WATCH: Rapper Jasiri X visits African refugees in south Tel Aviv

Social TV By Social TV January 29, 2014 | Edit

At the same time that a group of prominent African-American journalists and artists was touring Israel and Palestine earlier this month, African asylum seekers in Tel Aviv were taking to the streets to demand basic rights and refugee status.

For rapper-activist Jasiri X, being so close to the refugee protests compelled him to come and see their struggle with his own eyes, he explained.

“It’s been heartbreaking,” JasiriX told Israel Social TV at Levinski Park in south Tel Aviv. Media reports on Israel/Palestine are often whitewashed versions of the real story, he added, “so to come here and see and hear these stories – it’s so much worse.”

The group of artists and journalists also visited Palestinians in Sheikh Jarrah during the tour, where participants recorded a spoken-word video with Mohammad El Kurd of My Neighbourhood. Jasiri X recently released a music video about Israeli military checkpoints in the West Bank.

Read also:
The origins and politics of Israel’s refugee debate
Portraits: Detained African asylum seekers in Israel

Social TV

Israel Social TV is an independent media organization working to promote social change, human rights, social justice, and equality, as well as to mobilize its viewers towards activism. Israel Social TV was established in 2006 out of the belief that objective and diverse media is crucial for a healthy democracy in Israel. Its reporting focuses on social injustices and human rights violations, and serves to amplify marginalized groups and voices that often represent unpopular opinions, and which are underrepresented in mainstream media.

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