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?

What a Difference a Day Makes!

At first it seemed that no one even noticed,

 United States Vice-President Joe Biden was visiting  Jerusalem.

There is a difference when you are not number one,

but only number two.

As Vice-President Biden was to arrive, it was quiet around the Citadel Hotel.

 Biden arrived for breakfast at Beit HaNasi, the President’s Residence, 

on the first day of his visit. 

No United States flag was flying to greet a Vice-President. 

The temperature was already rising, 

the dirty air was not good for clear photos.

There were no paparazzi around Beit HaNasi,

  just a few big vans, some red police tape and one ambulance.

Security was very light, a real contrast to the bus blocking this intersection

and many streets being closed for hours before President Bush’s visit. 

At least the US Vice-President rated a security helicopter circling overhead

when he was arriving and leaving from meetings.

No complaints were heard from the residents of Jerusalem,

who were able to get around both by car and on foot. 

Unless you were stuck in traffic when his entourage was on the move,

you would not have known that Joe Biden was here.

Then, an announcement about new housing plans in the northern

Jerusalem neighborhood of  Ramat Shlomo 

and reports of his visit made headlines around the world.

           

A little perspective on housing:

to get anything built in Jerusalem takes time, a lot of time.

Something as simple as the addition of a small porch,

that all the neighbors agree on, can take ten years to be done legally.

One of Jerusalem’s biggest problems is the lack of housing,

especially affordable housing.

After the Safdie Plan failed to pass due to environmental concerns

there simply are not enough places for the people to live.

The real shame is that media coverage and world’s outrage

at this badly-timed announcement seems to have left no time

and space to cover the really disturbing news

of the massacres going on in Nigeria,

including  the slaughter of many young children…

When Vice-President Joe Biden left for Tel Aviv today,

the entire world was aware of his every move.

What a difference one day makes in Jerusalem!