Subscribe to Print Edition | Tue., February 09, 2010 Shvat 25, 5770 | | Israel Time: 14:34 (EST+7)
Haaretz israel news English
web haaretz.com
Jewish World Haaretz Toolbar
Diplomacy
Defense Opinion National
Print Edition
Car Rental
Focus U.S.A. Strenger than Fiction Business Travel Magazine Week's End Anglo File Books Haaretz Store
Share |
Last update - 00:00 08/02/2006
AG orders probe of Vesty paper on suspicion of incitement to racism
By Yoav Stern and Lily Galili, Haaretz Correspondents
 

Attorney General Menachem Mazuz ordered an investigation Wednesday of the Russian-language newspaper Vesty and poet Gershon Ben Yaakov, who published a poem, "The Lieberman Paradigm," in the paper in August 2005, which is suspected of incitement to racism against Arabs.

Mazuz relayed his decision to Musawa, an Israeli Arab human rights organization, which had appealed to him on the matter several months ago.

The poem mentions the high number of Arabs in Israel, notes the high birth rate among Israeli Arabs, and compares Israeli Arab women to rabbits, cats and locusts. Attorney Fuad Eazar, from Musawa, wrote to Mazuz that, "Expressions of this nature raise shocking connotations and de-humanize of part of the population because of membership to a particular nationality, culture and skin color."
Advertisement
Musawa expressed satisfaction with the decision to launch the probe, but said that, "We prefer to wait for the results of the investigation so as to confirm that the attorney general is indeed interested in overcoming the phenomenon of incitement to racism against the Arab population."

Interim Vesty editor Sergei Podredizhonsky protested Mazuz's decision, saying the attorney general does not differentiate between a political text and a poem, which has different rules. He criticized the nature of Israeli democracy, which he claims prevents freedom of expression in a "post-Zionist state."

He refused to reveal the identity of the author who penned the Paradigm, but said it was an important poet who had been awarded international prizes. "This investigation is a circus, not a war on racism," Podredizhonsky said. "The police should first find all of the corrupt politicians before they try to find the poet," he said.

Gershon Ben Yaakov is not a known figure in Russian language media circles in Israel; it is believed that it is a pseudonym used by the author on a number of occasions
PROMOTION: Mamilla Hotel
Bookmark to del.icio.us  
 
'Crazy Israel'
Iran FM Mottaki says Israel is a crazy country and now weaker than ever.
Iran, Jr.
Leading Israeli writer Yoram Kaniuk slams censorship of sexually explicit poetry.
Special Offers
Advertisement
Eldan Rent a Car
Israel's leading car rental company offers you a 20% discount on online reservations
Shalom Hartman Institute Jerusalem
This Summer in Jerusalem Learn about the "Other". Special Prices Until Feb. 15
100% Pure Dead Sea Salt
Lowest price in the U.S.A. for genuine Dead Sea Salts
Online forex trading now with
the security of a Swiss bank
Best Passover Vacations Under the Suntm in Florida, Arizona, Mexico.
Resort Vacations. All the traditions of Passover. Glatt Kosher
Your Aliyah starts here.
Nefesh B'Nefesh Aliyah Workshops and Personal Meetings in your area
Camp Kimama Israel - Summer 2010
An incredible experience with Jewish youth from all over the world
More Headlines
14:26 Netanyahu: Crippling Iran sanctions needed now
14:10 Lieberman: Turkey's 'anti-Israel' line must not kill ties
10:36 Palestinians seeks U.S. clarification on proposal to renew Mideast talks
14:19 Muslim students scream 'killer' during Israel envoy speech in L.A.
14:17 British academics urge Elton John to cancel Israel concert
14:04 Egypt soccer boss: I'd rather starve than coach Israelis
10:10 If Israel lets ex-pats vote, what's to stop enfranchising all Jews?
22:54 TV ROUND-UP: Iran FM calls Israel crazy; Israeli food fair hits D.C.
12:22 Interior Ministry freezes all entry permits for Thai workers
09:51 Officials: Jewish bid for East Jerusalem home likely to fail
04:12 Gay Israeli families struggle for acceptance at kids' schools
05:52 Israel's top skier dreams of victory as he heads to winter games
11:38 Gilad Shalit supporters block visits to jailed Palestinians
Home | TV | Print Edition | Diplomacy | Opinion | Arts & Leisure | Sports | Jewish World | Site rules |
| Advert: Recommended Restaurants | Makom: Engaging on Israel
| Search engine marketing
Haaretz.com, the online edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, offers real-time breaking news, opinions and analysis from Israel and the Middle East. Haaretz.com provides extensive and in-depth coverage of Israel, the Jewish World and the Middle East, including defense, diplomacy, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the peace process, Israeli politics, Jerusalem affairs, international relations, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Israeli business world and Jewish life in Israel and the Diaspora.
© Copyright  Haaretz. All rights reserved