Politics of Power in Zambia

By Molly Nocheck

News is a globalized commodity. It has the power to be far-reaching, poignant and life changing. Power is a precious thing, however and may be controlled to suit agendas. In Zambia, the news creates power- so much power that it creates an environment where anyone who has a dream can realize them.

Challenges in broadcast journalism

At my internship at Zambia National Broadcast Corporation (ZNBC), I was given a first-hand look of the politics of power. ZNBC is a government-run news station. By and large, the newsroom at ZNBC could rival a newsroom in the U.S. There is a suitable number of computers, phones and broadcast equipment. Though the Internet may be slower and technologies like tape-by-tape editing are still being used, it seems that ZNBC is a formidable presence in Zambian news.

The excitement of being involved in a growing newsroom was soon extinguished. I quickly learned that journalists in the ZNBC newsroom faced an insurmountable difficulty that made gathering hard news next to impossible. The lack of resources created the need to ration things like transportation among reporters. I was told that I would be able to do field reporting, but when the time came to actually get to accompany a reporter outside the newsroom, I was told that there was not enough room in the car. Furthermore, there weren't even enough cars for the reporters to go and gather the news. Resources like transportation are limited.

The Zambian government uses power to control the flow of information. By controlling resources given to reporters, the government can effectively monitor the news.

Differences in Reporting

At my internship, I was given a press release to write a story on. The story was about how a Zambian official was starting a campaign to warn women to not talk to strange men, as these men might try to get them to smuggle drugs to different countries. The story had an insultingly patriarchal feel. While reading the story, I wished I had the resources I had while reporting in the US to actually go out and get peoples' responses and reactions. Normally when I do stories based off press releases I am instructed to contact various sources to get quotes and information beyond what is published. At ZNBC, I was simply told to reorganize and rewrite the story. As I looked around the newsroom throughout the day, I realized that hardly any reporters were using the phone trying to dig deeper. In fact, I saw most reporters go online to sites like BBC and copy and paste stories. These reporters were barely scratching the surface of the news.

Ethical?

Posted on the wall behind the reporters was a code of ethics for ZNBC. The code demands balanced news, well-researched pieces, and more importantly- a voice for the people. I don't think the reporters have the ability to fully follow this code of ethics. Without suitable resources and a comprehensive education in journalism, I feel that there is a lack of journalistic integrity.

InterNOT in Lusaka, Zambia

By Lindsay Boyle

in Lusaka, Zambia

Though I’ve only been in Zambia for four days, it feels as though I’ve been here for weeks. Zambia is full of journalistic inspiration. There are so many thoughts racing through my brain, so many words I wish to put to paper, so many topics I’d like to discuss. One such topic, ironically enough, is keeping me from starting those discussions: Internet accessibility issues.

Hotel Internet Issues

When we were still in the United States, we had been informed that we’d be staying at a four-star hotel where Internet access was available. That was important to us as journalists, as students and, last but not least, as social networking fiends.

Upon arrival, the situation played out a bit differently than we expected. We were each given a one-hour slot of Internet access that could be attained only with a code and password we’d have to ask for each day. Even worse (in the minds of Internet-obsessed college students) was the speed and reliability of the connection: sub-par, at best.

Though it may sound like it, I’m not complaining—I’m just telling it like it is. For many of us, having the Internet literally within an arm’s reach (via our smartphones, iPods, laptops, or whatever else) at all times is a norm, so losing that was quite a culture shock. Personally, I’m glad I’ve been so disconnected because it’s allowed me to focus more on Zambia and, to an extent, empathize with Zambians. From the hotel, however, the Internet issues only worsened.

Internship Internet issues

So far, I’ve had the opportunity to spend a day with both Panos Institute Southern Africa (PSAf) and the government-run Times of Zambia (the Times). At PSAf, my colleague and I were surprised as the workers casually explained they’d been without Internet for three weeks, as though it happened all the time (which it does). It was hard for me to fathom being able to function effectively at a workplace with no Internet access, but they relied heavily on phones and in-person visits.

Surely the Times would be better, right?

Not so much. Upon arrival to the feature reporters’ office, I saw three boxy computers probably dated back to the 90s. I was taken aback considering that the Times is a government organization, but wasn’t truly shocked until I learned that two of the computers wouldn’t even turn on. The remaining one was functioning so slowly it surely had a virus. All of the features reporters had to share that computer.

Zambian Internet issues

When I shared my experiences with other students, several of them had witnessed similar situations at their internships. In the U.S., we don’t often think about the fact that many citizens in other countries not only don’t grow up with good technology—some never see it at all.

