Racist State

This September, the opening sessions of the United Nations in New York

are to host “Durban 3” and a Palestinian bid for statehood.

The United Nations seems to have forgotten that,

it voted on November 29, 1947 to partition the British Mandate of Palestine

into two states, one Jewish and one Arab.

Jewish people rolled up their sleeves, collected funds to buy land and built the land.

The Arab nations rejected the partition plan and attacked the new state of Israel.

In May 1948 the Jordanian legion captured and occupied Jerusalem,

the land to the east toward the Jordanian border became known as the West Bank.

Most of the land in the West Bank is hilly, rocky and until after 1967 was empty.

In 1964 when the Palestine Liberation Organization was founded,

there were no Jews allowed

to live in “East” Jerusalem,

which includes areas to the north, south and west of Jerusalem.

Mamilla was a no man’s land, needed to protect Israel from Jordanian snipers.

Today Mamilla is a shopping mall,

busy day and night

offering employment to many.

Under Jordanian occupation in 1948, all the Old City’s synagogues were destroyed

and all Jews were forced to flee their homes in the Jewish Quarter.

The recently restored Hurva Synagogue is no longer a hurva, a ruin,

and stands in the center of the re-established ancient Jewish neighborhood.

The Kotel, the Western Wall Plaza is now open to everyone.

 Arab families make use of the new light rail, when trains are working,

or ride the bus which is usually faster.

An Arab woman can walk alone unafraid in the center of Jerusalem.

Young Arab women sit and eat in the center of a main street crowd.

While the Palestinian Authority prepares to go to the UN for a state

which insists that it will not allow Jews and homosexuals,

Arabs live and work freely in Israeli Jerusalem.

At this new UN conference on racism,

will Israel once again be singled out as a racist state ?

Does the UN care at all about the truth?

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?

This is Apartheid?

 Israel Apartheid Week is reported to be growing on college campuses;

its participants must  have never spent any time in Jerusalem.

Arab families often visit Gan Sacher and other Jerusalem parks.

 This is apartheid?

"Arab women", "Palestinian women"

 Hospitals are fully integrated; staff, patients, and visitors.

This is apartheid?

"Arab women", "Palestinian women"

 Shopping malls are open to all customers.

"Arab women", "picture Arab women" "Palestinian women"

These ladies hailed a taxi on King George Street

after a successful shopping day at Ben Yehudah Mall.

"arab women" , "Female shopper", "Palestinian woman"

Arab women shop on Jaffa Street on a regular basis, 

often shopping alone.

This is apartheid?

"arab women", "Israel abusing rights"

 Arab women walk freely in old neighborhoods, 

and in new areas. This is apartheid?

"arab woman and child","Palestinian boy".

However, with small children in hand,

women may not be able to move around quite so easily.

It is not simple for anyone to get a driver’s license in Jerusalem,

but the option is available to all.

  Arab girls wait to ride on a regular public city bus. 

"Palestinian family", "Israeli occupation",

As the world media focused on stone throwers,

this family was walking in nearby Baka. 

There are fewer photos of Arab men,

"arab man", Palesinian man", "Israeli oppresion"

 because unless they are with women dressed in traditional clothes

it is often hard to pick them out in a crowd. 

"racism in Israel", "racist Israel"

Yes there are serious problems, but

no legislation exists that discriminates against blacks.

Holy sites are open to people of all faiths.

"Palestinian woman", "abuse in Israel"

Democratically elected Arab members in the Knesset speak,

vote and can propose laws.

Jerusalem may have plenty of problems,

but this is not apartheid.