Uptown Body and Fender hosts antisemitic speaker at Jazz for Palestine event

Only in the Bay area would an auto body shop play host to local non profits after hours. The concept is charming, and the venue is more attractive than you'd guess.  Uptown Body and Fender's website states  they "supports Oakland and East Bay communities by offering its shop free of charge to local and non-profit organizations for their fundraising events."

Unfortunately, either through ignorance or perhaps malice, Uptown Body and Fender has become the go-to venue for haters.  Do shop owners Lisandro Allende and Giovanna Tanzillo even care what takes place under their roof?  Earlier this year the auto body shop played host to notorious anti-Semite Gilad Atzmon, a man so bitter, so vile, he has been condemned by most of his former allies.

Uptown Body and Fender, located in the heart of Oakland on 26th Street continues on the low road, hosting "Jazz for Palestine" , sponsored by Friends of Sabeel, NA on Nov. 9  Sabeel itself is problematic, distorting Biblical language and imagery to push its extremist agenda. 

From the ADL profile on Sabeel:

Sabeel’s efforts to demonize Israel and Israelis have also featured charges of deicide against Jews; they have compared Palestinians to a modern-day Jesus and accused Israel of engaging in a “crucifixion” of these Palestinians. In an Easter mes­sage several years ago, Ateek explic­itly said: “Jesus is on the cross again with thou­sands of cru­ci­fied Pales­tini­ans around him…The Israeli gov­ern­ment cru­ci­fix­ion sys­tem is oper­at­ing daily,” a highly offensive expression given centuries of Jewish oppression on the basis of deicide charges. Ateek and his organization have also compared Israel to the Nazis, accusing Israel of committing a “Holocaust” against Palestinians.

The event also features cartoonist Khalil Bendib, whose antisemitic caricatures could have been lifted straight from Der Sturmer.

From Bendib exposed

Giving lip service to a philosophy of equality and justice while turning a a blind eye to the antisemites by their side is one of the hallmarks of the anti- Israel movement world wide.  Its truly a shame that our local businesses have chosen to aid and abet this bigotry.