Amnesty International's ill-suited spokesmodel

Amnesty International features Gaza "social media activist' Farah Baker on its Facebook page, as an example of the deprivation and suffering in the coastal enclave.  Its a curious choice.

Farah is a member of Gaza's social media club and has a highly visible presence on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

The newly engaged 20 year-old has done a fine job chronicling the life of a well-off teenager Gaza.

Farah Baker, rather than being a poster child for the impoverished of Gaza, instead is an example of the privilege and position that exist for the elite of Gaza, making it no different than any other society.

Farah and her I phone have given us a glimpse of the Gaza beyond the staged media reports

Gaza is not simply the land of eternal victimhood- of refugee camps and ruin that Amnesty International wants you to imagine.  Its also a land of restaurants, resorts, and shops, as documented by Farah Baker and her I phone.  Farah has inadvertently given us a rare glimpse of reality of Gaza beyond the bias of Amnesty International. 

Arab Woman appointed Dean at Hebrew University

In another massive failure of Apartheid in Israel, a Christian Arab Prof. Mona Khoury-Kassabri has been appointed dean of the Hebrew University School of Social Work.

She is the first Arab woman to be appointed dean at the Hebrew University. Dr. Khoury-Kassabri 's research addresses "both the factors underlying youth violence, and the ways to prevent victimization and perpetration and promote the welfare and rights of children."

Berkeley City Councilperson Cheryl Davila nominates Hatem Bazian to be her Emergency Stand-in

In a discussion on helping children get through disasters, Fred Rogers related this story. “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”

The Berkeley City Council is currently in the process of nominating 'helpers"- emergency stand-ins  for the Council, in the event of catastrophe.  Berkeley City Council representative from District 2, Cheryl Davila has nominated  Hatem Bazian, a contributor to her election campaign, for this role.

Hatem Bazian's history of inflammatory, divisive rhetoric make him completely unsuited for this position.

Listen to Hatem Bazian 's own words. Hatem Bazian has called for an intifada- a violent uprising- in America. He attempted (and failed) to organize a blockade of the Israeli consulate in San Francisco.

He has promoted violence.  "The only language the slave master understands is the language of violence". He has promoted harassment of our elected officials "We need to translate our strength into the harassment of the political leadership." He has used social media to spread anti-Semitic memes.

Could Cheryl Davila have picked a person less likely to unify a community shattered by disaster?

CALL TO ACTION:

Tomorrow (July 24th, 2018) the Berkeley City Council will vote on whether or not to appoint anti-Semitic UC Berkeley Professor Hatem Bazian as a "Standby Officer" to replace one of the Councilors in case of emergency.

Please call and email the members listed below and urge them to vote against hate (sample message is below):

Mayor Jesse Arreguin
(510) 981-7100
mayor@CityofBerkeley.info

Linda Maio
(510) 981-7110
lmaio@CityofBerkeley.info

Ben Bartlett
(510) 981-7130
bbartlett@CityofBerkeley.info

Kate Harrison
(510) 981-7140
kharrison@CityofBerkeley.info

Sophie Hahn
(510) 981-7150
shahn@CityofBerkeley.info

Susan Wengraf
(510) 981-7160
swengraf@CityofBerkeley.info

Kriss Worthington
(510) 981-7170
kworthington@CityofBerkeley.info

Lori Droste
(510) 981-7180
ldroste@CityofBerkeley.info

Stanford's Hamzeh Daoud physically threatens Zionist students.

Writing on his Facebook page, Hamzeh Daoud , a member of Stanford's Students for Justice in Palestine and a former University Senator  declared  "i'm going to physically fight zionists on campus next year".

The Stanford College Republicans responded to this call for violence by asking for the University to take disciplinary action against Daoud.

SCR is disgusted by a threat of violence issued by Hamzeh Daoud, a rising junior at Stanford University, toward pro-Israel students. Daoud, who is active in Stanford Students for Justice in Palestine, a former ASSU Undergraduate Senator (Hamzeh Daoud for ASSU Senate), and who will be a Residential Assistant in one of Stanford’s dormitories in the 2018-2019 school year, vowed on his personal Facebook page to “physically fight zionists on campus next year.” Threatening to assault other students who hold a different point of view is anathema to a free society and any kind of education, let alone the operation of the premier research university in the world.

Stanford should take disciplinary action against Mr. Daoud and SCR demands that Stanford terminate Daoud’s position as a Residential Assistant in the Norcliffe dormitory immediately. Mr. Daoud’s statements reveal him to be a danger to the safety of students on Stanford’s campus, and such an individual should never be put in any position of authority over other students, particularly in a dormitory that includes freshmen. Moreover, while we are disturbed by Hamzeh Daoud’s statements, we find it unsurprising that a member of SJP, an organization with financial ties to terrorist affiliates, would issue a call to violence against pro-Israel students.

