A curation of live-tweets from last night’s event, in which six Palestinian activists, students and residents of East Jerusalem came to a West Jerusalem bar to take part in an event co-organized by Israeli left-wing activists to raise awareness about and generate opposition to the collective punishment in and ongoing occupation of East Jerusalem. I’m not editing these, just pasting them in here as I heard and tweeted them. I translated simultaneously from Hebrew & Arabic to English, and from real speeches to 140 characters. With that, these are as accurate to the event’s content as I could make them, and I think reading them will give you a sense of what was said and what it was like. Also, I’m going to try livetweeting more in the coming weeks (follow me at @Moriel_RZ for updates, and I’ll try to post the good ones on the blob for you non-twitter users).
UPDATE [Dec. 9]: The tour mentioned below will be happening this Friday, December 12th, at 12:30 PM, in Issawiya. Here is the Facebook event (Hebrew), and if folks who don’t know Arabic or Hebrew want to come, I am sure there will be many people there who will be happy to translate.
I'll be livetwting & translating event in W Jerusalem re "Whats going on in E #Jerusalem" w speakers frm Shuafat, Beit Hanina, more in 20 mn
— Mori Rothman-Zecher (@Moriel_RZ) December 7, 2014
Preparing for event in W #jerusalem with activists from #Issawiya, and other neighborhoods about the situation today pic.twitter.com/4QunZvNrg3
— Mori Rothman-Zecher (@Moriel_RZ) December 7, 2014
Whoa.Huge turnout of Israelis wanting to hear about the situation in occupied east Jeruslaem- 200+ people w overflow pic.twitter.com/ZlzEpdwHCR
— Mori Rothman-Zecher (@Moriel_RZ) December 7, 2014
A great [& rare] problem: too many Israelis interested in learning about the occupation directly from Palestinians pic.twitter.com/BbKDDtb1qy
— Mori Rothman-Zecher (@Moriel_RZ) December 7, 2014
Facilitating the evening, @SaharMvardi reminds that this should just be the beginning of action- next week open tour in #Issawiya
— Mori Rothman-Zecher (@Moriel_RZ) December 7, 2014
"In 1967 #israel occupied what's now called 'east jerusalem,' annexed the tall places & "maximum area, minimum Arabs" (Shimon Peres' phrase)
— Mori Rothman-Zecher (@Moriel_RZ) December 7, 2014
Reminder: Palestinians in E. Jerusalem are "residents" not "citizens." Can travel, cannot vote- & the worst: their residency can be revoked
— Mori Rothman-Zecher (@Moriel_RZ) December 7, 2014
.@SaharMvardi reminds that there r hundreds of thousands of "missing classrooms" in E. Jerusalem, which makes life insanely hard 4 families
— Mori Rothman-Zecher (@Moriel_RZ) December 7, 2014
"theres almost nowhere for Palestinians to build in e. Jlem. So 2 options: build w out permit (risk demolition) or leave jlem" @SaharMvardi
— Mori Rothman-Zecher (@Moriel_RZ) December 7, 2014
First speaker is Atiyeh Omar, a grassroots organizer from Issawiya: "there are 18,000 people in Issawiya. People. People. Not animals."
— Mori Rothman-Zecher (@Moriel_RZ) December 7, 2014
"All the Israeli media come to do stories, and then edit the stories so we, the Palestinians, seem bad. Why won't they interview me live?"
— Mori Rothman-Zecher (@Moriel_RZ) December 7, 2014
"I am the chef… At Yad VaShem. Yep, I'm an Arab. And I don't poison the food… You hear that, mayor of Ashkelon?" -Atiyah Omar
— Mori Rothman-Zecher (@Moriel_RZ) December 7, 2014
"I'm sorry to phrase is like this, but you occupied me. Not you as individuals, but your representatives, their policy. So much #racism."
— Mori Rothman-Zecher (@Moriel_RZ) December 7, 2014
"Everyday in Issawiya, the police comes down upon us, to bring suffering with tear gas, barriers… Meanwhile, Nir Barkat builds a bikepath"
— Mori Rothman-Zecher (@Moriel_RZ) December 7, 2014
The next speaker, Marwa Obayid, is also from Issawiya. She begins by recalling "collective punishment the municipality enacts against us"
— Mori Rothman-Zecher (@Moriel_RZ) December 7, 2014
"The #IDF raids our village and in order to defend themselves, the children turn to the only means available, throwing stones."
