Bay Area Anti-Zionist groups sponsor talk with member of Israeli Knesset

Yesterday, some of the most extreme anti-Israel groups in the Bay Area got together to sponsor a talk by an Israeli member of the Knesset.

In a gesture of startling hypocrisy, If Americans Knew,  Sabeel, Arab Resource Organizing Center, Jewish Voice for Peace, American Muslims for Palestine, CAIR,  Al Awda and others ignored their own established policies against  "normalization"  and hosted a member of Israel's government. 

Oh, but he wasn't a Jew.  That matters, apparently.   These extremists hosted Sami Abu Shehadeh, a member of Israel's Knesset member of the representing the Arab nationalist party,  Balad.  If you ever had a doubt that BDS and the movement to isolate Israel economically, politically and socially was directed solely toward Jews, now you have evidence.  

The very presence of of Sami Abu Shehadeh within the Israeli government negates the claims of these groups that assert that Israel is an "apartheid" state.   

Incidentally, although Jewish Voice for Peace has, on paper at least, denounced white supremacist Alison Weir, they had no trouble promoting and co-sponsoring this event with her and her group "If Americans Knew".  So much for that "formal policy".

Arabs make up nearly 20% of Israel’s population. They have full citizenship, including the right to vote, and have a major presence in the fields of  medicine, academia and in government.   Whatever these groups original intention was in sponsoring Sami Abu Shejadeh,  it was lost in translation.  The event only served to shine a spotlight on the hypocrisy and the falacies of their own movement.

Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists at it again

Via Emunah:

The Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists is intent on proving that the fetid intersection where the hard left and the hard right meet is anti-Semitism. They'll be hosting anti-Israel activist Alison Weir for a talk on....wait for it...pro Israel activism. Alison's appearance at the BFUU  is part of a rather disturbing pattern of behavior at the fellowship, which has previously hosted holocaust denier and 9/11 truther  Ken O'Keefe  (We didn't know he was anti-Semitic. Really we didn't!) and Gilad Atzmon (We didn't know he was anti-Semitic! Really, we didn't!) 

Alison Weir is the former editor of a Marin penny-saver, who has catapulted 2 trips to the Mid-east into a career.  She is the executive director of If Americans Knew, run out of her Richmond home, and president of the Council for the National Interest 

Alison Weir is a controversial figure, even among her peers. Groups as extreme as Jewish Voice for Peace and Students for Justice in Palestine have publicly distanced themselves from her. If Americans Knew has been condemned for furthering anti-Semitism by the Anti-Defamation League, Jewish Voice for Peace, and the U.S. Campaign to End the Occupation.

From Tablet:

Weir earned this remarkable wall-to-wall opprobrium by promoting anti-Semitic myths, working with white supremacists, and publishing anti-Jewish content on IAK’s web site. Among other exploits:

•  Weir published an original blog post on her personal site which justified anti-Semitism by labeling the Jewish “race” as “an object of hatred to all the peoples among whom it has established itself,” In the words of the U.S. Campaign to End the Occupation, the piece “effectively blam[ed] Jews for anti-Semitism.”

•  Weir has not only promoted the conspiracy theory that Israel harvests the organs of Palestinians—an update of the medieval blood libel—but has actually asserted the accuracy of the original blood libel itself, which accused Jews of ritually murdering Christian children to use their blood in Passover matzo. (Weir cited the discredited and since withdrawn research of a Jewish writer.)

•  Weir has worked repeatedly with white supremacists, while never challenging their bigoted claims. For instance, in a series of appearances on the radio show of white supremacist and Holocaust denier Clayton Douglas, Weir dismissed allegations that he was a racist, did not challenge his repeated assertions of Jewish control of the world, and did not protest when he played a speech by former Ku Klux Klan grand wizard David Duke. Writes the U.S. Campaign to End the Occupation, “Weir made little to no effort to challenge, confront, or rebut any of these views; on the contrary, she continued to appear on the show.”

•  Weir has also published repeatedly at the American Free Press, a white supremacist anti-Semitic site that is designated as a hate outlet by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

For these actions and others, both Jewish Voice for Peace and the U.S. Campaign to End the Occupation severed ties with Weir in July 2015. (Though the same cannot be said for many other anti-Israel activists, who continue to defend and even honor Weir.)

From Political Research Associates: Challenging the Right: Advancing Social justice: 

IAK’s criticisms of Zionism and Israel dovetail with traditional antisemitic narratives, and Weir often cites antisemitic writers and publications as her sources. When asked if the work of antisemitic authors including Israel Shamir, Gilad Atzmon, and Kevin MacDonald were truly legitimate, she replied, “Yes. I suggest people read their work for themselves.”

