New York's Museum of Jewish Heritage has engaged in an act of supreme cultural and political hubris: it is hosting a show consisting entirely of Israeli Mossad artifacts designed to boost the image of that agency and, by extension, Brand Israel. To do this, the Mossad had to go way back in its archive, before it was reduced to assassinating second and … [Read more...]
Shin Bet Has Bad Case of Transphobia
After scores of international flights passed without incident, suddenly in recent months an Israeli transgender traveler began to suffer systematic harassment at the hands of Shin Bet security agents. This included intrusive body and luggage searches at the airport and invasive questions having nothing to do with security matters. Interrogators asked Mor … [Read more...]
Shin Bet Detains New Israel Fund Official as Security Threat at Ben Gurion Airport
Israel is rapidly turning into a police state. One in which even liberal civil society NGOs are no longer tolerated. A state like Russia or China or North Korea in which strongmen rule and dissenting voices are suppressed through legalism, violence or even murder. The first two have happened in Israel, but not yet the third (but it will … [Read more...]
BREAKING: Turkish Protests Outside Israeli Embassy After Shabak Arrests Turkish Citizen as “Iranian Spy”
UPDATE: In the midst of writing this post, the Shabak (perhaps reading my e mail traffic!) decided to partially lift the gag order on this story. Israeli media may still not report the reason for Buyruk's arrest, which I do below. Further, Israeli media now reports he was expelled from Israel and been put on a plane back to Turkey. An Israeli security … [Read more...]