Poster calls on Arab men to keep out of Jerusalem, away from Jewish girls

By Haggai Matar August 22, 2012 | Edit

Following the recent lynch-style attack on Palestinian youths in Jerusalem, racist extremists are starting a campaign calling on Arab men to keep out of popular Jerusalem hangouts and avoid dating Jewish girls – for their own good.

The new racist poster, written in both Hebrew and Arabic by the extremist Kahana-style NGO “Lehava,” has been circulating in Facebook in recent hours and is gaining hundreds of “likes” and “shares.” The poster, which is aimed at young Palestinian men, comes in the aftermath of the attempted lynch in central Jerusalem, and warns that visiting popular areas in the city, like big malls and the pedestrian area off of Zion Square could lead to more similar attacks.

The poster fits into a growing trend of narrating anti-Arab racism as a means to “protect our daughters” – a form of discourse promoted by politicians and ministers also in relation to African asylum seekers.

The poster reads the following:

Dear Arab guy:

We don’t want you to get hurt!

Our daughters are valuable to us,

and just as you would not want a Jew to date your sister

we unwilling are also unwilling for an Arab to date a girl from among our people.

Just as you would do anything to stop a Jew from dating your sister – so do we!

If you are thinking of visiting Jerusalem malls or the pedestrian street [Midrechov] with the intention of dating Jewish girls – this isn’t the place for you.

You may walk around in your own village freely and find girlfriends there, not here!

Last week an Arab who thought he might find Jewish girls got hurt.

We don’t wish for you to get hurt,

So respect our daughters’ honor

As we mind it dearly!

Lehava organization o.leava@gmail.com

Poster calls on Arab men to keep out of Jerusalem, away from Jewish girls

“Dear Arab guy – We do not wish for you to get hurt, so keep away” (Lehava)

Many comments on the picture thread on Facebook show great enthusiasm for the text, and some people have already volunteered to help hang it up around Jerusalem.

However, other comments were much more critical, and some have compared its content to Nazi agendas. At least two mock posters have already been made in response, one translating the text into German and aiming it at Jewish men:

The mock poster in German (Amir Schiby)

The other, by Israeli artist Zoya Cherkassky, calling on Jewish men to mind their own business and not meddle in women’s decisions on whom to date.

The mock poster in Hebrew (Zoya Cherkassky)

Update: The Jerusalem based NGO Ir Amim has filed a complaint to police against Lehava, accusing it in incitement to racism and violence. In addition, according to the complaint the poster suggests that anyone not abiding to its terms is likely to be physically assaulted, and is thus to be considered an illegal threat.

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TEST TEST GAL Our team has been devastated by the horrific events of this latest war. The world is reeling from Israel’s unprecedented onslaught on Gaza, inflicting mass devastation and death upon besieged Palestinians, as well as the atrocious attack and kidnappings by Hamas in Israel on October 7. Our hearts are with all the people and communities facing this violence. We are in an extraordinarily dangerous era in Israel-Palestine. The bloodshed has reached extreme levels of brutality and threatens to engulf the entire region. Emboldened settlers in the West Bank, backed by the army, are seizing the opportunity to intensify their attacks on Palestinians. The most far-right government in Israel’s history is ramping up its policing of dissent, using the cover of war to silence Palestinian citizens and left-wing Jews who object to its policies. This escalation has a very clear context, one that +972 has spent the past 14 years covering: Israeli society’s growing racism and militarism, entrenched occupation and apartheid, and a normalized siege on Gaza. We are well positioned to cover this perilous moment – but we need your help to do it. This terrible period will challenge the humanity of all of those working for a better future in this land. Palestinians and Israelis are already organizing and strategizing to put up the fight of their lives. Can we count on your support? +972 Magazine is a leading media voice of this movement, a desperately needed platform where Palestinian and Israeli journalists, activists, and thinkers can report on and analyze what is happening, guided by humanism, equality, and justice. Join us.

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