For one Palestinian citizen of Israel, interrogations by the Shin Bet are a routine which include delays and harassment for no apparent reason. By Awad Abdel Fattah I was fortunate this week. I had a quick and easy crossing from Jordan back into Israel. No delays, no questions, no invasive body searches and no lengthy rummaging through my luggage. The border guard sitting next to the computer took my passport, opened it and looked at the screen, presumably to check for any special alert. Unlike previous occasions, she didn’t leave her seat and disappear into another room to take instructions on…

The recent success in dealing with racism on the soccer field could be an example of how to deal with the Israel-Palestinian conflict. Except when taking into consideration that an extreme act of violence was 'needed' first. My colleague Noam Sheizaf wrote recently about the racism of the Israeli soccer club Beitar Jerusalem. Tensions were running high in the club after it signed two Muslim players from Chechnya, and the hardcore right-wing fans - part of an organization called La Familia - were probably behind the act of arson that took place at the club’s headquarters in Jerusalem. After the arson,…

MK Michael Ben-Ari (National Union), who recently chose Col. Shalom "Rifle-butting" Eisner as his man of the year, is now inciting to violence. After the attack by militants that killed an IDF soldier near the Egyptian border on Saturday, he suggested killing the "infiltrators" with a bullet to the head. This, according to Ben-Ari, because the terrorists waited for the soldiers to give the refugees water. The IDF denies [Hebrew] Ben-Ari's claim, saying the incident has nothing to do with refugees. Despite the military's refuting Ben-Ari's claim, the Foreign Ministry is still holding fast to the false water story. Here's what Ben-Ari wrote…

An Israeli bus driver refused to take Palestinian passengers on board, was ordered to do so by police, and took his revenge by forcing them off the bus at the entrance to a settlement. The bus company: "The driver acted exactly as expected of him." Tel Aviv Central Bus Station, Thursday, two weeks ago: a bus driver on the 286 line that goes to the settlement of Ariel refused to allow a group of Palestinian workers on board who wanted to get back home to the West Bank. After a short argument the driver called the police, asking for the…

Following the recent lynch-style attack on Palestinian youths in Jerusalem, racist extremists are starting a campaign calling on Arab men to keep out of popular Jerusalem hangouts and avoid dating Jewish girls - for their own good. The new racist poster, written in both Hebrew and Arabic by the extremist Kahana-style NGO "Lehava," has been circulating in Facebook in recent hours and is gaining hundreds of "likes" and "shares." The poster, which is aimed at young Palestinian men, comes in the aftermath of the attempted lynch in central Jerusalem, and warns that visiting popular areas in the city, like big malls…

Israel at once discriminates against Palestinian citizens of the state while trotting out their limited “rights” as proof positive of our “vibrant democracy.” Ben White’s latest book, Palestinians in Israel: Segregation, Discrimination, and Democracy, is a response to this farce. Palestinians in Israel is a short but compelling read that teases out the tensions inherent in a “Jewish and democratic” state by revealing the multitude of ways Israel has historically treated and continues to treat its Palestinian minority as second-class citizens. In the first chapter--which is titled "Jewish and Democratic?", revealing one of the central themes of the book--White writes:…

Report: Jerusalem's Bikur Holim Hospital refuses to treat a number of African asylum seekers under the premise that they don’t have health insurance. In the past week, the Bikur Holim hospital in Jerusalem has turned away at least three Eritrean asylum seekers, according to a report in Maariv (Hebrew). After experiencing severe stomach pains, Nestah Ibrahim, a 21-year-old Eritrean woman who arrived in Israeli legally, was transported to Jerusalem’s Bikur Holim by ambulance. There, hospital workers asked her if she had money to pay for the visit. When she told them she did not, they told her to go somewhere else.…

I’d stepped into the alley to grab a few sage leaves for my tea. In my West Jerusalem neighborhood, the alley is more like a massive, shared garden. Branches loaded with plums, pomegranate, berries, apricots, oranges, lemons and olives bend over fences. Sage and rosemary are everywhere. When I first moved into the neighborhood, I used to ask permission to take fruit and herbs and olives. After some surprised yeses and after noticing others just plucking as they passed, I realized it’s a bit like a kibbutz. The same goes for the people. An elderly neighbor watches my landlords’ children…

The Jerusalem apartment shared by Eritrean asylum seekers was set on fire late last night, Ynet reports. Four were taken to the hospital, where they were treated and released for burns and smoke inhalation. Graffiti outside of the apartment read, "Get out of the neighborhood." Authorities were alerted to the fire shortly after 3:00 AM. Firefighters rescued 10 Eritreans trapped inside; four were taken to Shaare Tzedek Hospital where they were treated for light injuries and released. According to Assaf Avras, the spokesman of Jerusalem Fire Services, whoever set fire to the apartment intended to kill those inside. The fire…

An unexpected bright spot in south Tel Aviv yesterday, less than a week after the race riots: Israelis celebrated Shavuot with the children of African asylum seekers in Levinsky Park, the public space next to the Central Bus Station that has become a hub for the migrant community. As I have done countless times over the past four years that I have been covering and researching migrant workers and African asylum seekers in Israel, I spent most of yesterday hanging out in south Tel Aviv, conducting man-on-the-street interviews. After last week's race riots, the mood in the area is dark,…

As Interior Minister Eli Yishai incites against African asylum seekers--leading to outbreaks of violence against Africans--his ministry issues visas to foreigners who pay tremendous amounts of money to come to Israel. Interior Minister Eli Yishai has called African asylum seekers "infiltrators" who threaten “the Zionist dream,” adding, “Jobs will root them here.” But if foreigners are such a threat and jobs will root them here, then why does Yishai’s ministry continue to issue work visas to migrants? It could have something to do with the fact that the manpower agencies—the companies that turn huge profits by importing foreign workers—have a…

Just a week after an Israeli threw Molotov cocktails at four apartments that are home to African refugees and an African kindergarten in the Shapira neighborhood of South Tel Aviv, another residence has been attacked with firebombs.  Two Molotov cocktails were hurled at the home of Nigerian immigrants in the HaTikva neighborhood in South Tel Aviv on Saturday night, according to Maariv (Hebrew). The firebombs did not penetrate the structure, which is located near the HaTikva market. No injuries were reported and no arrests have been made in connection with the incident. The 20-year-old Israeli who was arrested in connection…

On Sunday, as Israeli security forces were rounding up activists who were trying to enter Palestine, a racist conference was held in Ramle and a middle-aged woman was beaten for protesting racism. Welcome to a frightening Israel, where being non-racist is dangerous Even though almost all of the “Welcome to Palestine” participants were prevented from reaching the West Bank, the campaign was a success. As the international and local media watched, 79 internationals were refused entry to Israel. But they weren’t trying to enter Israel. They were trying to get to Bethlehem, in Palestinian Authority-controlled Area A. And they brought…