Free Republic

Former Meretz leader and staunch opponent of religious institutions in Israel says struggle against rabbinical courts should be led by religious women, 'whose knowledge is often superior to men's' Kobi Nahshoni Published: 07.09.07, 19:34 / Israel Jewish Scene "It's unacceptable that a man, just because he studied such and such Gemara pages, will be able to doom you to be refused a divorce or make you slaves in your own home," former MK Shulamit Aloni told participants at the Kolech conference on women status and religion Sunday. Referring to the plight of women who were refused a divorce, Aloni slammed...

Israel's leaders must change mindset, engage in dialogue with Palestinians Shulamit Aloni Published: 09.24.06, 00:28 In a few months, we will mark 40 years of "enlightened" occupation by our famed army in Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip. Israel pretends to be an enlightened state and signatory of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which rules that "The Occupying Power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies" (Israel ratified the Convention in 1951.) Over the years we deported, robbed land and stole water, destroyed crops, uprooted trees, turned every village and town into...

Machsom Watch women struggle to show what's happening on stolen land There once was a nation in whose name the country's hallowed army and security forces, both secret and less secret, committed the most barbaric of crimes. The country claimed "we didn't know," even as the army looted homes and attacked foreign lands. Government PR/ propaganda was very helpful for people who didn't know. "Our actions are an existential need," they claimed. "The enemy is dangerous," "Our army is the most moral in the world," "Our country needs us, and we are patriots. Therefore, we must be understanding of everything,...

IDF elite sent to kill, be killed for defense minister's satisfaction If we thought the strategy of power and more power and still more power had come to an end, that the policy of destruction and assassination "over there" and terror attacks here in response had come to an end, if we'd hoped we'd reached the end of the systematic extra-judicial violence, with no judge or jury - guess again. The addition of Shaul Mofaz to Kadima, and the apparent promise made to him that he would be defense minister in the next government, should set off many flashing red...

‘Israeli terror is worse’ Former Education Minister Shulamit Aloni blasts ‘megalomaniac’ Prime Minister Sharon in interview with Arab-Israeli newspaper, says he should face justice. Aloni also charges Israel a racist state that commits war crimes By Roee Nahmias Scathing attack - Shulamit Aloni Photo: Zvika Tishler TEL AVIV – Israel is a racist state that commits war crimes and resorts to terrorism worse than that employed by the Palestinians, former Education Minister Shulamit Aloni charged in an unusually scathing interview with Nazareth-based Arab-Israeli newspaper Kul al-Arab. Other highlights from the interview include “(Prime Minister) Sharon should face justice,” “Israel is...

They received the best education that the State of Israel can offer its choice students during the tenure of the present government, in spite of the budget cuts. Small classes, good teachers, many rabbis, a supportive community, free transportation, a lot of enrichment classes - to which the darlings were carried on the shoulders of army reservists - a very patriotic education, a lot of Torah with derech eretz (proper courtesy) and loads of Judaism. (It is doubtful whether they learned a lot of Jewish ethics there, of the type understood by most of the public, and as Jewish public...

It’s no secret the settlements were born in sin, outside the jurisdiction of the State of Israel, where the occupier has no right to establish colonies. With the passage of time, the settlements built up strength and courage and collected capital and assets - illegally. Through lies and deceit, even before the courts, they said they were there for security needs, and that way robbed land from the local poor and enslaved them in their farms. In pre-revolution Russia this class was referred to as Kulaks. Something similar was present in the southern United States before the civil war. The...