Comments on: MaGav: Thoughts on race and class in Israel’s border police http://borderlinecrimes.com/2009/09/15/magav-thoughts-on-race-and-class-in-israels-border-police/ on critique, boundaries, and activism Tue, 20 Jul 2010 22:50:52 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: daniputterman http://borderlinecrimes.com/2009/09/15/magav-thoughts-on-race-and-class-in-israels-border-police/comment-page-1/#comment-21788 daniputterman Sun, 06 Jun 2010 13:21:19 +0000 http://borderlinecrimes.com/?p=287#comment-21788 Russian Jews. Russian Jews.

]]> By: daniputterman http://borderlinecrimes.com/2009/09/15/magav-thoughts-on-race-and-class-in-israels-border-police/comment-page-1/#comment-21633 daniputterman Thu, 29 Apr 2010 14:25:11 +0000 http://borderlinecrimes.com/?p=287#comment-21633 Menachem Begin took advantage of the mizrahi pain for all of their suffering in arab countries and also their suffering in Israel coming from the Ashkenazis. Begin made them likudniks. Menachem Begin took advantage of the mizrahi pain for all of their suffering in arab countries and also their suffering in Israel coming from the Ashkenazis.
Begin made them likudniks.

]]> By: daniputterman http://borderlinecrimes.com/2009/09/15/magav-thoughts-on-race-and-class-in-israels-border-police/comment-page-1/#comment-21631 daniputterman Thu, 29 Apr 2010 14:20:39 +0000 http://borderlinecrimes.com/?p=287#comment-21631 Russian Jews are also Ashkenazis and they serve in MAGAV unless Nawi ezra doesn't consider them jewish enought maybe he wants to see them as goyim. Russian Jews are also Ashkenazis and they serve in MAGAV unless Nawi ezra doesn't consider them jewish enought maybe he wants to see them as goyim.

]]> By: daniputterman http://borderlinecrimes.com/2009/09/15/magav-thoughts-on-race-and-class-in-israels-border-police/comment-page-1/#comment-21632 daniputterman Thu, 29 Apr 2010 14:20:25 +0000 http://borderlinecrimes.com/?p=287#comment-21632 Russian Jews are also Ashkenazis and the serve in MAGAV unless Nawi ezra doesn't consider them jewish enought maybe he wants to see them as goyim. Russian Jews are also Ashkenazis and the serve in MAGAV unless Nawi ezra doesn't consider them jewish enought maybe he wants to see them as goyim.

]]> By: Woody http://borderlinecrimes.com/2009/09/15/magav-thoughts-on-race-and-class-in-israels-border-police/comment-page-1/#comment-21296 Woody Tue, 02 Feb 2010 01:02:59 +0000 http://borderlinecrimes.com/?p=287#comment-21296 Ethiopians make up a large number as well. A recent article showed that Ethiopians are also about 4 times as likely to end up Israeli Military Prison. This is another population that gets the shaft under their white masters. The hierarchy of race in the Tzahal, let alone the Mishmar HaGvul, is amazing. I've seen a Druze soldier named Mohammed hold an m-16 to the head of a Palestinian, a "fellow Arab", with the Ashkenazim superiors safely hidden in the checkpoint. The role of women is also not to be unexamined. Sexual assault against women is rampant in IDF. At checkpoints some of the worst things I've witnessed have come from female soldiers who, when given the power and authority, recreated masculine type domination on unarmed Palestinians. Ethiopians make up a large number as well. A recent article showed that Ethiopians are also about 4 times as likely to end up Israeli Military Prison. This is another population that gets the shaft under their white masters.

The hierarchy of race in the Tzahal, let alone the Mishmar HaGvul, is amazing. I've seen a Druze soldier named Mohammed hold an m-16 to the head of a Palestinian, a "fellow Arab", with the Ashkenazim superiors safely hidden in the checkpoint.

The role of women is also not to be unexamined. Sexual assault against women is rampant in IDF. At checkpoints some of the worst things I've witnessed have come from female soldiers who, when given the power and authority, recreated masculine type domination on unarmed Palestinians.

]]> By: MaGav: Thoughts on race and class in Israel’s border police/ Borderline Crimes « yaman salahi http://borderlinecrimes.com/2009/09/15/magav-thoughts-on-race-and-class-in-israels-border-police/comment-page-1/#comment-20322 MaGav: Thoughts on race and class in Israel’s border police/ Borderline Crimes « yaman salahi Sun, 15 Nov 2009 22:17:02 +0000 http://borderlinecrimes.com/?p=287#comment-20322 [...] Source: borderlinecrimes.com [...] [...] Source: borderlinecrimes.com [...]