According to The World Factbook, there were 14,771 Internet hosts in Zambia as of 2010—a number that ranks 118 out of just over 200 in comparison to the rest of the world. Of the nearly 14 million Zambian citizens, only 816,200 were actively using the Internet as of 2009. That figure ranks 105 amongst the other nations in the world.

To put that in perspective, the U.S. has about 439 million Internet hosts and 245 million Internet users. It does have a much larger population, but the percentage still presents an outstanding difference—the U.S. ranks number one in hosts and number two in users, second only to China.

For me, that point was driven home by a simple incident with big implications. At the Times, I watched as a reporter struggled to re-type an edited article using only his index fingers. I offered to take a turn and he gladly accepted. When I began typing, he and another reporter gathered around to watch because they were amazed at how quickly I typed. In that moment, I realized there are so, so many things I don’t even realize I should be thankful for that I take for granted.

After seeing some of the conditions at the government’s newspaper, I better understand some of the issues with media in Zambia. I can’t imagine regularly trying to create and distribute journalistic pieces without having a sure and stable connection to the Internet and a working (preferably quickly) computer.

Lindsay Boyle is one of 18 students from Ohio University, studying abroad in Zambia over winter intercession, about media, society, and governance, through the Institute for International Journalism.

The Universal Language of Music

By Rebecca Koch,

In Lusaka, Zambia

Hip-hop and R&B music is littered all over my iTunes, but I never thought that my music preferences and knowledge would help me get to know people in Lusaka, Zambia. From watching popular music videos in our hotel, discussing popular music with the Y&R advertising managing director to running around town, music played a large role in making my adjustment to a foreign country much easier. I’ve broken up the various instances that music has helped me throughout the week in Zambia into the following sections:

The people here really enjoy American music:
This was discussed over lunch with Peter Armstrong, managing director at Y&R advertising. A lot of people in his office listen to popular music throughout the workday. The office environment was laid back while anything from Big Sean to Coldplay is heard through the hallways. Employees take turns choosing different songs and occasionally have brief conversations about the song and what they liked or disliked about it. They dictate the mood of the office by constantly interacting with each other to work and to socialize together.

It’s like a tradeoff:
While establishing our musical preferences with a worker at my internship, we would interject asking each other if we had heard a certain song or artist, while later noting that if we haven’t heard it we should listen soon. “If I give you some of my American music, you should give me some local music,” I finally proposed. Although many people enjoy the popular American music, culture shines through with local and regional tunes. While I am currently experiencing Zambia firsthand, I want to evoke this feeling far after I’m gone. Storing some music on my computer ensures that I will not forget about the learning experience and supplements any pictures or souvenirs that I forget.

We all speak music:
This last section includes more than one experience. The first involves a jog around town. Every morning, I run around the city near our hotel. The city is scattered with individuals walking to school or work and the road is flooded with cars waiting patiently in traffic to reach their destination. As I jog by the cars, the majority of the windows are cracked slightly with the radio blaring. Listening to the tunes playing in the cars nearly convinced me that I was in the States. About eight cars that I passed were playing the same song that is played on American radios, Rihanna “We found Love”. Rihanna was also played in a local village we visited. No one we talked to spoke English, but they danced and hummed to the American music.

The next experience took place at the Soweto market. While the market is a great experience, it is extremely intimidating especially when no one around is speaking my language or talking to me in a different language. The crowded area was filled with unfamiliar people and languages but I was greeted with excitement and comfort when Jay-Z and Kanye West songs were played in numerous portions of the mall. Knowing the music and knowing that the people enjoyed similar music helped ease my nerves and created common ground for the workers and myself.

This common ground demonstrates the power that music has with people. While there are languages that people don’t speak, cultural practices unique to certain areas and countries that some will never visit, music helps connect people in a way that books and transportation cannot. It is an understanding that spans continents and connects people who are seemingly unrelated. And although music does not need a language to be understood, it is a way we can understand each other.

Communication breakdown: Zambia

By Heather Farr

One of the principles constantly ingrained into public relations majors at the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism is know your audience. If a practitioner fails to listen to the wants, needs and interests of the target audience, he or she might as well pick a communications campaign out of a hat. Every day, people get thousands of messages and ideas thrown at them and the only ones that have a chance at creating an attitude or behavior change are the ones that relate to and reach the audience.

