Saturday, January 29, 2011

Never again for anyone, except for Jews. Unconscionable Anti-Semitism at Rutgers

The Never Again For Anyone dog and pony show is coming to a university near you. Unless of course, you happen to be a Zionist Jew. Especially if you happen to be a Zionist Jew wearing a kippa.

According to an article in World Net Daily
"Rutgers University campus police tonight barred some 400 Jewish students and their supporters, including some Holocaust survivors, from attending what was billed as an anti-Zionist gathering at the state school tonight.

The student-sponsored event was announced with an open invitation campus-wide, and Rutgers policy is for all student activities to be open to the public.

However, when the sponsoring organizations of "Never Again for Anyone" saw they were outnumbered by Jewish students and their supporters by about 4-to-1, they asked campus police to bar students wearing kippas – and eventually limited attendance to known supporters of the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network, Americans for Muslims in Palestine and the Middle East Children's Alliance."

Videos here:

Hajo Meyer's tour (Former head of the KK David Duke heartily endorses him!) is touring with Hatem Bazian, the UC Berkeley professor who called for Intifada in America.

Tour Schedule (but remember, Jews and Zionists are not welcome)

Washington DC: Jan 25, 2011
New York: Jan 27, 2011
New Jersey: Jan 29, 2011
Toronto, Canada: Jan 31, 2011
Toronto, Canada: Feb 1, 2011
Milwaukee: Feb 3, 2011
Chicago: Feb 4, 2011
Chicago: Feb 5, 2011
Detroit: Feb 6, 2011
Twin Cities: Feb 8, 2011
Atlanta: Feb 10, 2011
New Orleans: Feb 13, 2011
Sacramento: Feb 16, 2011
SF Bay Area: Feb 17, 2011
Los Angeles: Feb 19, 2011

UPDATE:

The Never again for anyone website now states $5 - $20 suggested donation on entry

Their Craigs list post however states "Free and Open to the public". Screen shots have been taken, kids. Its too late to change it now.

The facebook page, still unaltered, states "Free and Open to the Public" as well

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Its Hard to Film a Miracle: Bialik- Rogozin school documentary nominated for an Academy Award



"Strangers No More,” a film profiling the extraordinary Bialik-Rogozin school in Tel Aviv has been nominated for an Oscar for Best Short Documentary.

Israel's Bialik-Rogozin school, serves 750 refugees and immigrants from forty-eight countries, many escaping persecution, poverty, and even genocide. The award winning American filmmakers, Karen Goodman and Kirk Simon have made over twenty documentaries. They followed three children at the school for 15 months. There are currently 21 Sudanese refugees at Bialik-Rogozin, who arrived with no formal education. The school has become a model for educating at-risk children around the country, and truly, around the world.

The directors have said “It’s hard to film a miracle” . The school provides evening Hebrew classes for both parents and children. There are cultural activities for the students, educational testing and intervention, diagnostic testing for children in need and hot lunches. The school is open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. “We want to be like a home, and a home doesn’t close at 1 in the afternoon,” explained Karen Tal, the schools principal. Although 60 percent of the students come from single-parent homes and nearly all of them are from extremely poor families , the dropout rate is currently 5 percent.

More photos here


UPDATE: Feb 28, 2011

Directors Karen Goodman and Kirk Simon won an Oscar Sunday night for their film "Strangers No More" in the category for Documentary Short Subject !

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Freedom House: Israel is the only free Country in the Middle east



Freedom House

In the least free part of the world, one tiny nation stands out as a beacon of freedom. It is Israel.

How does Freedom in the World measure freedom?

The survey measures freedom according to two broad categories that are derived from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: political rights and civil liberties.

The ratings are determined by a checklist of 25 questions, 10 addressing political rights and 15 addressing civil liberties.

The 10 political rights questions are grouped into three sub-categories:

* Electoral Process:
* Political Pluralism and Participation
* Functioning of Government


The 15 civil liberties questions are grouped into four sub-categories:

* Freedom of Expression and Belief:
* Associational and Organizational Rights
* Rule of Law
* Personal Autonomy and Individual Rights

And strangely enough, this tiny nation on a sliver of land in the Middle east is the only one targetted by the BDS'ers. Perhaps its not Israel they object to- perhaps its freedom

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

How dare the Jews Fight Back: Rants and Raves from Gilad Atzmon

Notorious anti-Semite Gilad Atzmon hates when the Jews fight back.


