November 7
Crisis in Gaza.
New heights of obscenity. Months of siege - no power, no water, no entrance, no exit, no work, no fishing, no money... Israel destroyed the only power station and then constructed a power line with the Palestinian Authority's confiscated money... nightly supersonic booms over Gaza - "so they will not sleep", jokes our general. Last week, an invasion into Beit Hanoun. A military expert on the radio explained: "there is talk of a Hudna, a 7-year long cease-fire, and the army has to go in there before it goes into effect. You know what they can do in 7 years?"
About 60 killed in that week, 200 more injured, wide scale destruction. Pictures of women shot dead in a demonstration in Beit Hanoun, pictures of school children killed by a missile.
So here we meet again, the spot for ad-hoc demonstrations in Tel Aviv - across the street from the Army headquarters and the Ministry of Defence. I have been here so many times!
Today I am surprised to see there is hardly any sidewalk, the city has erected some fancy wall due to construction work. It is surreal, we are lined against a wall with painted houses and gardens and pedestrians and trees...
We forgot the signs. Who was supposed to bring the Coalition's signs? Two people made their own, someone brought some signs made by "The Communist Youth" (Banki) for the Rabin rally on Saturday. Someone brought candles. Old friends gather. We chant the old goodies: "All government ministers are war criminals", "Peretz, Minister of Defence, how many children have you murdered today?" and I think of the power of rituals, and how many names of ministers we have used before in the same chant...
("Lift the Siege off the Palestinians", and "No Military Solution, Only Negotiations")
("Refusing to be Enemies - Israeli Communist Youth)
We start banging on the decorative wall. Someone starts a new chant: "Peretz, you have promised education and welfare, we got tanks and bodies". The van full of police in riot gear leaves the gate to the militry compound across the street. Only two bored soldiers are left on guard. We respond by the all-time favorite "Gaza, Gaza, do not despair, we will end the occupation".
("Prisoners' exchange YES, Bombings NO")
(The picture on the sign is of a Palestinian baby in hospital, and the inscription says:
"The State of the Jews has no God")
Finally, we march towards the big intersection nearby. We are an odd bunch. It's getting cold. Someone suggests a gum strike: we should announce that we would stop chewing gum until the occupation ends. Someone else feigns fear: No! the stock exchange would crush! I leave the dwindling group and continue walking to my next meeting. There we discuss future state formations that will allow for the right of return. One secular democracy? a confederacy with open borders? and what about the economic implications?
Pathetic? Audacious? Cute? Enraging? What are we doing here?
The next day, which is today, nineteen more Palestinian civilians were killed by Israeli artillery in Gaza. We are going back to the same corner this afternoon. I hope we remember to bring the signs.
pic by activestills 
pic by activestills
("Prisoners' exchange YES, Bombings NO")
(The picture on the sign is of a Palestinian baby in hospital, and the inscription says:
The next day, which is today, nineteen more Palestinian civilians were killed by Israeli artillery in Gaza. We are going back to the same corner this afternoon. I hope we remember to bring the signs.
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