Much of Alison's past presentations are based on a statistical study she personally undertook, alleging bias in reporting on Israeli and Palestinian dead. Her analysis has been described as "amateurish" and "flawed", with  media watchdog CAMERA concluding 

"Weir's pseudoscientific study and absurd conclusions are not so surprising in light of her history of distortion."

Weir's study claims

 "the Times reported Israeli deaths at rates up to seven to ten times greater than Palestinian deaths," and that this discrepancy is "based on the ethnicity of the person killed."  and that "Times reporting regularly gave readers the impression that equal numbers of people on both sides were being killed – or that more Israelis were being killed," and that "the majority of Palestinian deaths ... are never reported by the Times at all."

However, according to CAMERA:

The bulk of the study is based only on the headline and first paragraph – often just one sentence – of New York Times news reports, and completely ignores the remaining text of the articles. In other words, most of the news reports condemned by the study are not even read.

In an op-ed in the April 4, 2008  Greenwich Citizen,  Alison Weir described Judaism as  "such a ruthless and supremacist faith".

Information on Alison Weir's extremist conspiratorial views are widely available on the Web. Her facebook page, and those of If Americans Knew are filled with anti-Semitic imagery, conspiracy theories and classic Jew-hate 

Jewish Voice for Peace can’t seem to stay away from Alison Weir

ADL Backgrounder on Alison Weir

Professor Stanford Recommends Anti-Semitic Website to Readers, Then Kind of Takes it Back 

Campus Profile: Alison Weir If Americans Knew

Study of New York Times Coverage Severely Flawed

Alison Weir posing with convicted Palestinian terrorist Rasmea Odeh

Will the Berkeley fellowship of Unitarian Universalists still claim they didn't know?

Event details:

Thursday, February 16 at 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM PST
Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists
1924 Cedar Street, Berkeley, CA 
(Corner of Cedar St and Bonita Ave)

This talk is free and open to the public. It is sponsored by the Social Justice Committee of the Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists.

Pass the Popcorn: Stanford SJP cancels Nakba tour because of Alison Weir's participation

Paul Larudee has friends in all the wrong places. He's hobnobbed with Hamas and Hezbollah leaders. He sat cheering in the audience while fellow flotidiot Ken O'Keefe regaled the Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists with fake Talmud quotes and blood libel. And he is a vocal supporter and promoter of white supremacist Alison Weir.

According to Paul,  Stanford Students for Just Us in Palestine cancelled a presentation on the so-called Nakba at the eleventh hour because of Alison Weir's participation. The talk was arranged by the Free Palestine Movement, the ISM – Northern California and the al-Awda Palestine right to Return Coalition. 

Yep. Alison Weir is so caustic, so toxic, she's been rejected by SJP.  Ponder that, and pass the popcorn.

From Paul

Last night, Mariam Fathalla and Amena Elashkar were scheduled to speak at Stanford University, sponsored by Students for Justice in Palestine. The previous day, I had asked Alison Weir, who has been giving talks on Palestine for 15 years all over the country, to meet with Amena and give her advice on reaching American audiences since this is Amena's first trip to the U.S. It was an excellent, fruitful meeting. 

I then said it would be valuable if Alison could hear Amena's presentation to see if she would have any suggestions. Alison is extremely busy but agreed to come down to Stanford with us for that purpose.

When Alison learned we did not yet have any written materials along to provide the audience, she brought some along with her for us to use and also gave us some of her books that we could sell to help raise money for the tour. We had already discussed that IAK would supply their excellent written materials for the tour.

We had no idea that Alison would turn out to be an issue, or that some members of the Stanford SJP would object to what Amena might wish to say.  We view Alison as an extremely committed and popular antiracist writer, speaker, and activist, and people even follow her work in refugee camps in Lebanon.  We know that some groups oppose her and If Americans Knew, but we also think that most do not, and that in any case this should not be an issue in the Nakba Tour.  Alison, however, is not not one of the national organizers of the tour, and she was not intended to be one of the speakers or to have any role in the presentation at Stanford. She was simply there as a favor to us, as described above.

However, some members of the SJP immediately objected to Alison's presence, perhaps assuming she was going to speak, and also to the presence of her book and the If Americans Knew materials. We immediately explained that Alison was not to be a speaker and was just there to sit in the audience and that we had invited her to come with us. We also agreed to remove the books, but said we were disturbed that they also wished to censor the materials we could make available on our own tour. In all my years of activism, I've never heard of such a thing.

Amena then began discussing the situation with the students, and was extremely upset when they told her that she could not speak truthfully about her feelings and the feelings of the thousands of dispossessed Palestinian refugees living in camps about their situation, about the Nakba, and about whether or not Israel has "the right to exist" that Israel partisans claim.  This was not an issue at the two previous talks.

