The ‘Only Democracy in the Middle East’ Refuses to Allow the Commemoration of the Naqba

Curfew Imposed on Zochrot Offices in the Heart of Tel Aviv

Palestinian employees at the Customs Department, Haifa // Dr. Johnny Mansour

As in every year on Independence Day eve, Zochrot planned a street activity to commemorate and raise public awareness of the Nakba. After a discussion held in our offices, some 15 activists intended to go out on a symbolic, non-violent presentation activity at Rabin Square, which involved posting postcards with the names of Palestinian towns and villages destroyed in 1948 in Arabic, Hebrew and English.

As we intended to leave the offices, around 10:30pm, we were astonished to find that the building had already been surrounded by police - before we even had a chance to leave the offices - and that police officers had closed all exits. The senior officers who arrived on the scene made it clear to us that they would under no circumstances allow us to "disrupt public order", and would therefore prevent us from leaving the grounds. Besieged in the heart of Tel Aviv, we were shut in for nearly four hours and prevented from leaving the premises, unless we would agree to hand over our materials, present IDs and submit to questioning which including searches in our belongings. A lawyer who was present on the scene informed the officers that this was false arrest and that they had no probable cause to ask us to identify ourselves, but they refused to budge. We were "released" around 2:00am. The police arrested three activists who were released only a day later. Zochrot intend to press charges for false arrest.

In the heart of Tel Aviv, silencing reached new heights and left a bitter taste of dark regimes.

Watch an excellent video report about it. Another video by Israel Social TV.

The event was published by many reports. In Hebrew: IDF Radio, Haaretz, NRG, Chanel 2, post by Noa Shindlinger from Zochrot, Makor Rishon, Ofri Ilani at Eretz Haemori.

A father, refugee from al-Kafrayn, with his children, on a tour of al-Kafrayn // zochrot 2007

In English: Haaretz, Haggai Matar at Magazine 972, Larry Derfner at Magazine 972, Aljazeera, Jerusalem Post, Electronic Intifada

At the Israeli Independence Day, 26.4.2012, Zochrot participated at the Return March To Amqa and Kuwaykat organized by ADRID. Moran Barir spoke to the public.

قام افراد من الشرطه بحجز نشطاء في جمعية زوخروت ومنعهم من إحياء ذكرى النكبة في يوم الأستقلال
في مساء يوم الاستقلال الاسرائيلي، الساعة 22:30 خرج ما يقارب 15 ناشط وناشطة من زوخروت لإحياء ذكرى النكبة في ساحة رابين (تل بيب). أثناء خروجهم من المكتب، قامت الشرطة بمحاصرة المكتب من جميع الجهات ومنعهم من الخروج، حيث ادعى الضابط المسؤول بان خروجهم سوف يخل بالنظام العام. تم حجز النشطاء ما يقارب الاربع ساعات في المكتب ومنعهم من الخروج الا في حال قاموا بتسليمهم المواد والهويات بالاضافة الى تفتيشهم والتحقيق معهم. في تمام الساعة الثانية صباحاً غادرت الشرطة المكان بعد ان اعتقلت ثلاثة من النشطاء وافرجت عنهم في اليوم التالي.
لمشاهدة تقرير مصور حول الحدث اضغط/ي هنا، ولمشاهدة تقرير مصور اعده التلفزيون الاجتماعي اضغط/ي هنا
تقارير مكتوبه (بالانجليزية): حجي مطر، صحيفة هارتس، 972، الكترونيك انتفاضة، جريوزاليم بوسط، الجزيرة

في يوم الاستقلال الاسرائيلي، 26/4/2012، انضمت جمعية زخوروت الى مسيرة العودة في قريتي عمقا والكويكات والتي قامت بتنظيمها لجنة المهجرين. لقراءة الخطاب (بالانجليزية) الذي القته موران برير في المسيرة اضغط/ي هنا 

ביקשנו להפיץ חומרי הסטה
פוסט חדש בבלוג של איתן ברונשטיין
   
פוסט חדש

Tour of the destroyed Palestinian village Summayl (Near Qiryat Gat, 30 kilometers south to Ramla)
Tour of the destroyed Palestinian village Summayl and a meeting with its refugees
Date: Saturday, May 5th, 2012
Transportation: From Tel Aviv, Arlozorov train station at 9:30, and from Ramla, Orthodox school square, at 10:00
We will meet refugees of Summayl hear the story of its Nakba, tour among the ruins, post signs to commemorate the village and distribute a booklet about it.
For more information please Contact:
Zochrot's office: 03- 695 3155, Umar al-Ghubari, coordinator of tours: 052-874 3099 Tours@zochrot.org