A different kind of restriction

This simple PR idea came full circle the moment I stepped into the advertising agency at which I am interning in Zambia. Many media outlets in Zambia are government owned and even those that are not are still affected by politics. This made me wonder: are strategic communications messages dictated by government agendas or rules? A casual conversation with an employee turned into a journalistic investigation when I asked him whether he felt the impact of the government in his work. He said no, but then explained a situation very different from any I have ever experienced in the U.S.

According to the aforementioned employee, the majority of the Zambian public is functionally literate. Even a poor man on the street can watch an American movie in English and recite it back to you or quote it, he said. Yet, many companies want professional communicators to “dumb down” ideas, restricting the flow of creativity that many professionals in the United States unconsciously enjoy. While ad and PR agencies in the United States are constantly trying to push the envelope and take the audience to the next level, the ad professionals in Zambia may be forced to muzzle their ideas at the request of the client.

Context is key

PR practitioners need to recognize not only the audience when spreading a message, but also the environment and circumstances when deciding what communications methods to use. An American professional might approach a problem in the U.S. with the trending solution of social media, but that solution may not apply to a similar problem in Africa.

“People think we are behind because we aren’t utilizing social media. That is great if it works in the States, but we just aren’t at that point yet,” the same employee said.

Utilizing tactics such as social media would not be effective for many Zambian companies because citizens are not utilizing online social networks at the rate of American citizens. According to the Zambian ad professional, Zambian society is where the United States was three or four years ago in regard to online communications, and that’s okay. The country is progressing at its own rate and does not need to “catch up” to be successful because the networks simply aren’t relevant at this point in time.

Through the eyes of a Zambian

Ethnocentrism sometimes causes foreigners to apply alien practices that simply may not work given the context and environment of another country. For me, this point was cemented with our first project as interns at the Zamban ad agency. Our task was to come up with the outline of a campaign to reduce maternal mortality rates in Zambia by stressing the importance of professional medical care before, during and after a birth. It wasn’t until speaking with a Zambian member of the agency that we realized many problems existed here that we wouldn’t deal with in the United States, such as:

· Many families live in rural areas and don’t have instant access to effective healthcare facilities

· Unlike in the United States, visiting a doctor before, during and after the birth of a child is not understood as typical. In fact, it is custom to give birth at home

· Other traditions, such as having the grandmother present during birth, exist that would keep a woman from leaving the home to give birth

· Women who have children out of wedlock are often ashamed and therefore have their children at home.

Thus far, this experience has made me to realize the importance of audience research, regardless of what or where the campaign. Even the most creative ideas can fall flat if the audience is uninterested or able to get to/understand the message.

Africa Time

By Amber Skorpenske

Senior Journalism Major

Before traveling to Zambia our group was told of a thing called “Africa Time” – the idea that many Africans are late for everything from work to speaking engagements and even lunch. At many times this can mean up to an hour late. After experiencing this phenomenon several times I discussed it with one of my supervisors at my World Vision internship. Communications Officer Al Hamanjanji said, “Americans think time is linear, that once a moment is gone you can’t get it back. We think differently.” This quote really stuck with me and got me thinking about the differences between time management, punctuality and it’s effect on production in the states versus Zambia.

Asking for Directions

When you are lost and walking down the street unsure of where to go you typically stop to ask a stranger for directions. In the states we ask for certain information and expect it to be given to us instantly and to then “get on with our lives.” This is not so in Zambia. Al describes this scenario quite differently, “In Zambia it is rude NOT to ask someone how they are doing or ask about their families before starting a conversation or asking a question. If I asked for directions and you just gave me the answer and walked away I would think that was very rude.” On one hand, this may seem like a silly cultural tradition, most likely brought on by Africa being very family-oriented, but on the other hand it adds the humility and respect and that most Americans forget in their day to day living. We are so concerned with being early, getting on to the next project and finishing it, that we have no respect for who we are dealing with at any given moment.

Not a Waste of Time

This is not to say that Zambians think all Americans are rude, in fact it’s quite the opposite. When I asked Al what he thought of Americans and their attitudes he said, “America is good at production that’s why you are rich. We are happy, but also poor.” I wondered what would happen if a Zambian showed up to work in the U.S an hour late but still smiling and asking their boss how their family is. These differences are not only seen in punctuality. At work many of my supervisors typically take a two-hour lunch, while in America it is one hour at the most.