— Mori Rothman-Zecher (@Moriel_RZ) December 7, 2014
"Over the last 2 months, the Israeli occupying forces have given out over 50 demolition orders in #Issawiya. Theyve destroyed a few already"
— Mori Rothman-Zecher (@Moriel_RZ) December 7, 2014
"A young boy, 10 yrs old, in Issawiya was recently shot in his eye with a rubber bullet. He lost his eye as a result. Think about that."
— Mori Rothman-Zecher (@Moriel_RZ) December 7, 2014
@Moriel_RZ lost the eye and sight in the other
— Elisheva Goldberg (@ShevGoldberg) December 7, 2014
Khaled Jabrin from the Shuafat Refugee Camp is now speaking, expresses disappointment that is event is in a bar, not a more respectful place
— Mori Rothman-Zecher (@Moriel_RZ) December 7, 2014
"Almost 80% of the residents of E Jlem live under the poverty line. I live in the Shuafat Refugee Camp, surrounded by walls." -Khaled Jabrin
— Mori Rothman-Zecher (@Moriel_RZ) December 7, 2014
"In the Shuafat refugee camp, there is drugs, crime, poverty. Zero services from the Israeli authorities, despite annexation."
— Mori Rothman-Zecher (@Moriel_RZ) December 7, 2014
"Why are many kids in E Jlem violent? No child is born bad. The Israeli system marginalizes, oppresses, is responsible for the violence"
— Mori Rothman-Zecher (@Moriel_RZ) December 7, 2014
"Its good that youre here, interested in the issue, but you shouldnt only be interested when violence reaches w jlem" pic.twitter.com/Ckoa0xHWNR
— Mori Rothman-Zecher (@Moriel_RZ) December 7, 2014
final speaker is Salam Mheissen, also from Issawiya. She will speak on her personal experience, as a student at Hebrew U from Issawiya
— Mori Rothman-Zecher (@Moriel_RZ) December 7, 2014
"Palestinian kids in Issawiya, 10 or 12 years old, they don't have "Politcal platforms." They do know that the police is against them."
— Mori Rothman-Zecher (@Moriel_RZ) December 7, 2014
"My father built our house himself and then he was forced to pay 50,000 shekels fine. As soon as he finished payment, they renewed the fine"
— Mori Rothman-Zecher (@Moriel_RZ) December 7, 2014
"Yesterday, the police entered our village, I was alone with my brothers, the police came and shot tear gas & rubber bullets… I went out
— Mori Rothman-Zecher (@Moriel_RZ) December 7, 2014
& told police that there are kids in my house, they shouldn't shoot tear gas. He yelled "go inside or I'll shoot tear gas into your house!"
— Mori Rothman-Zecher (@Moriel_RZ) December 7, 2014
"I am a jeruslamite, but I am a Palestinian. I will not give up my identity. After participating in a demo in support of Pal prisoners…
— Mori Rothman-Zecher (@Moriel_RZ) December 7, 2014
And then I got a letter from the behavior committee from Hebrew U, telling me to explain my participation in a demo w no permit."
— Mori Rothman-Zecher (@Moriel_RZ) December 7, 2014
"The Hebrew university is run in a #racist institution. Palestinians are allowed to study there, but not allowed to organize."
— Mori Rothman-Zecher (@Moriel_RZ) December 7, 2014
Next speaker is Ram from Akka, she tells us that she chose to come study in #Jerusalem. It seemed lovely- until I moved to Issawiya.
— Mori Rothman-Zecher (@Moriel_RZ) December 7, 2014
"Don't believe us how bad it is? Come to the tour this Friday. See for yourselves."
— Mori Rothman-Zecher (@Moriel_RZ) December 7, 2014
THIS FRIDAY, PUBLIC POLITICAL TOUR IN OCCUPIED EAST JERUSALEM NEIGHBORHOOD, ISSAWIYA. COME!
— Mori Rothman-Zecher (@Moriel_RZ) December 7, 2014
"The situation is awful. It is a bit encouraging to see so many people here."
— Mori Rothman-Zecher (@Moriel_RZ) December 7, 2014
Final speaker is Mohammad Abu Hummus, from Issawiya, he was a political prisoner for 8 years during the first #intifada.
— Mori Rothman-Zecher (@Moriel_RZ) December 7, 2014
"We are trapped in ghettos. I learned what the Jews went through in Europe, and it seemed like what we are experiencing here."
