Israel: teacher held in solitary confinement for posting concern about Gaza deaths

[cbabe]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/jan/13/it-is-a-time-of-witch-hunts-in-israel-teacher-held-in-solitary-confinement-for-posting-concern-about-gaza-deaths

Israel: teacher held in solitary confinement for posting concern about Gaza deaths

Meir Baruchin, who was fired and jailed for criticising the military, says that many who agree with him are afraid to go public

Emma Graham-Harrison and Quique Kierszenbaum in Jerusalem
Sat 13 Jan 2024 10.42 EST

An unlikely charge of intent to commit treason landed Meir Baruchin, a grey-haired, softly spoken history and civics teacher, in the solitary confinement wing of Jerusalem’s notorious “Russian Compound” prison in early November.
The evidence compiled by police who handcuffed him, then drove to his apartment and ransacked it as he watched, was a series of Facebook posts he’d made, mourning the civilians killed in Gaza, criticising the Israeli military, and warning against wars of revenge.

…
“Most Israelis don’t know much about Palestinians. They think they are terrorists, all of them, or vague images with no names, no faces, no family, no homes, no hopes,” Baruchin said. “What I am trying to do in my posts is present Palestinians as human beings.”

…
“The message is crystal clear: keep silent, watch out,” he says, adding that they strengthened his own conviction about speaking out. “I thought to myself, when I retire, I might conclude this is the most significant lesson I ever gave in civics.”

…

“I was not allowed a book, TV or anything. The wardens were not allowed to talk to me and there were no windows, so I didn’t know daytime from night-time. My watch was taken away.

…more…

[Jilly_in_VA]

1. Sounds just like the Nazis to me n/t

[David__77]

2. Yikes.

I’m so glad that there are Israeli citizens speaking up.

[RAB910]

3. Funny, I have been told Israel is the only free democracy in the region

This is not it. This is more like how fascism functions

[GiqueCee]

4. Netanyahu...

Last edited Sat Jan 13, 2024, 04:53 PM - Edit history (1)

... and his insatiable craving for dominion over the lives of others (more commonly called POWER) including his own countrymen, has put him in danger of becoming that which every son – and daughter – of Abraham despises most in this world.
When disagreeing with Netanyahu's foreign policies, and the army's methods of implementing them, lands a school teacher in solitary confinement, Israel's got a problem. A BIG one.
Bibi's ruthless savagery has effectively destroyed international support for Israel in this conflict. Hamas is not representative of all Palestinians; Hamas are monstrous cowards who hide behind women and children. They care nothing about Palestinian civilians and they deserve no mercy. But deliberately targeting Palestinian civilians, hospitals, and journalists is not only a blatant violation of international law, it is a monstrous act that denies Netanyahu – and by extension, Israel – any claim to the moral high ground.
And criticizing Netanyahu does NOT make one anti-Israel, any more than criticizing Donald Trump makes one anti-American.
If one is willing to sacrifice one's basic humanity in pursuit of a goal, maybe it's time to re-evaluate the legitimacy of that goal and how one gets there.

[PatrickforB]

10. Indeed. The end does not justify the means. It never has. n/t

[elleng]

5. That's the way to do it, Israel, jail teachers,

perfectly NOT in accord with Jewish traditions.

[madaboutharry]

6. What a surprise that The Guardian left out all the facts.

A history and civics teacher working at a school in the central city of Petah Tikva was arrested Friday for appearing to justify rape and other atrocities committed by Hamas during its October 7 onslaught, police said.

“Israeli soldiers didn’t rape Palestinians? They have since 1948, and this doesn’t make it into the textbooks,” the suspect claimed on a messaging group with other teachers following the outbreak of the war last month, apparently commenting on accounts that Hamas terrorists had raped women during their murderous onslaught in southern Israel.

“An occupied nation is allowed to do anything that is needed in order to succeed in its struggle,” he wrote in a separate instance, appearing to justify the atrocities committed by Hamas, whose terrorists murdered around 1,200 people, mostly civilians butchered in their homes and at a music festival, and kidnapped at least 244 to Gaza.

According to media outlets, the suspect has a history of expressing support for terror, disparaging security forces, and even eulogizing a terrorist.

The suspect once labeled Israeli Air Force pilots as “child murderers” and encouraged high school students to refuse to serve in the army. Earlier in the year, he wrote that someone who carried out a car-ramming attack “was not a terrorist,” and he has also made online posts encouraging attacks on soldiers and police officers.

.

For those who don't know, The First Amendment of the United States Constitution is not applicable in foreign countries.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/teacher-arrested-over-posts-appearing-to-justify-rape-other-oct-7-acts-by-hamas/

[RocRizzo55]

7. Yeah, the First Amendment is not applicable in foreign countries

Especially those committing genocide.
No offense meant. Just my opinion.

[Dogberry57]

8. Another fact

So you admit that Israel is an authoritarian state.

[angrychair]

9. This is not normal

Nor ok. Things are going sideways and I don't like where it's going. Israel is becoming a totalitarian regime. We can no longer trust it's current leadership.