Force-Feeding of Geese Ceased
The ban on force-feeding of geese in Israel, which was ruled on in 2003 by the Supreme Court of Israel, came into effect on April 15th, 2006 following an intensive struggle led by anonymous since 1999. The force-feeding of ducks, practiced on one farm in Israel, ceased July 2006. A number of geese farmers attempted to bypass the ban by converting their operations to the force-feeding of ducks and received permits to do so from the Ministry of Agriculture. Following a complaint from anonymous, these permits were given out only once, and no further permits for fattening ducks in former geese-fattening facilities have been issued. Despite initial inaction, the Ministry of Agriculture now works to enforce the ban on force-feeding. The majority of about 25 force-feeding farms in Israel, such as the one depicted in the photograph, have indeed ceased their operations, but three farms to date were discovered that had continued to force-feed illegally. Legal procedures commenced against these farmers and force-feeding equipment has been confiscated. anonymous continues to conduct covert investigations and look into suspicions of illegal force-feeding throughout the country.

Animal Circuses Banned in Beer-Sheba
Beer-Sheba became the third city in Israel to ban live animal acts on January 5th, 2006 after a unanimous decision by the city council following a campaign by anonymous. The struggle to ban live animal acts was sparked by the arrival of the Medrano circus to Beer-Sheba. City council member Gavriella Gutis of the Kadima Beer-Sheba faction attended anonymous demonstrations against the circus, recruited others to the struggle, and held a council meeting to discuss the subject. At the meeting, council members were showered with appeals from the public, and a consensus was achieved unanimously stating that all contracts to rent municipal space must specifically declare that the space will not be used for live animal acts.

Pigeon Shooting in Dagon Granaries Stopped
For years, multitudes of pigeons have flocked to the Dagon Granaries in Haifa to eat the seed remains left on the ground from transfers of wheat shipments from the port terminal. The granaries management chose a cruel solution to rid themselves of the pigeons – systematically shooting them. In January 2006 anonymous produced a detailed report, proving that shooting the pigeons is not only cruel but also inefficient, and provided this report to the authorities and media. Simultaneously, anonymous conducted a covert investigation in which the hunter paid to shoot the pigeons was documented kicking wounded pigeons and stuffing them into a sack while still alive. The videos were broadcast on the evening news. anonymous activists in Haifa also conducted protest watches on sight, and thousands have signed anonymous’ petition calling for an end to the slaughter. Following the exposure and public pressure, the Managing Director of Dagon Granaries, Michael Sharan, announced in the beginning of March 2006 that the shooting of pigeons on company grounds had been stopped.

“Lying Eggs” Campaign Launched
In July 2006, anonymous launched a campaign against the egg industry’s false representation of the reality of battery egg production. The campaign stressed that consumers are mislead by egg carton images depicting hens walking about freely and nesting privately in straw nests when in actuality the eggs are taken from hens confined to battery cages. To prove that egg carton images misled consumers, anonymous had a public opinion survey conducted by Maagar Mohot Survey Institute. According to the survey’s results, 61-78 percents of those surveyed were misled by the egg cartons. anonymous conducted covert investigations in relevant egg farms, exposing harsh confinement conditions and the huge gap between advertising images and reality. With these findings anonymous turned to the Director of Consumer Protection and requested that the egg industry be held responsible for its false advertising. By the end of 2006, the Director still refused to instruct the producers to remove the misleading labels, but he agreed to meet them in order to reach a consensual solution. In September 2006, anonymous launched an interactive flash site and a short video parodying the lies spread by the egg industry. anonymous also distributed 10,000 copies of a leaflet and sticker on the subject. In October 2006, anonymous held a demonstration against the Poultry Farmers Association, protesting their deception of consumers and torturing of chickens. The campaign was covered widely by the media.

Street Stalls
During 2006 anonymous launched a systematized training program for those interested in operating street stalls on behalf of the organization. The training consists of an introductory session, practical experience in ten active street stalls, and two expansion workshops. In order to professionalize the training of street stall activists, topics covered include dealing with apathy, lack of willingness to change habits, lack of trust, and evasions and diversions. anonymous has improved our street stalls by providing new easy-to-carry stall equipment (shown here) in order to provoke increased interest among passerby and enable better presentation of messages. Daily street stalls operated in Tel-Aviv throughout 2006, and biweekly stalls operated in Haifa and Jerusalem.

Lectures
anonymous’ lecture program has continued to develop throughout 2006. The lecture staff has expanded to include 15 lecturers offering lectures all over the country. A typical lecture, accompanied by a slide show, includes an introduction to animal rights, discussion of animal abuse as an institutionalized phenomenon, and suggestions on how both individuals and groups can make a difference and take action. Schools regularly respond to anonymous with excellent feedback on lectures and welcome further visits. The majority of lectures are held in high schools and middle schools; a few lectures are also held on army bases and with other organizations. anonymous gave over 200 lectures in 2006 to over 12,000 people, the vast majority of them teenagers.

Vegetarianism, My Choice
On March 28th, 2006, also Election Day for the 17th Knesset, anonymous held a vegetarian promotion event titled “Vegetarianism, My Choice” (a double meaning in Hebrew, also "My Vote"). Over one hundred activists ran the event, held simultaneously in Tel-Aviv, Haifa and Nahariya. In each city, the day's events started with activism workshops, after which the activists operated street stalls offering free food – a chance for the public to experience good vegan cuisine and learn about reasons to go vegetarian. With Election Day in the background, thousands of stickers were distributed as well as "voting ballots" urging the public to choose vegetarianism. In addition to the day's events, anonymous produced a report summarizing the political involvement of parties and members of the 16th Knesset in the field of animal protection. The report has been cited widely in the media.

Activism Seminar
In August 2006 anonymous held an activism seminar comprised of three days packed with activity workshops, hearty vegan food, learning about explanation methods and effective activism tactics, and becoming acquainted with dozens of animal rights activists. The seminar included an introductory lecture on animals in factory farms, a workshop on dealing with problems in a non-vegetarian family, conversation on vegetarianism among friends who are not vegan, and lectures on health and nutrition. The majority of anonymous’ fifth seminar was focused on instilling effective activism techniques. The main workshops focused on activism in schools and the workplace, organizing locally, and effective letter-writing to various recipients.

Vegetarianism Survey
Partial results of the Vegetarianism Survey conducted by anonymous were presented in August and September of 2006. The largest vegetarianism survey to ever be conducted in Israel with approximately 1,500 participants, the survey included 66 questions on subjects such as the transfer to vegetarianism (motives, methods, etc.), social and family relations (problems, reactions, changes), eating habits (taste, cooking, shopping, financial expense), and health (habits, nutritional guidance, changes, etc.). The survey was a pioneer project and its inclusion on the anonymous website bolsters the promotion of vegetarianism.

anonymous Online
anonymous’ web magazine, Animal Rights This Week, has continued into its sixth consecutive year. Its circulation expanded by the end of 2006 to approximately 24,000 subscribers. This year Animal Rights This Week writers investigated and reported on several timely issues: avian flu in Israel and its origin in the world, the suffering caused by depriving hens of their eggs, the status of animals in China, and the condition of animal populations in northern Israel and Lebanon following the second Lebanon war. anonymous’ website has grown larger and gained more exposure primarily through inclusion of articles from the web magazine. In 2006 the anonymous website received over one-million visits (1,166,295), and the daily number of visits stands at about 3,500. The Israeli vegetarianism website receives a high level of attention and many hits from search engines. The recipe index, which includes over 160 vegan recipes, is the most visited page on the site.