Israeli social protests through the eyes of Palestinian youth

September the 9^th 2011, Haifa

By Jessica Valeri *

The streets of few cities in Israel, including Tel Aviv and Haifa, were occupied by thousands of protestors demanding social justice and affordable housing, protests that started around a month ago. These protests were one of the biggest demonstrations the country has seen in decades, demanding action against rising housing prices and rents, low wages, the high cost of living and other social issues.

What remains unclear, following a month of protests, is the position of the Palestinian minority within Israel in relation to these protests.

While interviewing Palestinian youth activists, different approaches to the matter start to appear.  

As Raja Zaatreh, director of Hirak association, 31 years old, says:

“Though the struggle began as a result of housing issues, today it is a struggle for social justice. Speaking on behalf of the Palestinian minority, I believe we should see ourselves as part of these protests, demanding a change for matters such as house demolitions. We cannot separate politics from social justice. There is no social justice without just politics. It goes hand in hand”

Raja continues and affirms the importance of the Palestinian community inside Israel to join the protests with the Israeli majority, saying:

“We should join the protests. We already withhold tents in Wadi Nisnas, an Arab neighborhood in Haifa. Activities with other members from the Arab community are taking place, as well as joining demonstrations organized by Israelis. We do initiate our different forms of protests, as we're also involved in the activities of everybody”.

Raja describes the situation as an opportunity for social change and the necessity for a “general demand”.

“We demand the Government for the right to buy houses, for the right to get loans from the banks that rarely give money for poor neighborhoods, for free education, for the development of the neighborhoods and for a better quality of life”

Shahin Nassar , 25 years old, journalist and a student at Haifa University, says "As a Palestinian, we are protesting in Wadi Nisnas because we want to tell them our problems" and underlines "I cannot sit aside while others protest. I want to protest for my rights"

Khaled Embtawe, a 25 year old student and a project coordinator at Baladna association, has a completely different opinion. He categorically refuses any involvement in the protests. As Khaled explains: "The Israeli struggle is to make houses affordable and in some cases these are the same houses that they took from the Palestinians. While the Arabs demand the basic human right to come back to their houses, the Israelis want low rent for the same houses. Like Ajamy. How can the protest of demands by settlers in Ajamy be the same as the demands of the Arabs in that same place?  Israelis took the Arab houses in that specific area and now they want the Arabs from Jaffa and Ajamy to join the protests?! The same is happening in Harish area. In this area the state built legal settlements in Arab lands in Wadi Ara. How can the protest of Harish be the same protest of Om el-fahem in wadi-arra? It goes without saying that it cannot be the same struggle”.

One of the points underlined is that the symbols and expressions used in the protests do not represent the Palestinians inside Israel. As Khaled explains: “Many of the symbols used in the protests contradict in principle the Arab community, such as the military symbols and other symbols that we cannot accept. The last protest that took place in Israel Saturday, 3^rd of September, end of the manifestation was accompanied by the Hatkiva, the National Israeli Anthem. It is a Zionist symbol that represents the majority of the population in Israel but does not represent to the Arab minority."

The possibility to talk about a solution, according to Yara Saadi, a 25 year old student, “Let's talk about the new solution regarding the construction of new settlements in the West Bank!!”, says Yara.

Hiba Yazabak, 26 years old, coordinator  of Coalition of Women's and Human Rights Group a young activist as well, expresses her own perspective to the matter, saying: “I believe that this struggle does not relate to the Palestinians in this land. I do not feel part of this. Palestinian Arabs have their own struggle, separately, and not as a result of the protests that are occurring today. Ever since '48 we have been struggling for our rights, one of which are social justice and affordable housing. Our activism is not new. We are not joining their protest, we continuing ours.” She continues, “Social justice cannot exist without political justice, without talking about Nakba. Social justice is also politics.“

Yara thinks that the alternative could be represented by providing more information about the situation or joining other political struggles. For Khaled, on the other hand the alternative has a specific meaning, “I am not considering an alternative approach to the matter, not a new alternative. We have the alternative that served us for years. We already have an alternative and it is a political struggle. My alternative is not related to this specific activism. I am not responding to this activist movement, we have been struggling for 60 years. My tents were built in 1948. Think about Araqib. It is an unrecognized village where Arabs are living in tents because they do not have homes and basic needs. The Israelis wish to struggle, they are welcome to join these tents."

Since the first years of the Declaration of the State of Israel the Jewish majority has been receiving economical and financial benefits from a Welfare State while the Arab minority did not have the same opportunities. Nowadays the situation changed for the majority as well, while the Arab minority continues to be rejected the same rights of the Israeli majority.

The protests continue to take place in the Israeli main cities, demanding social justice. But, it seems that the Israeli and Arab protesters are not quite on the same page when it comes to the definition of social justice.

* Jessica Valeri is an intern at Baladna- association for Arab youth