After his words were exposed by the Campus Republicans, Daoud changed his post

Just like a good neigbor. Israel and Syria.

“It’s strange for us that Israel is more humanitarian than our Arab brothers."
Ammar, father of two, from Syria

The 7 year old civil war in Syria has left nearly 500,000 people dead. 5.6 million have fled the country and over 600,000 are internally displaced. Despite being officially at war with Syria, Israel has provided hundreds of tons of food, medicine, clothing, gasoline and essential medical equipment to the war-ravaged Syrian people. It has also treated nearly 5,000 wounded Syrians in Israeli hospitals and clinics.

In the last week alone, Israel has provided 300 tents, 28 tons of food, three pallets of medical supplies and 30 tons of clothes and shoes to Syrians . The NGO Fly Aid provided the aid with an undercover unit of all Arabic speakers. The NGO has 3 units worldwide, and provides aid to countries that do not have diplomatic ties with Israel.

From the Independent:

Syria conflict: Injured civilians turn to historic foe Israel amid Deraa bloodshed

Despite being told there is no place for them in Israel, Syrian families camped close to the Israeli border say if it was permitted they would consider relocating to Israel, even after decades of fierce hostilities.

“Escaping the killing machine of Russia and the militia forces has made us think of allying with what we consider to be the devil. We all think about going to Israel but it is not allowed. Everyone is trying to escape death because the Jordanian border is blocked,” says Ammar, 27, a father-of-two who is in Rafid, on the border.

“It’s strange for us that Israel is more humanitarian than our Arab brothers. I once even heard people saying they hope that Israel would include this area in the Golan,” he adds.

Israel. Operation Good Neighbor. Tikkun Olam in action

PETA takes a stand against Palestinian eco-terrorism

Since April, over 800 arson fires have ravaged southern Israel, destroying forests, nature reserves and agricultural fields, and jepoardizing the health and safety of the residents. Using molotov cocktails, firebombs and other incidenary devices, Hamas-funded terrorist from Gaza have destroyed over 2500 acres. Most recently, a falcon, teathered to a steel wire with flammable material at the end, was found hanging in a tree near the Gaza border, according to the Israel Nature and Parks Authority.

Israeli park ranger for 17 years, Kobi Sofer has said it will likely take many years for the entire ecosystem to recover. Sofer has witnessed scorched porcupines, snakes, turtles, lizards and other rodents and insects, all innocent victims of Hamas eco-terrorism.

Breaking the silence of animal rights organizations and environmental groups, Peta declared:

 Facebook

"As an animal-protection organization, PETA notes that animals claim allegiance to no nation, don't choose sides, and can only rely on human beings to show them mercy, and it is unacceptable to use them as weapons of war."

Israel Under Fire

In the last 24 hours, over 200 rockets and projectiles were launched from Gaza in a campaign of terror targeting Israeli civilians.

Hundreds of thousands of Israelis spent the night huddled in safe rooms, or reinforced staircases.

A family in Sderot was injured after their home took a direct hit. Speaking from the hospital, Aharon Bucharis stated  

All the glass in the living room flew toward us, the whole house was filled with smoke, there was blood everywhere, shouting and madness. The neighbors called emergency services, I had shrapnel in my face and legs, my wife and daughter had in their heads....

 A synagogue and a playground were also damaged.

In response, Israel retaliated with strikes against a wide range of terrorist targets, including the headquarters of Hamas's Beit Lahiya Battalion, urban warfare training facilities, weapon storage warehouses, and a Hamas training facility with an underground tunnel .

Two teens were killed in the strikes.

The Western media  has been largely silent  about the attacks on Israel.

Reuters News Agency Confuses Cause and Effect in Gaza.

In the last day, over 90 rockets and mortars were launched from Gaza.  Sixteen were intercepted by Iron Dome. 

Thousands of Israelis spent the night in bomb shelters.  After the barrage from Gaza, Israel took out 2 terror tunnels, and several military installations, including the Hamas battalion headquarters in Beit Lahia.  The Hamas headquarters included urban warfare training facilities, weapon storage warehouse, training compounds and command centers.

In a strange and no doubt deliberate reversal of cause and effect, the Reuters news agency headline reads  "Israel strikes Gaza military sites, Palestinians fire rockets".

Dubs sensation Draymond Green visits Israel

Oaklands very own Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors has visited Israel on a four-day tour organized by Friends of the Israel Defense Forces.