Jews fighting back, 1948


Jews fighting back, 2010

Atzmon never met an anti-Semitic carnard he didn't like:
Jews controlling Finance? Check.
"Throughout the centuries, Jewish bankers bought for themselves some real reputations of backers and financers of wars and even one communist revolution. Though rich Jews had been happily financing wars using their assets, Alan Greenspan, the Chairman of the Federal Reserve of the United States, found a far more sophisticated way to finance the wars perpetrated by his ideological brothers Libby and Wolfowitz."

" The 'Elders of Zion' syndrome: Zionists complain that Jews continue to be associated with a conspiracy to rule the world via political lobbies, media and money. Is the suggestion of conspiracy really an empty accusation?
The following list is presented with pride in several Jewish American websites.
Jews in Bush's Administration (a list of some 30 names follows…)
Let me assure you, in Clinton's administration the situation was even worse. Even though the Jews only make up 1.9 per cent of the country's population, an astounding 56 per cent of Clinton's appointees were Jews. A coincidence? I don't think so."

Jews Killing Jesus? Check.
"I would suggest that perhaps we should face it once and for all: the Jews were responsible for the killing of Jesus who, by the way, was himself a Palestinian Jew. …..Why is it that the Jews who repeatedly demand that the Christian world should apologise for its involvement in previous persecutions, have never thought that it is about time that they apologised for killing Jesus?"

A 2009 fundraiser at the Berkeley fellowship of Unitarian Universalists featuring Atzmon was so egregiously anti-Semitic, reports are that people left in tears.

The current object of Atzmon's wrath? A comic book put out by grass roots Israel advocacy group "Stand With us"
From Atzmon's website: Forgive me if I don't link to it.
"It has become pretty obvious that that Israelis and Zionists do not try to disguise their morbidity anymore. Zionism is clearly a threat to humanity and humanism.
Airplanes and tanks, decorated with Jewish symbols, are consigned to spread death and carnage in the name of the Jewish people.
Captain Israel, a kosher superman, is holding a Menorah torch. He is there to set the entire region on fire.
Israelis and Zionists are proud of their pathological, murderous intentions. They are a threat not just to their neighbors, but to humanism and humanity in general.
Unlike the naive, idealist and humanist Superman who steps in to attack and terrorize wife beaters, profiteers, a lynch mob and gangsters, the kosher Super man is far from being naive. He is an ethnic cleanser, murderous and politically indoctrinated. He is there to save one people only namely the 'chosen tribe'."

Atzmon closes with:
I really want to know, once and for all, where Zionism ends and Jewishness starts?

Its clear Atzmon, like the classic haters from history, simply cannot tolerate when the Jews fight back.

Monday, January 17, 2011

Bay Area Anti-Zionists Ignore Dr. King's Message

Originally posted at Bluetruth:


Today was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in the United States. In San Francisco, as in many other cities around the country, commemorative marches occurred.  In San Francisco, perhaps unlike in many other cities, an anti-Israel group decided that it would try to hijack the parade to its "river to the sea" agenda.

It was a stunning and arrogant display. Not because they handed out fliers advertising the anti-Israel posters in BART put up by Jewish Voice for Peace and Sabeel, not because they attempted (without success) to start anti-Israel chants among the marchers, but they because did it in willful disregard of Dr. King's own position on Israel.  

Dr. King stood for peace. And he understood that peace for Israel was impossible in the context of ongoing attacks and threats of destruction, so that Israel needed to ensure its security first--even after the Six Day War, which occurred 10 months before he said:

"Peace for Israel means security, and we must stand with all our might to protect her right to exist, its territorial integrity, and the right to use whatever sea lanes it needs.  Israel is one of the great outposts of democracy in the world, and a marvelous example of what can be done, how desert land can be transformed into an oasis of brotherhood and democracy.  Peace for Israel means security, and that security must be a reality."  

