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Tablet, August 25, 2010

In the fourth grade, I stopped saying the pledge of the allegiance. While the other children clapped their hands to their hearts, I stood, my arms limp, lips still. It was not an act of rebellion, nor did I intend to disrespect the United States. I’d simply decided—after several classmates had tried to convert me to Christianity—that we were not “one nation, under God, indivisible.” As a Jew, I felt that my place was elsewhere.

One morning, as the chairs around me scraped the floor, I didn’t bother getting up. The collective voice began, “I pledge allegiance …” I stared at my desk, tracing the lines running through the laminated wood.

Someone tapped my shoulder. I turned around. My teacher loomed above me. “… And to the republic …” she said, along with the children, as she gestured for me to rise.

Continue reading “Standard-bearer”

Maan News Agency, August 20, 2010

Alarms sounded through Israel’s leftist camps recently when Jewish-Israeli activist Yonatan Shapira was summoned for an interview with General Security Services, also known by the Hebrew acronym Shabak.

The interrogation came in the wake of the May detention and arrest of Ameer Makhoul, Palestinian-Israeli director of Ittijah—a platform for local Arab NGOs and an organization dedicated to empowering Palestinian-Israelis. During his detainment, Makhoul was allegedly subjected to illegal interrogation methods by Shabak including sleep deprivation and being bound to a chair in an extremely painful position. According to Adalah, a human rights organization that aims to promote and protect Palestinian citizens of Israel, Makhoul also suffered psychological torture.

Along with Dr. Omar Said, a respected political activist who runs a natural medicine company, Makhoul was accused with spying for Hezbollah. The two were indicted for espionage, amongst other crimes—charges both deny. The Palestinian-Israeli community decried the arrests as political persecution.

Continue reading “Behind a Shabak squeeze”

The Jerusalem Post, August 13, 2010

Despite the imminent deportation of 400 migrant workers’ children, South Tel Aviv’s black market kindergartens are still up and running.

Sometimes referred to as “pirate kindergartens” or “babysitters,” this is where most of the kids who face expulsion spend their days. Many of the older children who meet the government’s criteria for naturalization also come to the kindergartens, arriving in the afternoon during the school year.

Almost all are operated in the homes of undocumented migrant workers. The kindergartens range in condition from the unthinkable—one woman, alone, with dozens of children and only a bucket for a toilet—to the near-professional.

At one, backpacks hang neatly from a rack by the door. The walls are painted a cheerful combination of rose and apricot. Children sit on bright yellow chairs, playing with blocks and puzzles. They seem to have no problems cooperating or sharing. One little boy works on a puzzle alone, a look of intent focus on his face as he slides each piece across the table.
In another room, toddlers are out of their cribs, padding about on a red, oriental carpet. One of the kindergarten’s three employees hands out snacks.

Continue reading “Falling through the cracks”