While it is VERY important that we continue to see the value in time and to continue to work hard to produce all we can, I wondered if I would rather be happy or rich. When someone is late in America or goes off on a tangent, we consider it to be “wasting our time” but in Zambia, talking with friends about their family or having a leisurely lunch with colleagues is not considered a waste of time at all. In fact, it’s very valuable to make sure other people are happy around you, as well as yourself. In a way, I like this new mentality and not just because I, myself am always late! Thinking this way brings out the best in people. You are concerned and connected with your family and friends in a way that is much more intimate than the states. You remain more human, patient and kind. “African Time” is one phenomenon I hope to bring back with me to the states – at least in the theoretical sense to show others what it’s like to relax, have a good time and care about others.

Amber Skorpenske is one of 18 Ohio University students studying abroad in Zambia with the Institute for International Journalism over Winter intercession.

Inspiration: The Mirror Effect

By Tylah Deal, in Lusaka - Zambia

Africa is a place that uplifts and inspires a minority ethnicity that most of the world chooses to degrade, belittle and suppress. People of darker skin complexions have been mistreated throughout history and are still experiencing inequalities to date. Zambia in Africa takes the opposite route and celebrates dark skin. This is accomplished in the most simplistic ways but perhaps the most important, through the media. The advertisements that are heavily prevalent throughout the country are representative of this appreciation, depicting beautiful, tactful and positive images of people who are darker skinned. In America it is a widely known fact yet rarely discussed realization that dark skinned people have the stigma of being criminals, dangerous, unprofessional, untrustworthy, provocative, unattractive, and the list continues.

Photo by: http://hinterlandgazette.com/2010/10/billboard-depicting-president-obama-as.html taken in Colorado in 2010.

Negative stigmas by media

Some U.S. media are responsible for affirming the negative stigmas associated with dark skin. News stations regularly report thefts, murders, sexual assaults, and even athletic bribery’s committed by African Americans. Blacks are not the only individuals committing crimes and they are not more likely to steal or harm someone than anyone else yet they remain the face of the vast majority of crimes reported by national news stations. People only know what they are taught and news outlets and other types of productions such as movies and music videos portray blacks as hindrances to the economy, dangerous for the community and perfect examples of who to strive NOT to be like.

Balanced coverage

Zambia portrays blacks as hard workers, assets to the community and positive role models. This is evident by the types of stories that are published in the local and national newspapers. They not only tell about pertinent issues of the community such as child abuse and thefts that have been committed by people who may be dark skinned but they also focus on publicizing accomplishments as well. The balance between positive and negative coverage of people who are dark skinned helps to omit those negative associations that are prevalent in the U.S. As mentioned previously, people only know what they are taught. If the media more often than not associate negative situations and qualities with a certain race of people what is the lesson being taught?

Inspiring the youth

Zambia teaches people to appreciate everyone as they are. Although most of the population appears to be “black,” there are over seventy different ethnicities yet they seem to appreciate people as people, disregarding their ethnicities. They see the beauty of a person regardless of their exterior or physical features. Zambians have a surreal approach to life. Even those who are considered the minority, whites, are seen as beautiful and are not targeted because of the difference of skin color. It was an eye opening experience to witness the apparent unity of the Zambian culture. They are supportive of one another and work cohesively towards the national goal of peace, an idea that seems impossible for many neighboring countries yet seems to define Zambia.

Zambia embodies peace and inspires a race of people who are typically looked down upon by many different ethnic groups to reach goals that are taught to be unachievable for them. This inspiration is not spoken of but it is exemplified through actions. Government officials, presidents of corporations, professors, lawyers, doctors, journalists and every other prestigious occupation is represented by individuals who have dark skin. When dark skinned children in Zambia and across the world see successful people who mirror them it is inspiring, showing them that they too can achieve success and that no goal is unattainable.

Tylah Deal, magazine major, is one of 18 Ohio University students studying abroad in Zambia with the Institute for International Journalism over Winter intercession.

IIJ and The Pulitzer Center bring Antigone Barton to OU

By: Morgan Sigrist

IIJ Ambassador

The Institute for International Journalism in association with the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting proudly present an international health correspondent, Ms. Antigone Barton, to the Ohio University community. Barton has spent the last seven years working extensively on the AIDS epidemic both abroad and in South Florida.

Barton will lecturing in several classes in the Scripps College of Communication, including Professor Bob Stewart’s J101 freshman class and Dr. Yusuf Kalyango’s J352 broadcast reporting class. She also will hold meetings with students who will travel with Dr. Kalyango to Zambia to talk about her experiences in Africa, the Caribbean and the US.

On Tuesday Oct, 25, 2011, Barton will give a public lecture in Scripps Hall's Anderson Auditorium, room 111 from 5 to 6 p.m. The public lecture is titled Global Health Communication and Ethics: US and Abroad.