— Mori Rothman-Zecher (@Moriel_RZ) December 7, 2014
"A Palestinian child who sees a settler from Hebron or Tel Aviv come to a tour on the Temple Mount, while the child can't go there at all."
— Mori Rothman-Zecher (@Moriel_RZ) December 7, 2014
"What do I ask for you? Come to visit in East Jeruslem, in Issawiya." Now questions and answers. There are hundreds of people, not much time
— Mori Rothman-Zecher (@Moriel_RZ) December 7, 2014
First question: "the final speaker spoke of the violence in the synagogue in Har Nof, does he condemn that violence?"
— Mori Rothman-Zecher (@Moriel_RZ) December 7, 2014
Mohamed Abu Hummus: "I condemn violence from all sides. But you need to ask where this violence starts, look at constant attacks on mosques"
— Mori Rothman-Zecher (@Moriel_RZ) December 7, 2014
Next question: "I want to ask about voting for the Jerualsem municipality, why don't Palestinian in Jeruslem vote?"
— Mori Rothman-Zecher (@Moriel_RZ) December 7, 2014
"Why should I take part in the municipal elections when the decisions all come from the State and the Shabak?" -Mohammad Abu Hummus
— Mori Rothman-Zecher (@Moriel_RZ) December 7, 2014
"The voices of Palestinians in East Jerusalem aren't counted, don't matter to the State. We don't believe voting would change anything."
— Mori Rothman-Zecher (@Moriel_RZ) December 7, 2014
Next question: "I hope this question is ok… Would you prefer one state, with equality, or two states?"
— Mori Rothman-Zecher (@Moriel_RZ) December 7, 2014
First answer, Mohammad Abu Hummus: "first things first, i want our border, the 1967 border, and then we can reassess."
— Mori Rothman-Zecher (@Moriel_RZ) December 7, 2014
Atayeh Omar: "the Israeli "experts on Arab affairs" claim 2 speak about our whole society. They know nothing. For me the important=equality"
— Mori Rothman-Zecher (@Moriel_RZ) December 7, 2014
Marwa Obayed: "our problem with Israel is not a religious one, or personal. We are against the Zionist Statr that occupies our land."
— Mori Rothman-Zecher (@Moriel_RZ) December 7, 2014
Last questions: "what can we in West Jerusalem do, is there any way to work together?"
— Mori Rothman-Zecher (@Moriel_RZ) December 7, 2014
Mohammad Abu Hummus "If we want to get to real peace we need to work to end the occupation in the streets. &in the government, everywhere."
— Mori Rothman-Zecher (@Moriel_RZ) December 7, 2014
Kamal Jabrin: "the workers rights organization MAAN does important work, for the rights of people living under occupation in e jlem."
— Mori Rothman-Zecher (@Moriel_RZ) December 7, 2014
"A month ago, Jewish Israelis came to join a demonstration in Issawiya, and suddenly? The police is acting nice, gentle, no tear gas."
— Mori Rothman-Zecher (@Moriel_RZ) December 7, 2014
Atayeh Omar: "I want to surprise you. Right now, there is grassroots organization to start new young leadership in E Jlem. Support us."
— Mori Rothman-Zecher (@Moriel_RZ) December 7, 2014
"There will be a new Orient House" (Faisal Husseini's center for political organization and activism in the past)
— Mori Rothman-Zecher (@Moriel_RZ) December 7, 2014
Kamal Jabrin: "oh. And you can help by kicking Lehava out of the public square. More than 100 Arab youth have been attacked."
— Mori Rothman-Zecher (@Moriel_RZ) December 7, 2014
Thank you to all the speakers! This is just the beginning!
— Mori Rothman-Zecher (@Moriel_RZ) December 7, 2014
Event clearing out, good buzz, lots of conversation. pic.twitter.com/iWVKn0HDi2
— Mori Rothman-Zecher (@Moriel_RZ) December 7, 2014
My lord my thumbs are tired #carpaltunnel?
— Mori Rothman-Zecher (@Moriel_RZ) December 7, 2014
Palestinian speaker from Issawiya shows Israeli audience member video of his son after teargas shot into his house pic.twitter.com/TsFcByU0qY
— Mori Rothman-Zecher (@Moriel_RZ) December 7, 2014
The Leftern Wall 