air flotilla

Welcome to Israel: Where protesting racism is dangerous

On Sunday, as Israeli security forces were rounding up activists who were trying to enter Palestine, a racist conference was held in Ramle and a middle-aged woman was beaten for protesting racism. Welcome to a frightening Israel, where being non-racist is dangerous Even though almost all of the “Welcome to Palestine” participants were prevented from…

By Mya Guarnieri Jaradat April 18, 2012

Who are the ‘Welcome to Palestine’ activists?

In the air between Geneva and Tel Aviv, I spent some time talking to the international activists who joined the “Welcome to Palestine” campaign. Activists who told this writer in the Geneva airport that they are traveling to Palestine cheered quietly and smiled as the plane took off. However, a number of those activists declined…

By Mya Guarnieri Jaradat April 15, 2012

Activists plan to land in TLV airport, hundreds of flights already canceled

I’m writing this from somewhere in Europe. Sunday morning, I will board a plane* bound for Israel’s Ben Gurion International Airport. Organizers of the “Welcome to Palestine” campaign tell me that more than half the passengers on my flight will be international activists. UPDATE: According to reports in international and Israeli media, hundreds of flights scheduled…

By Mya Guarnieri Jaradat April 14, 2012

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Israeli activist Matan Cohen being detained by police at Ben Gurion airport (photo: Oren Ziv / activestills.org)

Where are the Palestinian voices in mainstream media?

Have international solidarity mobilizations drowned out Palestinian voices? Over the last few weeks, media in this region was filled with images of people from all over the Western world holding up Palestinian flags and chanting “Free Palestine.” We’ve heard from the likes of Americans, like prize-winning author Alice Walker and former CIA official Ray McGovern (both…

By Mairav Zonszein July 17, 2011

Out of hundreds, two ‘air flotilla’ activists allowed to stay

According to various news reports, two “air flotilla” activists who arrived in Israel last Friday have been allowed to remain in Israel (and travel to the West Bank freely) on the condition that they “refrain from disrupting the peace.” The activists were part of the “Welcome to Palestine” campaign which sent hundreds of European tourists…

By Joseph Dana July 13, 2011

Were ‘air flotilla’ activists arrested in West Bank?

According to media reports carried by all major news outlets in Israel, four ‘air flotilla’ passengers were arrested/detained Saturday in the West Bank village of Nabi Saleh during an unarmed demonstration this morning. Haaretz, in its headline story, is citing reports by Channel 10 (Heb), that four ‘air flotilla’ activists have been taken for questioning…

By Joseph Dana July 9, 2011

“Air Flotilla” successful in exposing Israeli blockade of West Bank

Israeli authorities deployed hundreds of police officers to arrest and deport pro-Palestinian visitors. The Minister of Tourism announced that “good tourists” will be greeted with flowers Panic. There is no other way to describe the Israeli reaction to a plan organized by a few activists—no more than a thousand, according to the most generous estimates—to…

By Noam Sheizaf July 7, 2011