A is for Arabs
Despite the poor and neglected Arab city of Jaffa being integrated in the Tel Aviv municipality, the only Arabs you see in TA are either national cinema or sport celebrities; or those who work in cafés or something. Occasionally, you’ll see a Palestinian woman and her daughter in a mall.
I remain a little shocked. Nevertheless, most Tel-Avivians are quite welcoming and won’t stare at you (too much). And having a token Arab friend is apparently a necessity. :)
A Palestinian flag sticker covers the Israeli flag on a license plate. Parked in Tel Aviv. Didn't see the owner though.
A is for Annexation
The anschluss of Jaffa, once the largest Palestinian city, into the Tel-Aviv municipality in 1954 is both an urban and a political crime. An old, decaying minority-inhabited city annexed to the young, economic capital of the country means that the inhabitants of the latter have every reason, from money to politics, to spill over into the older smaller city and give its inhabitants the boot.
Which is exactly what happened - and is happening in Jaffa, as its Arab inhabitants are regularly driven out - and not just bought out, but expelled. Since then Tel Aviv mayor Shlomo "Cheech" Lahat, announced a policy of "Judaising" Jaffa in the 1970's, housing permits were mostly forbidden for Arabs. Religious schools and synagogues are built in the heart of Arab neighbourhoods. And now, there is an ongoing effort by a real-estate developing firm, Amidar, to evict 500 families from the Ajami neighbourhood. Which will succeed.
Photographer Yehudit Illani keeps a very nice blog (with great photos, of course) of the recent developments in Jaffa.
Which is exactly what happened - and is happening in Jaffa, as its Arab inhabitants are regularly driven out - and not just bought out, but expelled. Since then Tel Aviv mayor Shlomo "Cheech" Lahat, announced a policy of "Judaising" Jaffa in the 1970's, housing permits were mostly forbidden for Arabs. Religious schools and synagogues are built in the heart of Arab neighbourhoods. And now, there is an ongoing effort by a real-estate developing firm, Amidar, to evict 500 families from the Ajami neighbourhood. Which will succeed.
Photographer Yehudit Illani keeps a very nice blog (with great photos, of course) of the recent developments in Jaffa.
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A is for Anti-Arab Racism
A is for Anti-Arab Racism
Yeah, well, not everyone around TA likes Arabs. That's still Israel, after all.
A tag by the 'Anarchists against the Wall' -- a group of long-haired young people whose seem to recruit primarily among video store clerks -- commemorating the death of ten-year old Ahmed Moussa killed by Israeli soldiers during a demonstration against the wall, says
A tag by the 'Anarchists against the Wall' -- a group of long-haired young people whose seem to recruit primarily among video store clerks -- commemorating the death of ten-year old Ahmed Moussa killed by Israeli soldiers during a demonstration against the wall, says
“Ahmed Moussa / 1998-2008 / Naa’lin”. “The Wall is built on the bodies of children”.
Racist taggers have had a couple of desecrating variations (pardon the weak translation):
“Fucking Arab” - “yeah, the wall is built on bodies of children!”
“Others like him will reproduce”
1 comment:
The second translation is wrong - I dunno if you'd like me to supply the correct one (some people prefer to figure out stuff on their own), so I'll be silent for now.
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