And Dr. King understood that, far too often, attacks on Israel were a more politically acceptable expression of anti-Semitism.

"When people criticize Zionists, they mean Jews, you are talking anti-Semitism."

Yet Bay Area Women in Black, which is supposedly a Jewish women's group but was led for much of march by Hassan Fouda, decided to ignore Dr. King's own sentiments and make this march about what THEY wanted, not what Dr. King wanted.  

                                                                             

(And who, you may ask, is Hassan Fouda?  A man whose association with anti-Semitism has left a trail from his previous residence in Connecticut to the Bay Area, and has also included an attempt to bring outdated medications and old unusable equipment-- and a group of Turkish jihadists-- to Gaza earlier this year. Though he is not the man in this picture!)

Of course, those of us who knew this was going to happen didn't let it go unchallenged.  And no better way to do it than with Dr King's own words (thanks to BlueStarPR).  






My teenaged daughter who came along to photograph the scene was incensed that they would attempt to force this issue into the march commemorating Dr. King.  Of course, this is a standard tactic for anti-Israel groups:  International ANSWER's overt support of Hamas and Hezbollah drove any political leader with an ounce of sanity far away from their rallies against the Iraq war, and the San Francisco Pride Parade is always treated to the sight of groups demonstrating against the only country in the Middle East where LGBT individuals can live freely.  Maybe their insistence on making everything part of their war against Israel also has something to do with narcissism-- after all,  who better than a teenaged girl to recognize someone trying to say "It's all about MEEEEEEEE!!!!"

DrMike


Sunday, January 16, 2011

Palestinian Youth Network: The goal of BDS is the End of Israel

From the weblog of Hussein Ibish

“Recent efforts by student activists and others to convince the University of California Berkeley to divest from two companies with strong ties to Israel and its defense establishment is the first really powerful test of the "BDS" movement in the United States. The bottom line is this: if you can't get divestment through UC Berkeley, you're done. UC Berkeley is the epicenter of not only liberalism, but even radicalism, in American academia and indeed American social life in general.”

And, as we all know, divestment was defeated at UC Berkeley. Ariel Kaplan, a student involved in fighting the campaign explained how in this three part installment at Bluetruth.

Does this mean the BDS’ers have given up at UC Berkeley? Not, not a bit. An attempt to indoctrinate a new generation of students took place November 29th at Boalt Hall .The “Palestinian Youth Network” , co-sponsored by a who’s who of extremist organizations, including the Arab Resource and Organizing Center (AROC ) and Al Awda held a teach in called “The only Peace That Israel Wants is the Last Piece of Palestine: The Liberation of our Land and people is Non-negotiable”

In the talk, peace with Israel, and the right of the Jewish people to self determination was unconditionally rejected.

Nadeen El Shorafa, discussing solidarity, claimed

“ I see solidarity in two different ways. There’s sort of a power solidarity and joint struggle and I’m going to explain them both how I see it. Power dynamics is central to these different definitions I want to talk about when it comes to solidarity. The first one which I call Power Solidarity is folks who have a lot of power in society in terms of class, race, gender and sexuality. So, for example, a heterosexual white male, upper class white male is someone who has power in our society. And a lot of folks who fit those identities are in solidarity with the Palestinian people. And then I see something called Joint Struggle. Joint Struggle are folks on race, class, gender and sexuality who experience a lot of struggle depending on how they identify. And the term Joint is key here. They struggle jointly with the Palestinian people. Because the Palestinian people suffer according to race, class, gender and sexuality .


Nadeen- the Palestinian people do suffer according to race, gender and sexuality, and they suffer at the hands of their own leadership. Polygamy, forced marriages, under-aged marriages and honor killings are problems in all Muslim communities. Forced female genital mutilation is a problem throughout North Africa.

Nadeen also mentioned claimed that building of infrastructure was not allowed, immediately contradicting herself with the statement
“ You might have heard there’s a mall being built in Gaza. We have a beautiful mall being built in Gaza.” She added “ I was just reading today that Gaza is experiencing a growth in its economy - very little - about 16%. “.
16 % is “very little”?

