palestine on Vice

Dodging Water Cannons and Sound Bombs at Israel's Catastrophe Day

I arrived in Jerusalem on Nakba Day. Nakba (a word that translates as "catastrophe") Day commemorates the 750,000 Palestinians who were forced from their homes when Israel became a state in 1948. I expected shit to get wild, but the speed with which the demonstration went from zero to full throttle shocked even me. Full story

I Refused to Join the Israeli Defense Forces

Late last year, Moriel spent time in a military prison for refusing to live out his childhood dream of being a military commando. Military service in Israel is mandatory by law for Jewish youth. Yet, only around half of those eligible enlist and many more leave during their servi… Full story

Dancing Idiots, Rubber Bullets, and Candy Floss at This Year's Passover in Hebron

The city of Hebron in the occupied West Bank is a pretty bizarre place at the best of times. But the recent Passover festival held by Jewish settlers living on the Palestinian land was easily among the most surreal things I've seen in a region that seems to thrive on weird shit. Full story

One Young Druze vs. the Entire Israeli Military

Every able-bodied Israeli has to serve in the military when they turn 18. Exceptions are made for Arab citizens and ultra–Orthodox Jews, but not for the country’s 125,000 Druze, an Arabic-speaking ethnic and religious minority that is primarily based in the north of the country… Full story

The American Student Who's Planning an Israeli-Palestinian Music Festival

Since spending four months in Jerusalem, a college student named Andrew Roseman has been working to create a festival (called Man of a Thousand Teas) that would feature musicians from both sides of the Green Line and bring Israelis and Palestinians together, at least for a day. Full story

Gaza's Graveyards for The Living: Now Flooded with Sewage Water

There are now at least 900 tunnels operating between Gaza and Egypt. That flourishing business is a distressing signal of Gaza’s economic isolation. To work in these tunnels is considered the most dangerous job in Gaza. It's known as “the trade of death.” Full story

Open Hillel Campaign Stirs the Pot on BDS-Jewish Relations

There’s a saying within the American Jewish community, a common self-effacing in-joke: “For every three Jews, you’ll find four opinions.” Far from being just a way to draw a cute yuck during an open mic night your local shul, the joke harkens back to a long tradition of debate an… Full story

Dogmageddon

Religiosity Is Killing in Mississippi

Fifty-eight percent of Mississippi's residents describe themselves as “very religious.” The state also lays claim to both the highest teen birthrate and the highest HIV rate in young adults. In this experience we call life, there are plenty of coincidences. This is not one of the… Full story

'The Gatekeepers' Is the Most Boring Movie You Should See This Year

'The Gatekeepers' is an astonishingly boring film that you should probably see. Astonishingly boring because people make interesting documentaries about such boring shit that it has become part of the strategy to presume your lack of interest and turn it back: Whoa, did I just wa… Full story

The Director of 'The Gatekeepers' Talks About Israel's Terrifying Security State

'The Gatekeepers' was shown in festivals to widespread acclaim last year but hasn’t been widely available in the US until this month, so I thought it would be a good time to talk to Dror Moreh about his film, the settlers, and Israel’s best hopes for peace. Full story