Needless to say, the Israeli haters were left fuming.

The question remains: Will Reem's House of bread and hate take his sandwich off her menu now?

We'll let you know.

State Assembly Candidate Maria Estrada embraces NOI bigot Louis Farrakhan

Democratic Candidate for California State Assembly in District 63, Maria Estrada,  has publicly praised Nation of Islam’s Louis Farrakhan. Ms. Estrada said, “I, for one, enjoy listening to Farrakhan’s sermons.”

Dubbed the Black David Duke, Farrakhan's sermons are filled with anti-Semitism  and anti-LGBTQ rhetoric.  

Louis Farrakhan's vitriolic anti-Semitism has been well documented, by the ADL, and by the Southern Poverty Law Center.  There's nothing more damning than his own words.

“The Jewish media has normalized sexual degeneracy, profanity, and all kinds of sin.”

Louis Farrakhan  The Time and What Must Be Done, Part 20: Making Satan Known, May 25 2013

"The Jews, a small handful, control the movement of this great nation, like a radar controls the movement of a great ship in the waters … the Jews got a stranglehold on the Congress."
Louis Farrakhan, Saviour's Day speech, Chicago, Feb. 25, 1990

"The powerful Jews are my enemy."

Louis Farrakhan  Chicago, February  2018

"White folks are going down. And Satan is going down. And Farrakhan, by God's grace, has pulled the cover off of that Satanic Jew and I'm here to say your time is up, your world is through"

Louis Farrakhan  Chicago, February  2018
 

"And you do with me as is written, but remember that I have warned you that Allah will punish you. You are wicked deceivers of the American people. You have sucked their blood. You are not real Jews, those of you that are not real Jews. You are the synagogue of Satan, and you have wrapped your tentacles around the U.S. government, and you are deceiving and sending this nation to hell. But I warn you in the name of Allah, you would be wise to leave me alone. But if you choose to crucify me, know that Allah will crucify you."

Louis Farrakhan, Saviour's Day speech, Chicago, Feb. 25, 1996

"Jews know their wickedness, not just Zionism, which is an outgrowth of Jewish transgression." Louis Farrakhan, Washington D.C. July 1985

"[T]he Jews don't like Farrakhan, so they call me Hitler. Well, that's a good name. Hitler was a very great man. He wasn't a great man for me as a black person, but he was a great German. Now, I'm not proud of Hitler's evils against Jewish people, but that's a matter of record. He raised Germany up from nothing. Well, in a sense you could say there's a similarity in that we are raising our people up from nothing."
— Louis Farrakhan, radio interview, March 11, 1984

"These false Jews promote the filth of Hollywood that is seeding the American people and the people of the world and bringing you down in moral strength. … It's the wicked Jews, the false Jews, that are promoting lesbianism, homosexuality. It's the wicked Jews, false Jews, that make it a crime for you to preach the word of God, then they call you homophobic!"

— Louis Farrakhan, Saviours' Day speech, Feb. 26, 2006

"And the Christian right, with your blindness to that wicked state of Israel … can that be the holy land, and you have gay parades, and want to permit to have a gay parade in Jerusalem when no prophet ever sanctioned that behavior. How can that be the Israel, how can that be Jerusalem with secular people running the holy land when it should be the holy people running the holy land. That land is gonna be cleansed with blood!"
Louis Farrakhan, Saviour's Day speech, Chicago, Feb. 26, 2006

"We can now present to our people and the world a true, undeniable record of the relationship between Blacks and Jews from their own mouths and pens. These scholars, Rabbis and historians [that Nation of Islam researchers studied] have given to us an undeniable record of Jewish anti-Black behavior, starting with the horror of the trans-Atlantic slave trade, plantation slavery, Jim Crow, sharecropping, the labor movement of the North and South, the unions and the misuse of our people that continues to this very moment."
Letter sent by Louis Farrakhan to Jewish leaders and the Southern Poverty Law Center, June 24, 2010.

Earlier this week, the Progressive Zionists of the California Democratic Party exposed Maria Estrada's praise of Farrakhan, writing:

Progressive Zionists of the California Democratic Party Concerned about Candidate Maria Estrada

July 6, 2018 Progressive Zionists of the California Democratic Party is concerned about candidate for Assembly Member in District 63 Maria Estrada’s public support of notorious homophobe and antisemite Louis Farrakhan and her repeated and extreme antisemitism in the guise of “criticism of Israel"...

