http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2009/10/21/18626219.phpOn Wednesday, October 21, Ezra Nawi was sentenced for a 30 days in Jail, 750 Shekels fine (about 150$), 500 Shekels compensation to each of the two Israeli soldiers who accuse him of attacking them, and another 6 mouths in jail if he is convicted in the next three year of “illegal gathering”. Illegal gathering can be declared by any police officer, and basically means that Ezra will not be allowed to keep doing his solidarity work in occupied Palestine.
a couple of months ago, Judge Eilata Ziskind, found Ezra guilty of assaulting two border police officers and participating in a riot, during a house demolition in the West Bank, in the village of Um el-Hir in February, 2007. Ezra was convicted based solely on the the border police officers' testimonies, while the video footage from the event clearly showed that Ezra did not use violence in his protest against the injustices of the occupation.
In her decision the judge Elisabeth Ziskind said that “this court does not deal with ideology, but with whether a criminal activity took place. A dangerous behavior cannot be allowed in a normal society. If we allow these kind of acts we are becoming undemocratic.” at this point Ezra interrupted the judge to ask if she is giving him a lecture, or reading the sentence. The judge, annoyed by Ezra remarks, moved to read the sentence while emphasizing again that if laws and regulation are not protected the Israeli society will be become an anarchy.
Ezra conviction and sentence, shows again the intimate relation between the occupying forces and the Israeli courts. On the one hand the state puts apartheid laws into place that deny the right of people to water, food, or (as in this case) housing, and on the other hand those who resist this laws by participating in civil disobedience are branded “anarchists” and accused of trying to disturb society's order. Like many colonial ideologists judge Ziskind ignored the overwhelming laws that make it impossible for Palestinian to survive in the name of the “civilized” society based on “order“. Relying on the testimonies of two Israeli Soldiers who are shown in a movie documenting the event to attack a Palestinian family and activists trying to stop a house demolition, the judge showed who she would rather believe to. By stating that somehow, the court decision does not deal with ideology, Judge Ziskind reveals plain ignorance.
More, on the same exact day the legal adviser to the government has decided not to press charges against a group of Israeli soldiers who were filmed harassing Palestinians in Jerusalem. Justice in Israel means that for trying to stop a house demolition one receives jail time, and for harassing and attacking Palestinians one walks free.
In years from now, Ezra will be remembered as a person who fought for human rights, like activists during the Civil Rights movement in America and those who opposed the Apartheid government in South Africa. All of them willing to spent time in jail for their heroic activity. And what legacy would be left of judge Ziskind? A defender of a colonial and apartheid laws who like other judges in dark times in history thought that her ruling does not involve a political line.
for more info about Ezra's case visit:
http://www.supportezra.net/
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