To Nadeen, “BDS is a means to an end it’s not the end”, and the end result is the end of Israel.
“The end goal is the end to Zionism that should be the end goal. And unless that is the focus and center of your activism and organizing when it comes to Palestine and joint struggle and solidarity then there’s a problem, because that really is the key to ending, or the goal to liberation also of Palestinians is the ending of Zionism. And it’s not just for the Palestinians in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, east Jerusalem, the Palestinians within Israel, the Palestinians in the Diaspora. “

There you have it boys and girls. The goal of BDS, the Boycotts Sanctions and Divestment Movement is not peace. Its not justice. Its not democracy. The goal of BDS is the end of Israel.

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Ahava and the Bay: The Makings of Yet Another BDS Hoax

Ahava has been getting a great deal of attention from the haters, lately. In Canada, the Hudson Bay Company ("The Bay") has been under a great deal of pressure to stop carrying the upscale health and beauty aids. This week, the Bay's decision to stop carrying Ahava was met with chortles of glee from the usual suspects. But according to the Chief Adventurer and CEO, Bonnie Brooks, this was not a political decision.


Last week, after a regularly-scheduled review of the products it offers, the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) discontinued sales of AHAVA beauty products, primarily because of sales results which had been declining for several years.

Although this decision was made by HBC solely for commercial reasons, it occurred at the same time as an aggressive campaign by several groups advocating a boycott of AHAVA products. At no point did political considerations enter into the exercise of HBC's business judgment. HBC has made it clear that it has not "bowed to political pressure" in the past, has not done so now and will not do so in the future. HBC neither subscribes to nor endorses politically-motivated boycotts of merchandise from countries with whom Canada has open and established trading relationships, including Israel.

AHAVA products will soon be reformulated and redesigned as a totally changed brand. The new AHAVA products will be ready by mid-spring and is planned to be re-launched at HBC stores across Canada. We encourage consumers across Canada to purchase those products as soon as they are available.



Code Pink suggest to their activists they write thanking the Bay " for standing up for human rights and international law" . Apparently they didn't read this part of Ms.Brooks' press release: "HBC has made it clear that it has not "bowed to political pressure" in the past, has not done so now and will not do so in the future."

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

"Ridicule is man's most potent weapon" Women in Black: Ripe for Ridicule



A UC Berkeley student can barely contain her laughter reading the sign on the back of a member of Berkeley Women in Black

For years, Berkeley Women in Black have been annoying students at the UC Berkeley campus. In the words of one student:
The only thing more Berkeley than having an inflammatory opinion is gathering together a cadre of similarly-minded people and staging an unimpressive display to annoy passers-by. Cue the Women in Black, a group of incensed nonagenarians standing together to protest the bloodthirsty, imperialist Israeli occupation of the land of Palestine. To paraphrase their flier, for nearly 20 years they’ve been blocking foot traffic, mouthing off, and toting decorative umbrellas each Friday in front of Sproul Plaza....It’s appropriate that these women have chosen to associate their cause with darkness, since it’s abundantly clear they’ll never see the light."


"Ridicule is man's most potent weapon. It is almost impossible to counteract ridicule. Also it infuriates the opposition, which then reacts to your advantage."
Saul Alinsky, Rules for Radicals.

Monday, January 10, 2011

California Fights Back. Pro Israel activism in San Diego

A wide-ranging coalition of haters, including Al-Awda San Diego, Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) at SDSU and UCSD, San Diego International Action Center, Arab American Association at Cal State San Marcos, Arab Student Association at SDSU, Middle East Cultural and Information Center (MECIC), National Lawyers Guild San Diego Chapter, Party of Socialism and Liberation, Muslim American Society (MAS) Freedom, , San Diego branch of International Socialist Organization (ISO), Activist San Diego and The San Diego Coalition for Peace and Justice called for a demonstration and candlelight vigil on Sunday, January 9 starting at 3 PM at the Fountain in Balboa Park, in remembrance of the 2nd anniversary of Operation Cast Lead.

Well, they called for the demo, but hardly anyone showed up.

Except for those on the other side.
Estimates are that pro-Israel supporters, organized by the San Diego Israel coalition outnumbered the protesters 10 to 1.

Whats going on? Looks like California is beginning to fight back. Yascher Koacher to the San Diego Israel Coalition. May you go from strength to strength .