]]> By: lior h http://borderlinecrimes.com/2009/09/15/magav-thoughts-on-race-and-class-in-israels-border-police/comment-page-1/#comment-8048 lior h Mon, 21 Sep 2009 07:39:52 +0000 http://borderlinecrimes.com/?p=287#comment-8048 They came in with masks the first night the raids started about two months ago. Though I am quiet sure they knew there was going to be filming. They came in with masks the first night the raids started about two months ago. Though I am quiet sure they knew there was going to be filming.

]]> By: itamar http://borderlinecrimes.com/2009/09/15/magav-thoughts-on-race-and-class-in-israels-border-police/comment-page-1/#comment-8029 itamar Mon, 21 Sep 2009 05:23:18 +0000 http://borderlinecrimes.com/?p=287#comment-8029 I hadn't thought about masks. Did they start wearing masks ever since the filming began or have they always been wearing masks? I hadn't thought about masks. Did they start wearing masks ever since the filming began or have they always been wearing masks?

]]> By: lior h http://borderlinecrimes.com/2009/09/15/magav-thoughts-on-race-and-class-in-israels-border-police/comment-page-1/#comment-7764 lior h Sat, 19 Sep 2009 07:47:25 +0000 http://borderlinecrimes.com/?p=287#comment-7764 The case of Bil'in and the continuous night raids that have been happening there for the past two months add an interesting perspective to all of this. As you mention, Magav is in many ways the face of the occupation; they shoot tear gas and rubber bullets at demonstrators, they decide when and who can or cannot cross the barrier to work their lands. The night raids (to arrest alleged 'stone throwers' and/or confiscate Palestinian flags used in protests <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jy1qOMJXk5A" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jy1qOMJXk5A</a> ; in effect, to create daily fear in a village that has become a symbol of resistance) are carried out by elite units in which there are few mizrachim. These elite units, too, are the face of the occupation; indeed, they are the night time reality for the people of Bil'in. Except these special forces soldiers don't have a face, that is, they show up completely masked up (as the video shows). In your analysis you say that magavnikim “are given the opportunity to hold themselves above one of the only populations below them on the totem poll.” It seems as to me that the very fact that their racialized bodies are visible authorizes the act of elevating one’s (brown) self over another brown person. It is almost as if that ‘comparison’ (we are both brown but I have the power) foregrounds the acts they carry out (you can or you can’t cross over today, etc). But what about when faces and bodies are covered? What opportunities do we have to identify with the few soldiers that might be mizrachi—and marginalized from within--in those elite units? It certainly doesn’t help that most of the presence in the village during those raids are internationals that don’t speak Hebrew (well, they can say ‘lech tizdayen’). How do we begin to turn their gaze back on itself when we can’t even see the face behind that gaze? The case of Bil'in and the continuous night raids that have been happening there for the past two months add an interesting perspective to all of this. As you mention, Magav is in many ways the face of the occupation; they shoot tear gas and rubber bullets at demonstrators, they decide when and who can or cannot cross the barrier to work their lands. The night raids (to arrest alleged 'stone throwers' and/or confiscate Palestinian flags used in protests http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jy1qOMJXk5A ; in effect, to create daily fear in a village that has become a symbol of resistance) are carried out by elite units in which there are few mizrachim. These elite units, too, are the face of the occupation; indeed, they are the night time reality for the people of Bil'in. Except these special forces soldiers don't have a face, that is, they show up completely masked up (as the video shows). In your analysis you say that magavnikim “are given the opportunity to hold themselves above one of the only populations below them on the totem poll.” It seems as to me that the very fact that their racialized bodies are visible authorizes the act of elevating one’s (brown) self over another brown person. It is almost as if that ‘comparison’ (we are both brown but I have the power) foregrounds the acts they carry out (you can or you can’t cross over today, etc). But what about when faces and bodies are covered? What opportunities do we have to identify with the few soldiers that might be mizrachi—and marginalized from within–in those elite units? It certainly doesn’t help that most of the presence in the village during those raids are internationals that don’t speak Hebrew (well, they can say ‘lech tizdayen’). How do we begin to turn their gaze back on itself when we can’t even see the face behind that gaze?

]]> By: itamar http://borderlinecrimes.com/2009/09/15/magav-thoughts-on-race-and-class-in-israels-border-police/comment-page-1/#comment-7719 itamar Fri, 18 Sep 2009 22:58:33 +0000 http://borderlinecrimes.com/?p=287#comment-7719 Thank you very much for the kinds words and the support. As an update to my post, it has also come to my attention that Russian immigrants and women also comprise a portion of MaGav, and that the woman soldiers are rumored to more aggressive in order to, as I speculated in the post, prove their membership either in MaGav as a military unit or in society in general. Thank you very much for the kinds words and the support.

As an update to my post, it has also come to my attention that Russian immigrants and women also comprise a portion of MaGav, and that the woman soldiers are rumored to more aggressive in order to, as I speculated in the post, prove their membership either in MaGav as a military unit or in society in general.

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