While thousands of J14 activists took to the streets and blocked main roads in major cities Sunday night, a group of reserve service soldiers is forming a new agenda of conscientious objection in protest of neo-liberalism and the lack of social justice. "I will no longer defend a state that doesn't defend its citizens," says activist. Moshe Silman, who set himself on fire Saturday night and who is still struggling for his life, sparked a new wave of angry J14 protests against the Israeli government. Thousands of demonstrators marched the streets of Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa and Be'er Sheva Sunday…

Despite the importance of the J14 movement's demand for social justice, by calling for the restoration of the welfare state while ignoring the mechanisms of Israel's ethno-national colonial regime that fosters occupation, activists are actually propagating the status quo, rather than undermining it. By Noa Shaindlinger Some have been arguing that the J14 movement has radicalized and matured since last year’s protests. But an examination of the “social protest” discourse and goals reveals this is not the case, and that it actually works in tandem with the current regime and political order. I am writing this as the streets of…

Linking the J14 movement with security issues will be the downfall of the social justice movement. Talking about the occupation will only prolong it. Article originally published on the Daily Beast's Open Zion blog. When I was a teenager back in the 80’s, there was an ad on Israel’s only TV channel about road safety. It urged drivers to use their heads rather than simply rely on driving legally. The catchy slogan was “On the road, don’t be right—be smart!” Open Zion's Emily L. Hauser recently responded to a post of mine in which I argued that calculating the cost of the occupation…