False Dichotomies

Now in the style of five comments on the situation…

1. On Sunday, I went to the protests at the Ministry of Defence following the injuries sustained by American ISM activist Tristan Anderson at the weekly demonstration against the Separation Barrier in Ni’lin. I’ve been to a similar demonstration once before – at Bi’lin - and I can testify to the heavy-handed tactics employed by the IDF, tactics that are not employed when it comes to dealing with settler demonstrations. Anderson was injured by a new tear gas cannister, one that had been banned in the past and only recently reintroduced. One of the demonstrators showed me the offending item; from holiding it I quickly realised that it would prove lethal if fired from close quarters. In a particularly ironic moment, one of the soldiers patrolling the protest warned the demonstrator not to throw it, “as it might cause injuries.” Most of the forty protesters were drawn from the anarchist movement, a fact reflected in their incendiary slogans, in which the IDF was frequently referred to as a “terrorist organisation”. While I do not share the politics of Anarchists against the Wall,  it’s a shame that other groups (Peace Now, Meretz etc) weren’t represented. The sad truth is that only when the Israel-first brigade (also known as Hasbaraniks) are at the front of these protests will progress be possible. Read more