Guy Davidi, the Academy Award-nominated co-director of 5 Broken Cameras, challenges us (the “global left”) to disrupt the political symbols and discourses that filter us from the truth. He writes:

Political language alone can’t advance this discussion beyond certain loops. What happens when political symbols face the test of a complex reality? Or when your relationship to a work of art, and to the world, is diminished in order to maintain a certain idealized image? The stereotypes that conservative circles cultivate are under constant criticism by the left, but who will challenge the “anti-stereotypes” the global left creates in response? We’ve been stuck in this cyclical discourse for decades, and these kind of political correct filters stifle our ability to communicate.

In this maze of constant restereotyping, everything that does not fit the political language is dismissed, so I find myself left with many questions: What is the role of the ego in political relations? What is the true function of anger and its capacity for change? Can social and political responsibility grow from guilt? How does suffering become a political currency? Can an emphasis on struggle and resistance distract us from new inventive approaches to change? 

+ here

Gisha, an Israeli legal advocacy non-profit dedicated to protecting the right to movement of Palestinians, compiled the following list of prohibited and permitted items into the Gaza Strip as a result of the blockade imposed by the Israeli government.

They note:

The following list is approximate and partial, and it changes from time to time. It is based on information from Palestinian traders and businesspersons, international organizations, and the Palestinian Coordination Committee, all of whom “deduce” what is permitted and what is banned based on their experience requesting permission to bring goods into Gaza and the answers they receive from the Israeli authorities (approved or denied). It is not possible to verify this list with the Israeli authorities because they refuse to disclose information regarding the restrictions on transferring goods into Gaza. It should be noted that Israel permits some of the “prohibited” items into Gaza (for example: paper, biscuits, and chocolate), on the condition that they are for the use of international organizations, while requests from private merchants to purchase them are denied. For more information, see: Gisha, Restrictions on the Transfer of Goods into Gaza: Obstruction and Obfuscation, January 2010 (available at: www.gisha.org).

Prohibited Items*
sage
cardamom
cumin
coriander
ginger
jam
halva
vinegar
nutmeg
chocolate
fruit preserves
seeds and nuts
biscuits and sweets
potato chips
gas for soft drinks
dried fruit
fresh meat
plaster
tar
wood for construction
cement
iron
glucose
industrial salt
plastic/glass/metal containers
industrial margarine
tarpaulin sheets for huts
fabric (for clothing)
flavor and smell enhancers
fishing rods
various fishing nets
buoys
ropes for fishing
nylon nets for greenhouses
hatcheries and spare parts for hatcheries
spare parts for tractors
dairies for cowsheds
irrigation pipe systems
ropes to tie
planters for saplings
heaters for chicken farms
musical instruments
size A4 paper
writing implements
notebooks
newspapers
toys
razors
sewing machines and spare parts
heaters
horses
donkeys
goats
cattle
chicks

*Some of these items are permitted if they are for the use of international organizations.

Permitted Items

flour
sugar
sweetener
rice
salt
cooking oil
semolina
yeast
pasta
chickpeas
preserves beans
kidney beans
lentils
peas
Burgul wheat
corn
lupini beans
powdered milk
dairy products
margarine
hummus paste
frozen meat, fish, and vegetables
vitamins and oil for animal feed
empty bags for flour
medicine and medical equipment
diapers
feminine hygiene products
toilet paper
baby wipes
shampoo & conditioner
soap & liquid soap
toothpaste
laundry detergent
softener
dish soap
glass cleaner
floor cleaning fluid
cleaning liquid for bathroom use
greenhouses chlorine
insecticide for household use
coffee
tea
salami meat
canned meat
canned fish
sponges for cleaning dishes
sponges for washing
mopping rags
cleaning rags
all canned food except canned fruit
za’atar spice
black pepper
sesame
powdered chicken stock
blankets
matches
candles
brooms
mops
dustpans
trash cans
aniseed
chamomile
cinnamon
wastewater purification powder
glass - 200 trucks
water coolers + heaters
mineral water
Tahini (sesame paste)
hair brushes
hair combs
shoes
clothes
wood (for doors and window frames)
aluminum
soft plastic bags
fruit
vegetables
hay
fertilized eggs
pesticides for agriculture
soil for agriculture
particles for soil dilution
chemical fertilizer
plastic buckets
plastic crates for fruits and vegetables
plastic chicken cages

ManCandy Monday: Roy Lavi

Los Angeles-based Israeli model Roy Lavi is 5’9”. We guess one is never too short to model when you look this delectable.