Jonathan Pollak

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jonathan Pollak (1982-) is an Israeli anarchist and graphic designer who grew up in Tel Aviv and lives in Jaffa. Pollak was amongst the founders of the radical Israeli group Anarchists Against the Wall, which is one of the most active and militant groups of the Israeli radical left. As early as September 2002 in the village of Jayyous and its struggle to stop the construction of the Israeli West Bank barrier on their land, Pollak was one of the first Israelis to join Palestinians in the Al-Aqsa Intifada.

Pollak attended over 300 demonstrations in the last 4 years and appears in Israeli media relatively often. He is considered by many as the Israeli leader of the struggle against the wall, though as an anarchist he rejects that description [1]. The militant nature of the anarchists' actions and their radical political stance is highly controversial in Israel and many regard them as traitors. Pollak's high profile singles him out for personal scorn as well.

Pollak was injured numerous times, including a head injury on April 3, 2005. An Israeli soldier shot Pollak in the head with a teargas canister from an M-16, from a distance of approximately thirty meters at a protest against the Wall in the West Bank village of Bil'in. This left him with two internal brain hemorrhages and a wound requiring 23 stitches[2][3]. Jonathan was arrested dozens of times and convicted together with 10 others for blocking a road in front of the Israeli Ministry of Defense in Tel Aviv on the day the International Court of Justice in The Hague began its proceeding on the legality of the wall. He was also acquitted of a rioting charge together with another AAW activist, Kobi Snitz. They were both arrested at a demonstration against the wall in the village of Budrus[4]

Pollak is son to acclaimed Israeli actor Yossi Pollak, and brother to TV actor Avshalom Pollak and film director Shai Carmely Pollak. Shai recently won the Wolgin Award at the Jerusalem Film Festival for his Movie Bil'in Habibti. The film depicts the story of the struggle against the wall in the village of Bil'in and briefly features Jonathan.

In 2005 Pollak toured the United States with Eyad Morrar, a Palestinian organizer from the West Bank village of Budrus, as part of a fundraising tour for the ISM.

As a result of transliteration issues from Hebrew, Pollak's name may also appear as Polak, Pollack, Polack, Yonathan, or Yonatan.

[edit] External links