Estrada saying that she “enjoy[s] listening to Farrakhan’s sermons”, a known and noxious public figure, is a slap in the face to the LGBTQ community and women as well as Jews. Farrakhan’s sermons are littered with homophobia and misogyny. The SPLC and the ADL label him as a hate figure. A truly progressive leader would spurn him from their spaces to make it as safe and inclusive for all identities.

Both the ADL- Los Angeles

and the National ADL have condemned Estrada's words

Maria Estrada's embrace of Farrakhan has been covered widely in the press.

Rabbi Abraham Cooper and Dr. Harold Brackman of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, writing in the Jewish Journal note how "bigots from the far Left and the far Right" are "wending their way into the mainstream of our society."

Farrakhan’s Bigotry Finds Traction Across the Political Spectrum.

Yair Rosenberg, writing in Tablet Magazine stated:
Maria Estrada promotes Louis Farrakhan and attacked a Jewish politician over his religion. She also claims she’s just ‘anti-Zionist.’
Combating this dangerous dynamic is a challenge that progressives and the Democratic Party must meet. If both groups intend to be credible voices on antisemitism and on Israel, they’re going to need to learn to spot bad actors like Estrada who use Israel as an excuse for their unreconstructed Jew hatred. Identifying and casting out these bigots will not only marginalize the bigotry, but it will also open up a constructive space for criticizing Israel that isn’t tainted by antisemitism. 

From the Times of Israel:
Progressive Zionists of the California Democratic Party calls on Maria Estrada to resign and apologize for 'blatant anti-Semitism' which 'disqualifies her from public office'

From the Jerusalem Post:

Maria Estrada, a candidate for California’s District 63 representing the southeast suburbs of Los Angeles, offered her support for anti-Semitic Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan.

The inclusion of Maria Estrada as a Democratic Candidate for California State Assembly in District 63 is nothing less than the mainstreaming of anti-Semitism in the Democratic party.  Its time for the DNC to denounce and distance themselves from Estrada. 

In which Jewish Voice for Peace admits it is an outlier when it comes to Jewish community values

In which Jewish Voice for Peace admits it is an outlier when it comes to Jewish community values, recognizing that their views  do "not necessarily a reflection of the Jewish community at large".

In June, JVP posted a notice on Facebook looking for a campus coordinator at George Washington University.  A month later, people weren't exactly rushing to fill the vacancies.

In response, JVP posted their "Privacy Mechanism"
Emphasis mine.

JVP AT GW·THURSDAY, JULY 5, 2018
Hello all,
We recently posted our online application for GW students to apply to become a coordinating committee member for Jewish Voice for Peace. We want to take a moment to address the needs and concerns of folk who want to work and organize with JVP, but are concerned about privacy and visibility on and off of campus.
Jewish Voice for Peace is grateful to all those who, inspired by Jewish tradition, are committed to working towards peace, social justice, equality, human rights, and respect for international law—in Palestine, the United States, and all across the world. However, while our interpretation and understanding of Jewish values underlines human rights and self determination for all, including the Palestinian people, we recognize that this is not necessarily a reflection of the Jewish community at large. Moreover, we recognize that for some, holding these values can have consequences. Namely, being ostracized from one’s family, one’s community, and even one’s home country. These consequences are not fair nor just but are a reality for pro-Palestine activists and organizers in our contemporary political climate.
Because we are an organization that seeks to empower and foster a radically inclusive Jewish community on campus, we want to emphasize the importance of privacy and respect in our coordinating committee. This means we will work with those who are unable to organize with us visibly to create a privacy plan that allows them to participate in our organization in a way that ensures their privacy and safety.
If you are interested in joining JVP but share these concerns, we encourage you to email us at jvpgwu@gmail.com, and we will work to accommodate you and welcome you into our org.
With love and solidarity,
JVP GWU

After years of claiming they speak for the Jewish community, JVP is finally acknowledging just how fringe they really are, catching up with the rest of the community that already knew.

What you aren't hearing about Khan al-Ahmar

Khan al-Ahmar at its core represents a politically motivated Palestinian land grab, and an effort to establish  "facts on the ground".

Thats not what you'll hear in the mainstream media.  Instead you'll hear that Khan al-Ahmar is a  "besieged" or a beleaguered "Bedouin village".

The reality is that Khan al-Ahmar is an illegal encampment, with no electricity, no running water, and no sewage treatment, built on Israeli state land without permits.  

Khan al-Ahmar was built on land that belongs to the State of Israel, in an area under full Israeli administrative and security authority, a critical fact left out of nearly every media  report.

The current residents belong to the Jahalin Bedouin tribe, who were forced out of the Negev after a tribal dispute, in the 1980's.

