– Netanyahu’s policy is life-threatening for Jews both inside and outside Israel, says Mia Habib. She is a Norwegian-Israeli Jew with family in Israel. Mia Habib has become a clear voice against Israel’s occupation and warfare in Gaza. – The policy under Netanyahu helps to divide and polarize people. It takes an extremely large number of lives, it destroys the basis of life and it destroys generations to come, says Mia Habib. She is a driving force in Jewish Voices for Just Peace. There is a new network of people with a Jewish or Israeli background who have had enough of Israel’s oppression and violence against the Palestinians and the country’s warfare. – It is therefore extremely important to say that the horrible things that are happening in Gaza now and in the West Bank during Israel’s brutal occupation are not happening in our name. After Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7 that claimed 1,200 lives, Israel’s warfare in Gaza has claimed more than 41,000 lives. Habib believes the policy is dangerous for several reasons. She believes that it creates enemy images that will take generations to demolish. – Netanyahu’s policy uses the Jewish identity to justify cruel human rights violations. In recent days, the focus has been directed even more towards Lebanon. On Saturday, the news came that Israel has probably killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. LOCATION: Posters with clear messages. Photo: Frode Fjerdingstad / news Activism has a price Criticizing Israel publicly creates unrest within Jewish communities, both in Norway and elsewhere in the world. In many families, Israeli politics has become a non-issue. And many of the Voices pay a high price for their activity. IN DIALOGUE: Rabbi Joav Melchior wants no public debate with the Jewish activists. Photo: news – We either have to avoid the political conversations, or the conversations become so heated that we lose contact with the family for longer periods. These are things we don’t talk about, says Habib. She herself is not a Zionist, she does not share the idea of a Jewish state. Not all Norwegian Jews share the views of the activists. Joav Melchior, rabbi of Det Mosaiske Trossamfund (DMT) in Oslo has a dialogue with Mia Habib and her Jewish network, but the rabbi does not want to enter into any public debate with her. An important meeting place The Jewish voices participate in demonstrations together with Palestine activists. But the network has also become a long-awaited space where Jews who have felt alone with frustration, fear and concern have found a community. Mia Habib held an appeal during a demonstration. After 7 October last year, Norwegian-Israeli Tamar Ohana Goksøyr had a great need to do something. In a time of bitter and hard fronts, she wanted to help build bridges. The new network of Jewish Voices for Just Peace has helped her. – In a situation where you can quickly feel lonely and stuck in a box, the group helps me stand steady in a stormy time. Here there is room for discussions and more opinions. COMMUNITY: For Tamar Ohana Goksøyr, “Jødiske Stemmer” has become an important network in which she can be active. Photo: Frode Fjerdingstad / news Ohana Goksøy is upset by the claim that criticism of Israel’s policy is the same as anti-Semitism and Jew-hatred. Israeli Yonatan Shapira has held several appeals against the Gaza war in the demonstrations in Oslo. – For me, it is an obligation as an Israeli, as a Jew and as a human being to show solidarity with the Palestinians now. He was a pilot in the Israeli Air Force, but left the IDF in protest against the occupation. He is no longer a Zionist. ISRAELIS IN THE GAZA CAMP: Yonatan Shapiro is one of the most visible of the group. He is concerned that the oil fund must withdraw from Israeli companies. And that Norway must make sure that Norwegian weapons are not used in Gaza. Photo: Frode Fjerdingstad / news We meet Shapira, who lives in Norway now, in the Palestine camp at UiO under a banner that says Free Palestine. – What is it like to stand here for someone who was a pilot in the Israeli Air Force? – It is already a part of me. Since I refused to be part of the occupation, I have spent most of my time with Israelis and Palestinians who are fighting to end the occupation and the apartheid system. Palestine has become part of my Israeli identity because no one is free until everyone is free, he says. Published 28.09.2024, at 11.49
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Jewish Mia believes Netanyahu is dangerous for both Palestinians and Jews – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
