Service (Digg.com/tos) violations, including racist content. Because unblocking the domain would not be in line with the best interests of the larger Digg community, we will not reverse this decision. For more information, please see http://digg.com/tos. and http://digg.com/tos. Looks like Israel's Hasbara Brigade has been busy.
This is Israel's problem. There's too much of a gap between the democracy freedom justice rhetoric and the control infrastructure need to ensure that nobody breaks out of the Truman show and takes the the kids with them. It's the same with the hasbara talking points. Why do you need 55 pages of media bullets if what you are doing is normal and you have 100% confidence in the justness of your work ?
The hidden thruth is becoming transparent to the WORLD!! Thanks for sharing the info on DIGG!! Ruth and Rela keep up the good work. The world needs more courage people like you!!
and, Breaking the Silence: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8149464.st... more 'traitors' in the ranks? or the suffering of young Jewish soldiers' psyches for their crimes against humanity? Israel' s murderous militarist control freaks and fascist leaders are going to see a day of reckoning, (maybe they will all suffer a hell-like bardo, like Sharon in his coma) truly the heroes are these israeli organizations tenaciously casting a light upon the criminals who run the 'zionist entity'
A little bit of criticism is ok, but this is too much. People must learn that there are limits to what is acceptable. We have a right to defend ourselves against the pacifists and human rights anti-semites. It is especially galling when they hang our dirty laundry out for the public to see. Something must be done. Executions probably would be in order. Do you think we should remove their fingernails with pliers, crush their testicles, gouge out their eyes first, or is that a bit too extreme?
Strikes me that this isn't just one more piece of evidence of a real sea-change in Israel to the Right, but also some kind of opening up of those on the Israeli Right to do and say things that were just simply verboten before. I mean, in years past generally speaking Israel and Israelis seemed to recognize certain limits before, such as banning the Kach party and tolerating even the most Leftist elements in its society. Now though you got Lieberman, that Housing Minister spouting off the other day about seeing his job as holding back the spread of arabs and using the Haredim as some sort of ethnic cleansing shock troops, and etc. and so forth. And it isn't even limited to some of their governmental officials "opening up" on the arabs. In an interview with Haaretz just the other day there was Netanyahu's chief national security advisor just casually saying apropos of his reputation as a tough, angry guy "I prefer to direct the brute-force energies within me at the goyim." (http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1099064.html) (With this being a guy who used to advise the U.S. government on its nuclear arms doctrine and strategy!) Is an interesting phenomenon that leaves you wondering just how far it can go. Can't be popular with the general Israeli public I shouldn't think; makes you think the shelf-life of Netanyahu's government may be quite limited.
It looks quite like Netanyahu is extremely popular with the Jewish Israeli public. The "Feeling the Hate" series shows the level of popularity – both in direct terms, and in indirect terms by the reactions to his video. Netanyahu provides simple answers to what has become an extremely difficult problem. It provides a means for Jewish Israeli society to avoid critically examining itself in favour of blaming others. Israel was formed as a colonialist state. Groups like the Jewish Colonial Trust sill bear witness to this legacy. Throughout its entire history its existence has required the acceptance of racism. There are lots of racist countries. There is only one where if it stops being racist it will cease to exist. The internal contradiction between racism and acceptance of "progressive" values of Israel must come to a head at some point. The existence of Israel requires it. Under Netanyahu it has come to a head. Netanyahu has offered to remove the contradiction in favour of a classically fascist state. As can be read in this comment thread – and as is well known from history – that means the attack and probable liquidation of the left. You are foolish to underestimate the popularity of such a state, in the same way as the Germans, Spanish, etc. were foolish to underestimate the popularity of such a state.
Who and where are the American heroes? Iranian students took center stage to display their courageous willingness to put their lives on the line to speak truth to power; A precious few Israelis are likewise speaking truth to the power in a regime that uses torture, uses the legal system like torture, uses ostracism (that's what the charge of "antisemitism" or "self-hating Jew" amounts to: isolation from the group, an act intended to threaten one's very survival), and has the endorsement of the US. Where are the Americans of the same courage and intent? Go Ron Paul.
NO, actually, a hyperactive and rabid hate-site called MondoLies has tripped on itself. And true to form, MondoLiars are blaming the Jews and Israelis for everything. What a laugh!
Jake when is enough, enough? Pull your head out of the sand. Isreal is becoming know in the WORLD as IsreaHELL!!!
The problem is Israel worries too much about these silly groups. If they are guilty of getting fraudulent exceptions in the army put the people responsible in prison. I can't understand this delay in sentencing Ezra Nawi. The man was convicted of violent acts and needs to be restrained in a penitentiary.
In response to my post edwin2 wrote: "You are foolish…." Well it won't have been my first time, edwin. Otherwise, I don't know that I'd characterize what Netanyahu is doing as trying to create a "classically fascist state." And I wouldn't exactly sign on to the blanket statement that Israel is a "racist" state either, not least because it has always struck me that Israeli jews—especially sabras—have a much deeper, richer and more complex view of their standing and relationship with the arabs than the usual "race" language encompasses. Indeed in some ways it can even sometimes strike me as being somewhat familial even. I would say though that I think the way you are perceiving things in terms of Israel facing some huge internal contradiction is a very astute one for sure. More complex than just "racist v. progressive" as I said, but as you note a very very deep and fundamental one for sure. Excellent observation worth a lot of thought. Would like to hear from some thoughtful Israeli on same.
Since Fascism is a highly pragmatic philosophy perhaps there is no such thing as a "classically fascist state" – though the desire for loyalty oaths really struck home to me.
You know despite reading what I'd regard as a fair amount about modern political ideologies and socialism and communism and fascism and etc. and their natures and differences and etc. I don't think I've ever seen as keen an observation about fascism as yours that it is so "highly pragmatic." Everyone always talks about how hard it is to define, but nobody I've read at least got to the heart of why that is the case. Just so unprincipled that … nobody could ever define their principles, huh?