Aerial photos, originally posted by CAMERA show the comparatively recent settlement of the area, disputing reports that the Beduoin had been there since the establishment of the State of Israel.

Khan Al Ahmar 1967

Khan Al Ahmar  1980

Khan Al Ahmar 1999

Khan Al Ahmar 2016

In four separate lawsuits spanning a decade, Israel’s highest court has confirmed the illegality of the settlement, but has required the state to “swap” Khan al-Ahmar for alternative property. As a result, the Israeli goverment has created a new neighborhood for the Jahalin families, near Abu Dis. Each family has been offered a plot of land, with water, electricity and access to critical infrastructure- schools, medical clinics and transportation.  Under pressure from the Palestinian authority and their Western enablers, the Beduoin have refused to leave their ramshackle encampment.

The High Court of Justice on has issued a temporary injunction preventing the state from demolishing the encampment. The state has until July 11 to respond.

For more information on Khan Al Ahmar:

The LA Times, the Beduoin of Khan Al Ahmar and 'their land'

The Case of the Illegal Bedouin Village of Khan al-Ahmar

Oregon Hillel Vandalized

Legitimate criticism of Israel or anti-Semitism?

Oregon Hillel vandalized

From the Eugene Oregon Hillel Foundation:

We apologize for the graphic content, but today we were shocked and saddened to return to our building in Eugene to find one of our welcome signs in our parking lot covered with hate filled graffiti. We greatly appreciate the immediate support of President Schill, the Dean of Students Office and the Office of Equity and Inclusion. All have voiced their concern and support for our community and offered their resources. We have removed the sign and will work to clean it off – there is no other damage or graffiti to any other parts of the building. We have also communicated with Chabad & Akiva on Campus to make sure that they are aware and have offered to help keep an eye on all of our properties throughout the summer.

Below is a statement from Kevin Marbury, University of Oregon Vice President – Division of Student Life – we are very grateful for the quick response and support that the the university has shown to our Hillel and Jewish community on campus. Despite hate we celebrate light by lighting the Shabbat candles with our community around the world -

"Jewish student community members,

We have been made aware of anti-Sematic graffiti that recently appeared outside the The Oregon Hillel Foundation. Anti-Semitism and other forms of hate have no place at the University of Oregon. We condemn this as an unacceptable violation our university values. The UO Police Department has taken the initial report and is working with Eugene PD to further investigate. To the extent we are able, we will share additional information as it becomes available.

If you need support or any assistance stemming from this incident, please contact the Dean of Students office 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Monday-Friday at 541-346-3216, or if you need immediate support, you can contact the UO Counseling Center’s after-hour support and crisis line: 541-346-3227."

R. Kevin Marbury Ph.D., Vice President
Division of Student Life

Anna Baltzer: Gaza requires attention

A call to action, from Anna Baltzer, relaying instructions from her Gaza overlords:

Palestinian organisations in Gaza are calling upon all people of conscience around the world to make posters of the fallen heroes of the recent Great March of Return and plaster these all over your cities and towns, especially opposite Israeli and American embassies. This is an action that will greatly benefit the visibility of our cause!

Please send pictures or videos of your action with statement of support for the Right of Return and the Great March of Return to: greatmarchsolidarity@gmail.com

Following the media coverage of the massacre that Israel carried out against us on the first day of our march, we have been receiving less and less media coverage.Yet more and more of us are being killed every day. Gaza has been bombarded night and day too....

Help keep the freedom of Palestinians and the right to return in the spotlight!

Signed:
Great March of Return-Steering Committee
The Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions (PGFTU)
University Teachers’ Association in Palestine
Palestinian Students’ Campaign for the Academic Boycott of Israel Al-Aqsa University

One Democratic State Group

Voices Against Israeli Apartheid

The "great march of return" was nothing more than a massive temper tantrum by those middle children of the Arab world, the Palestinians.   Its all about "visibility" and staying "in the spotlight".  Anna and her overlords want to insure you don't get distracted by the myriad of domestic issues.

Lets help Anna out.  Zionists are nothing, if not helpful.    Over 80% of those killed in Gaza are identified members of terrorist groups.  Lets show the world who her heroes really are.  

For photos of the "civilians" killed in Gaza, start here, or use these:

Mohammed Abu Naeem Amr (Hamas)

Musab al-Saloul (Hamas)

Sari  Abu Walid  Oudeh (Hamas)

If you decide to "plaster these all over your cities and towns", send us photos and links, and we'll be sure to post them, to help Anna in her quest to keep Gaza in the spotlight.

UPDATE

And it begins. Thanks to SW at UC Berkeley: