Comments on: Defeating the illusionists: We must return to the streets http://972mag.com/defeating-the-illusionists-why-we-must-return-to-the-streets/47386/ Independent commentary and news from Israel & Palestine Sun, 26 May 2013 04:58:45 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: Caro http://972mag.com/defeating-the-illusionists-why-we-must-return-to-the-streets/47386/comment-page-1/#comment-65014 Caro Mon, 11 Jun 2012 15:32:16 +0000 http://972mag.com/?p=47386#comment-65014 Isn't it Netanyahu who has set up the concentration committee? Things need to change re the tycoons but reform of public sector also needed. If you don't like him form a party and contest the elections. Actually Israeli universities and hospitals are first class Isn’t it Netanyahu who has set up the concentration committee? Things need to change re the tycoons but reform of public sector also needed. If you don’t like him form a party and
contest the elections. Actually Israeli universities and hospitals are first class

]]> By: sh http://972mag.com/defeating-the-illusionists-why-we-must-return-to-the-streets/47386/comment-page-1/#comment-64358 sh Sun, 03 Jun 2012 14:19:59 +0000 http://972mag.com/?p=47386#comment-64358 The illusionists were not defeated last night but they will need to be. And if momentum does build up again, lessons will need to be learned from last year about how to keep it up. Protests can't afford to take vacations or a snooze. . Again, I loved the choice of illustration for this piece. The illusionists were not defeated last night but they will need to be. And if momentum does build up again, lessons will need to be learned from last year about how to keep it up. Protests can’t afford to take vacations or a snooze.
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Again, I loved the choice of illustration for this piece.

]]> By: Kolumn9 http://972mag.com/defeating-the-illusionists-why-we-must-return-to-the-streets/47386/comment-page-1/#comment-64292 Kolumn9 Sat, 02 Jun 2012 21:54:48 +0000 http://972mag.com/?p=47386#comment-64292 Why, was there a provocateur problem last year when 400,000 showed up? Stop tilting at windmills. . Good luck Yuval. Personally I think many problems would be solved by making the bureaucracy more efficient and increasing the competition in Israel. Unfortunately there is a need for mass protests before the government takes the lead in making changes that undermine the power of the oligopolies, unions and the religious. I don't think you would agree with this assessment of the problem and that's ok. Why, was there a provocateur problem last year when 400,000 showed up? Stop tilting at windmills.
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Good luck Yuval. Personally I think many problems would be solved by making the bureaucracy more efficient and increasing the competition in Israel. Unfortunately there is a need for mass protests before the government takes the lead in making changes that undermine the power of the oligopolies, unions and the religious. I don’t think you would agree with this assessment of the problem and that’s ok.

]]> By: Woody http://972mag.com/defeating-the-illusionists-why-we-must-return-to-the-streets/47386/comment-page-1/#comment-64248 Woody Sat, 02 Jun 2012 14:28:36 +0000 http://972mag.com/?p=47386#comment-64248 There is a black bloc here, but last year's protest had no problems. For those on the hardcore left who have been fighting for years, such large groups of people represent enough of a statement to the government. Furthermore, the language of provocateurs is only available in one form in this country. "Enemy Provocateurs". It is Arabs and other minorities that the government tries to paint as the collective enemy other. If a bunch of Jewish protesters smashed some windows and they are white...who, is the government going to blame? All white people? No. At best they could try to blame "leftists", but the movement is so big that many politicians can't ignore it's potential importance and attempt to brand that many people as an enemy. We're more like Europe than we are like the US in this respect. If some windows are smashed (like in the pogroms in South Tel Aviv) then they were probably intended to be smashed by an ordinary citizen and not the police. In the US, if someone fills a bottle with gasoline, he's charged as a terrorist. In Europe, molotovs are thrown and people get away with it. Besides, Israel makes political arrests for nothing here and they aren't concerned about infringing rights. There is no need to create a diversion to justify the infringement. Thus, it's unlikely we'll have a provocateur problem. There is a black bloc here, but last year’s protest had no problems. For those on the hardcore left who have been fighting for years, such large groups of people represent enough of a statement to the government.

Furthermore, the language of provocateurs is only available in one form in this country. “Enemy Provocateurs”. It is Arabs and other minorities that the government tries to paint as the collective enemy other. If a bunch of Jewish protesters smashed some windows and they are white…who, is the government going to blame? All white people? No. At best they could try to blame “leftists”, but the movement is so big that many politicians can’t ignore it’s potential importance and attempt to brand that many people as an enemy.

We’re more like Europe than we are like the US in this respect. If some windows are smashed (like in the pogroms in South Tel Aviv) then they were probably intended to be smashed by an ordinary citizen and not the police. In the US, if someone fills a bottle with gasoline, he’s charged as a terrorist. In Europe, molotovs are thrown and people get away with it.

Besides, Israel makes political arrests for nothing here and they aren’t concerned about infringing rights. There is no need to create a diversion to justify the infringement. Thus, it’s unlikely we’ll have a provocateur problem.

]]> By: Rowan Berkeley http://972mag.com/defeating-the-illusionists-why-we-must-return-to-the-streets/47386/comment-page-1/#comment-64244 Rowan Berkeley Sat, 02 Jun 2012 13:40:18 +0000 http://972mag.com/?p=47386#comment-64244 Just a word of advice: watch out for 'Black Bloc' type police provocateurs. They pop up in the middle of a peaceful demo, start breaking windows, then vanish. And you all get nicked. Just a word of advice: watch out for ‘Black Bloc’ type police provocateurs. They pop up in the middle of a peaceful demo, start breaking windows, then vanish. And you all get nicked.

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