Tali Fahima is Free

“You don't make peace with friends. You make it with very unsavory enemies.” -- Yitzhak Rabin


In a holy land far away, 30 year-old Tali Fahima is free again, after spending more than two years in jail for "meeting enemy agents and passing information to them." Although Fahima admitted to this charge in a plea deal, this was quite a reduction from the initial charge of planning a terrorist attack in Israel. If anything, the reduction in charges and the relatively quick release of a person initially branded a first-rate traitor make Fahima's side of the story seem very plausible. She admits to meeting the Islamic Jihad member, Zakaria Zubeidi, because she had been curious to learn about her supposed enemy, but denies involvement in terrorist attacks. She also denies the Israeli Secret Service portrayal of her as a "terrorist's whore" who was, according to Israeli media reports pregnant with Zubeidi's child.

After the deliberate propaganda attacks on Fahima's character, done with the aim of delegitimizing all attempts for grass-roots conversations with perceived enemies. In a place with relatively justified fear, fueled by suicide bombings, Hezbollah rockets, and in part by a long history of persecution, it's no wonder many in Israel still see Fahima as a back-stabbing traitor. But in a place with so much propaganda, where in fact, so much is determined upon public opinion and public support for a military draft to get soldiers to maintain the Palestinian territories, it's refreshing to find many supporters of Fahima's attempt to understand for herself what the hell is really going on around her, and what is being done to others in her name.

Here are some translated comments from the Maariv newspaper website. This is just a selection to show both sides. In reality most comments were written against Fahima, but as you'll see, there's not much content in these comments. A Right-Wing nutcase is the same everywhere in the world:

Not only she's a traitor, she's also ugly and stupid.

A real hero who has paid dearly for her struggle against the occupation.

Only an Arab will touch this ugly monkey.

An amazing woman. A true idealist.

If you care so much about Palestinians why don't you just become a Muslim?

Tali is a special woman with real principals and a true wish to reach a peaceful solution.

No Jew wanted her so she went to an Arab.

Well done for the courage to walk this difficult path for what her beliefs. From the beginning it was clear she was didn't do anything wrong. She was never a threat to Israeli security, only to the way Israelis think.

Just looking at her makes me sick.

Tali, well done for your courage to take on yourself the obvious consequences of walking tall against the grain, the courage of declaring the emperor has no clothes and the entire history of Israeli security is nothing but a deliberate crime, the courage to ignore the right-wing, militant, blind public, the courage to try to understand the motives behind those being occupied sacrificing their doomed lives, the courage to stand against the Israeli Secret Service and their media partners, the courage to expose the Israeli Secret Service torture mechanism, the courage to pay the price alone. You deserve all the praise you get.

Anyone who opposes the policy of air rockets on Palestinian militants is risking the life of my family and my own life. We should have killed the traitor terrorist Fahima.