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Code Pink: Droning on and on and on

Pity Poor Code Pink. They just don't get it, and drone on and on and on.

Their latest obsession is with drones, and once again, we find them rubbing noses with the likes of "World Can't Wait" and the AFSC. They recently sent out a joint announcement:

The World Can't Wait Stop the Crimes of Your Government News from the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter
Resistance to Drone Warfare: Mobilizing Against Drones & Endless War

Sponsors include: Bay Area CodePink, Grandmothers Against War, AFSC SF, Peace Center of Nevada County and Sacramento VFP. Endorsed by World Can't Wait SF Bay. When: January 4th, 7:00 PM Where: AFSC, Quaker Meeting House, 65 9th St., San Francisco (Near Civic Center BART)
Find out about the growing collaborative drone resistance and anti-militarism campaign. Be inspired to join us soon at a military base near you! Blah blah blah, Blah blah blah. For more info, contact: Toby Blome: ratherbenyckeling@comcast.net or Martha Hubert: mhubert7@earthlink.net


To Code Pink: What exactly is "Collaborative Drone Resistance"? Is this, as one commenter asked, an effort to organize drones into collaborative resistance? Or is it about teaching people how to resist collaborative drones? How can one resist a drone anyway, except for A) hiding and B) shoulder-launched missiles--neither method requiring a lot of collaborate effort?

We expect no answers from Code pink.

Last year, incidentally, Code Pink declared victory over Ahava, claiming Costco had capitulated to their bullying ("felt the love", in Code Pink lingo) and discontinued carrying Ahava Dead Sea health and beauty aids . Ahava gift packs, carried at Costco were a seasonal product- they were carried only during the winter holiday, but nonetheless, come January, Code Pink was touting their success. (I assume Code Pink is also responsible for Costco discontinuing the sales of evergreen wreaths in January). However, an intrepid Costco shopper just sent us this photo- Yep, Just in time for 2010 winter gift giving season, Costco again is carrying Ahava!



Costco is selling Ahava products as holiday gifts, providing evidence of yet another failure of BDS, and Code Pink.

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Haifa Disney : Hows that Boycott coming, BTW?


A new Disney complex is scheduled to open in Haifa in 2013

A 20-acre, $168 million entertainment complex including a 25-screen multiplex and a Disney amusement park is set to be built near the Carmel Tunnel.

The Walt Disney Company's investment arm Shamrock Holdings and the Israeli New Lineo cinema chain announced the plans Tuesday.

Haifa Mayor Yona Yahav said, "This plan expresses confidence in our plans to turn Haifa Bay in a thriving business area. The plan began with the municipality's assistance in the building of Cinemall and the upgrade of the mall, previously known as the Lev Hamifratz Mall, and the building of the transport hub for the cable car, which carries passengers up to the Technion and Haifa University."

Read more here

So, hows that boycott going, btw?

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Why Are You Protesting Against Israel ?

Why Are You Protesting Against Israel?

More talking bears discussing the Middle east:



Best lines from the anti-Israel bear
"You are trying to confuse me with facts".


And yes, Israel allows in thousands of tons of food and building supplies. Just last week 1,047 total truckloads of aid was sent to Gaza with a total weight of 24,381 tons

Goods Delivered into the Gaza Strip
Merchandise - in truckloads
Food Products
Rice 5
Milk Powder and Baby Food 8
Wheat 100
Salt 8
Cooking Oil 20
Legumes 5
Produce (Fruits and Vegetables) 93
Meat, Chicken and Fish Products 38
Flour 10
Dairy Products 31
Sugar 27
Mixed\ Additional Food Products 99
Total Food Products 444
Cement 5
Iron 1
Aggregates 41
Glass , Aluminum and Wood Profiles 34
Total Construction materials 81
Animal Feed 138
Ceramics and Plumbing 48
Electric Products 49
Inputs to Agriculture 32
Hygiene Products 30
Medicine and Medical Equipment 5
Clothing and footwear 20
Essential Humanitarian Products 170
Mixed\ Additional Products 30

Its for your information, only. I'm not trying to "confuse you with facts"