Antigone Barton began her work on the AIDS epidemic within her own community, which led her to investigate how other countries were handling the rapidly spreading disease. “While writing a story about health challenges at a prison in the Dominican Republic, I met a physician who suggested I look at how the United States President’s Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief was working there. That led to my reporting on AIDS in the Caribbean.”

Barton's work with the Pulitzer Center has allowed Barton to travel to various countries to study their health systems in response to the AIDS epidemic. The Pulitzer Center has made it financially possible for Barton to travel abroad to do this important work. “I don’t know if there are many organizations like the Pulitzer Center, which has expanded possibilities for coverage of international issues in a broad array of innovative ways – through funding, partnerships, multimedia platforms, and educational programs.”

Throughout her visit at OU, Antigone Barton will speak to Students for Global Media and Diversity (SGMD) and with the IIJ's study abroad group that will travel to Zambia during the winter break. She plans to teach students the importance of international affairs, and the importance of studying abroad. She provide tips to study abroad students as they prepare for their trip to Africa.

To find out more about Antigone’s work in Zambia checkout

http://pulitzercenter.org/projects/zambia-aids-hiv-virus-usaid-ministry-health-government-microbicide

Phil Rees visits Scripps J-School at Ohio University

 By: Morgan Sigrist IIJ Ambassador

Sept. 28 and 29 EW Scripps School of Journalism and the International Institute of Journalism hosted Phil Rees as a special guest speaker. Far away from his home of London, England, Rees shared with students his experience as an international journalist with more than 20 years experience for BBC, author of “Dining with Terrorists”, and the creator of the production company “Out of Office.”

 Students were able to follow the life of documentary and international journalism through the eyes of this producer. Rees came to several classes within the journalism school such as J-Freshman Newsroom, Midday, and TV Broadcast News. Here the international journalist showed pieces of different documentaries he has worked on all across the world.  With over forty documentaries on his resume`, Rees has done exclusive work with the Al Jazeera network and been on the frontlines of numerous war conflicts, places many journalists have never been.

 Members of Students for Global Media and Diversity, and participants in the Zambia study abroad program were able to enjoy exclusive visits with Rees. The first night, members of SGMD enjoyed dinner with Rees at Athen’s Star of India restaurant, where they were able to openly talk about the differences in past and present journalism. The students and Rees conversed about their different journalistic backgrounds over the delightful Indian cuisine, while also sharing their various cultures and personal backgrounds.

 The second night, participants in the study abroad to Zambia held a panel for Rees where they discussed the importance of studying aboard, and what they hope to gain from their trip to Zambia. Following the panel, the group enjoyed the performance of the Ridges Auditorium’s host of “Nawal: the Voice of the Comoros.”

To find out more information about Phil Rees and view his work as an international journalist check out http://philrees.tv/

To find out more about the International Institute of Journalism check out http://scrippsjschool.org/iij/ or contact Dr. Yusuf Kalyango Jr. at kalyango@ohio.edu

Israeli Arabs and the Housing Protests

By Evan Barton

Following the August 18 attack on an Egged bus en route to Eilat, a city in Israel's Negev desert, activists in the J14 social justice protests decided to forgo staging another Saturday demonstration, preparing instead for a silent vigil in solidarity with the soldiers killed in the bus bombing.

Notably absent from the main protest area that weekend were Arab Israelis. They had set up an Arab-focused tent area, but it was largely deserted before the Saturday-night vigil.

The center of Arab protest was in nearby Jaffa, an ancient port that has maintained a large – though decreasing – Arab presence within present-day Israel. While Jewish Israelis in Tel Aviv's Tent City expressed dissatisfaction with the nation's emphasis on military concerns over economic factors, Palestinian Israelis in Jaffa suggested that ongoing discrimination between them and other Israeli citizens had motivated them to join the protests.

Israelis from a broad range of civil society – college students, young professionals, engineers, former military GI’s, the unemployed and others – met in a central Tel Aviv neighborhood to protest the high cost of living in Israel and the country's lack of socioeconomic equality. Many hoped to change public perception in Israel so that people would vote based on social and economic issues, as opposed focusing exclusively on military concerns such as the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

Signs surrounding the Arab Israeli tent on Rothschild Boulevard were written mostly in Hebrew, though some Arabic and English signs stressed unity among the different ethnic groups within the Israeli state.

Speaking with Jewish Israelis about their involvement in Israel’s budding social justice movement, many discussed the high cost of living, the concentration of wealth into a few powerful families, and the lack of affordable housing.

