[THREAD] Gideon Levy won’t join the current anti-gov protests because, rather than Bibi’s corruption, “the occupation is what makes the Israeli regime clearly undemocratic”. He’s right, but he’s blinded by his own cynicism and failing to recognise an opportunity. https://twitter.com/haaretzcom/status/1302509365338017793

Let’s leave aside the fact that these protests are also dealing with other important issues like the gov’s terrible support for those who’ve lost their livelihoods because of the pandemic, and that mass mobilisations like this are inherently good for politicisation and democracy.

In stark contrast to the much maligned social protests of 2011 which deliberately ignored Palestine/the occupation in order to avoid “politicisation” (one of several fatal flaws to that movement), this time anti-occupation groups are coming strong. https://www.972mag.com/anti-occupation-netanyahu-protests/

Sure, these protests aren’t going to end the occupation. But what they can do is bring more people into the anti-occupation movement and influence the messaging and framing of the protests from within. If Gideon had been going to Balfour, he’d know that this is already happening.

The leaderlessness and the organic/popular character of the Balfour protests is presenting a platform for any individuals or groups with a “relevant” cause to come and make themselves heard. Below I’ll show how anti-occupation groups are not letting this opportunity be missed.

1) Justice for Eyad: Eyad al-Hallaq, the autistic Palestinian man shot dead by police in the Old City in May, has become a symbol of this protest, and that’s credit to the leftist groups who won’t drop the call for justice or let his death be forgotten.

2) Radicalising the messaging: these protests are the product of the chants/signs/banners people are bringing to them. Pictured here: “we never were a democracy”, ”there’s no democracy in apartheid”, “police violence since 1948, we’re eating what we cooked, end the occupation”.

3) Uniting the struggles: Palestinians suffer more than others under Israeli control, but the struggle for justice must include all marginalised groups. Banner (in Arabic, Hebrew, Amharic) reads “breaking institutionalised racism - uniting struggles, justice for all”

4) Modelling partnership: Arab-Jewish groups like @omdimbeyachad, @Hadash_org and @Hand_in_hand have been showing up and chanting in Hebrew and Arabic, demonstrating what a better future could look like. Hand in Hand’s banner below reads “only partnership can bring change”

So Gideon can keep complaining in his Haaretz column, but meanwhile leftist groups are busy normalising anti-occupation rhetoric at protests. Below: the Democracy For All bloc arriving to Balfour (via an anti-eviction protest), chanting “from Balfour to Silwan, democracy for all”