Israeli Apartheid?

Israeli Apartheid?

Saudi Arabia bans protests, Turkey locks up journalists,

Iran and Libya kill their opponents,

Egypt killed  protesters, Syria kills hundreds every day.

Haneen Zoabi, an Arab woman is an elected member of the Israeli Knesset

and has led anti-Israel protests.

Israeli apartheid?

Her actions would never be tolerated in any of the surrounding countries,

but Zoabi’s anti-government pieces are routinely published

 in main stream Jerusalem newspapers and supported by the courts.

 While Saudi Arabian women are forbidden to drive a car,

in Jerusalem, many Arab women take driving lessons

and sit where they want on public buses.

Arab school girls

School girls are not afraid to share the same streets,

Arab girls in uniforms in Old City

no matter what uniforms they wear,  and go on to attend Israeli universities

Arab girl head covered working in Israeli hospital

and find work in the medical professions in Israeli hospitals.

Muslim woman walking in Old City

Arab women walk alone

Arab woman alone in Old city

through the streets of the Old City

Arab women image. Arab women in Jerusalem

and in all the neighborhoods

Palestinian woman shopping

around

Arab women image. Arab women in Jerusalem

Jerusalem, Israel

Muslim woman walking in Old City wearing hijab

dressed in clothing

Arab women shopping in Jerusalem

of all types

Palestinian woman shopping

and colors.

Palestinian woman shopping

Often Arab women shop

in Mamilla Mall,

Palestinian woman, shopping in Machane yehuda

in the Machane Yehuda Market, the shuk,

Palestinian woman shopping for shoes

on Jaffa Street,

Palestinian woman shopping with children in Jerusalem

King George Street,

Muslim woman shopping

and in Talpiot.

Muslim women eating in Jerusalem

They can eat in a street cafe or restaurant

Arab man and woman holding hands in public

or walk with a male companion.

Muslim woman with children wailing wall plaza

With young children

Muslim woman shopping alone

or alone,

Muslim women walking in Old City

Arab women are not afraid or forbidden to move around freely.

Israeli apartheid?

Tragedy Beyond Words

 While “Days of Rage” are making headlines and Grad rockets keep coming from Gaza,

the new Trophy defense system destroyed a rocket-propelled grenade before it hit a tank.

If we could only successfully disarm the deadly weapons lurking on the Jerusalem streets.

 Road deaths in Israel increased by 11% in 2010.

 Drivers talking on cell phones, not yielding to pedestrians, speeding, running red lights,

and just plain aggressive and careless driving

not only knock down signs and cause property damage,

    but also cause serious injury and death.

One year after Brian Atinsky’s family was wiped by a reckless driver,  he is in the Knesset fighting for reforms.

Tragedy after tragedy, and now

MK Robert Tibayev is chairing a new subcommittee for the War on Traffic Accidents. 

Sadly, it is all too little to late for Nachum Eliezer Raanan ben Yosef  haKohen,

 a man of poise and wisdom, advisor and dear friend to many;

 a husband, father and grandfather who gave much to his family and communities around the world,

and had so much more to live for.

However, his life was cut short by a bus while crossing Emek Refaim Street in the Germany Colony.

It doesn’t have to be that way.

In Eilat, there are no traffic lights–only traffic circles or roundabouts,

and drivers are careful to stop for pedestrians at the cross walks.

 

Thousands of new cars are off-loaded daily in the port in Eilat and

huge carriers take them north where demand grows in spite of the ever-rising price of gas.

Some Jerusalem streets are old, narrow and crowded, but

90-95% of traffic accidents are caused by careless or negligent drivers.

Where are the days of rage against this outrage?

No more excuses… we must have safer streets… and now.