A few of the student protestors said that the settlement activity in the West Bank is problematic – if not illegal – and thought that the money spent on settlements could be spent elsewhere by the state. They were generally less comfortable talking about the issues specific to Palestinian citizens of Israel, although one 23-year-old engineering student admitted that there was not a lot of social justice for Palestinian Israeli communities.

For Palestinians, the high price of housing and commercial goods was less a priority than the broad span of social and institutional pressures that have dispossessed many Palestinian Israeli citizens of their homes.

“Seven-hundred families in Jaffa are in danger of losing their houses,” said Fatmeh Hlewa, a 28-year-old housing rights activist in the Tel-Aviv municipality of Jaffa. “How can they maintain their families without being able to keep their homes?”

In addition to housing dispossession, another key concern for Palestinian Israelis is the rate of housing demolitions in Arab Israeli neighborhoods and villages. According to Knesset member Haneen Zoabi, the Israeli government has not approved planning maps for housing in several Arab towns and villages for almost two decades. As a result, the state declared 10,000 houses built in Palestinian Israeli neighborhoods and villages as unlicensed, slating them for demolition.

Coupled with the issue of housing demolition is land expansion. “The Israeli government has built 700 villages and cities, none of which are for Palestinians,” Zoabi stated. She described the middle-class Israeli protests as protests of a First-World community, while Palestinian Israelis, in her opinion, were more of a Third-World community.

Urban planning professor Yosef Jabreen stated that in addition to creating master planning initiatives in Arab Israeli cities and ending housing demolitions, the Palestinian protestors are also calling for the expansion of Arab municipal jurisdictions.

In spite of the host of challenges facing Palestinian-Israeli communities, Palestinians associated with the protests emphasized the necessity of joining with the Jewish Israeli protestors in order to bring about social change for members of both ethnic groups. They also said that their struggle for housing was not a nascent one.

“We tried to organize housing protests several times,” Zoabi said, “but no one was listening to the Palestinians. The state doesn’t listen to Palestinians when they demonstrate.”

The Palestinian community has been protesting at least since 1976, she added, noting that this was the year when the first Land Day demonstrations took place. In her view, the Jewish Israeli protestors are actually joining the ongoing Palestinian Israeli protests for access to fair housing.

When comparing Palestinian concerns in the social welfare protests to those of the mostly Jewish Tent City activists, Hlewi stressed the need to secure housing rights before advocating for fair pricing. “We’re not struggling for quality of life, but for equality,” she said, speaking on behalf of the Arab community in Jaffa. As part of the poorest community in Israel, she suggested that Palestinians need to keep their homes to insure their survival within the state. A Jewish demonstrator in Jaffa backed her claims, adding that while Jewish citizens can attend demonstrations without being intimidated by police, police frequently visit Arab Israelis when they protest the policies of the Israeli government.

Zoabi expressed some ambivalence with the Jewish calls for social justice, stating that the middle-class protestors making up much of the current movement did not protest the dispossession of Palestinian land and homes, which she stated as having been part of the policy of the Israeli government since the 1948 war.

Daniel Tavoli, a 21-year-old student and organizer in Tent City, surmised that more people are involved in the current protest for social justice because more people are being affected by the lack of equality in the country.

Ophir Froydental, a 48-year-old software engineer, said that the threat of ongoing war with the Palestinian Territory and Israel’s neighbor countries had convinced many Israelis in the past that social welfare would have to wait until a later date. “The people of Israel didn’t believe you could protest because when there is war, you put the war first.” Now, people are tired of waiting for peace in order to demand social justice.

Froydental also stressed that the social justice protests were about the issue of the rich versus the poor, and that the “oligarchy” of families that dominated the country’s economy had caused prices to be overly elevated. He was less clear about how Palestinian Israelis fit into the protests, however, placing more emphasis on impoverished Holocaust survivors and disabled war veterans.

Avi Hazan, a 42-year-old former military GI, stressed the need for equal access to Israel’s resources for all citizens. “There is no difference in the Palestinians and the Israelis,” he said, referring specifically to the Palestinian citizens of Israel. “We’re all Israeli citizens.”

Although Hazan was uncomfortable with the notion that Palestinian Israelis might have concerns distinct from those of Israel’s Jewish citizens, Palestinian Israelis maintained that their communities had specific needs that should be addressed. “The student protestors, they talk about prices. We talk about demolition and evacuation,” Hlawy said. “We want to gain our basic rights, and after that we will talk about other things.”