When it became clear that they wished Amena to censor her excellent talk, she refused to do so and the event was canceled. 

We think it is extremely important that people hear from Amena and Mariam. They represent millions of Palestinian refugees whose rights and views have been trampled upon and who are often ignored. Thank you for helping us bring their voice to the discussion. It is long past time that they are heard.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

Paul Larudee, Tour Coordinator

UPDATE:

Stanford SJP responds,via their Facebook page

On Wednesday April 7, Stanford Students for Justice in Palestine decided to cancel our event “The Exiled Palestinians.” This was due to the presence of Alison Weir, who has openly expressed anti-Semitic sentiments. Although she was not invited, Ms. Weir came to our event with the purpose of selling copies of her book and distributing materials promoting her personal website. When asked to remove her materials, she eventually removed her books but left other materials advertising her website. We expressed our discomfort with her materials as well as her presence at our event given that she claimed to be associated with the event, but she refused to leave....

We are sorry that we could not host this event as an opportunity to hear Palestinian voices, however we remain committed to making sure that our spaces do not play host to individuals who advance white supremacist discourses.

In the  "Comments" section, local anti-Israel activist Jane Jewell blames this little family spat on (wait for it....) the "Zionists", writing:

Don't be too hard on the Stanford students. They are clearly being used. They are young adults, with their whole lives ahead of them, looking for a good job when they leave university to start them off on their careers. Many Zionists have a lot of money and power when it comes to helping students get on the first rung of their career ladder. In fact, Alison Weir's book, Against Our Better Judgment, describes their colossal influence in this country. At all costs, students must not be given the opportunity to read this outstanding little book. I would not be at all surprised if one of them was approached by some behind the scenes Zionist with a comment like, "you are looking for a job in law when you leave here, isn't that right? You don't want to be associating with people like Weir, or your chances may not be so good."

In fact, I would put my money on it. Otherwise, why else would an organisation supposed to be supporting Palestine, cancel speakers about the Nakba? It would be like a Jewish organisation refusing to have a holocaust survivor speak. 


This is the only explanation of why the students, supposedly for Justice in Palestine, would cancel a speaker on the Nakba.

Alison Weir: One way or another, its the Jews fault

Alison Weir's March 30 talk at the Walnut Creek Library was apparently fraught with difficulty. And hyperbole. But mostly hyperbole.

Instead of speaking to her usual cadre of true believers, she found her audience peppered with people who actually knew the truth.
It wasn't pretty for her.
Now, her and her minions can not  figure out who to blame.
Alison Weir, who sees StandWithUs in her tea leaves and in her cornflakes sent out a press release blaming the educational non-profit group, StandWithUs.
Can you say "Libel", Alison?

Are Alison Weir's difficulties  StandWithUs's fault or are they JVP's fault?

Does it even matter, as long as you can blame it on the Jews?

What we know, so far:

The so-called "threat" took the form of a group of local  high school students who gave out flyers and stood quietly with signs and flags.

Alison calls that a threat. The rest of us call it protected free speech.

Although their flyer references JVP, they appeared too thoughtful, nuanced and well informed to be associated in any way with that extremist group. 

Thomas Paine reminded us that it is "an affront to truth to treat falsehood with complaisance." Bravo to the young people to stood up and challenged Alison Weir.

Why is the Walnut Creek Public Library giving a venue to white supremacist Alison Weir ?

Spotted on Craigs List 

Why is the Walnut Creek Public Library giving a venue to white supremacist Alison Weir ?

Backgrounder on Alison Weir from the Web:

Alison Weir has been a frequent guest of white supremacist Clay Douglas on his hate radio show, the Free American. Clay Douglas is concerned primarily with the survival of the White race. Examples of his racist, homophobic rhetoric can be easily found on the internet

"In the course of Weir's appearance with Clay Douglas on August 25, 2010, she was silent when Douglas invoked the Protocols of the Elders of Zion and engaged in a racist diatribe against Jews. Her troubling associations and choices further include giving interviews to a range of far-right outlets including The American Free Press, which the Southern Poverty Law Center has identified as a hate group, and the anti-gay, anti-Jewish pastor Mark Dankof."

Her work has also been featured on the website of the former head of the Klu Klux Kan, David Duke 

She has not disavowed, debated, or challenged the thinking of any of these outlets individuals or institutions.

Please gather in protest at the Walnut Creek Public library. Keep Walnut Creek Hate free

Wed, Mar 30, 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Walnut Creek Library (Oak View Room)
1644 N Broadway, Walnut Creek, CA 94596

Alison Weir- a woman so off- the-wall wacko that  she's been formally denounced by groups from right to left will also be appearing at the Richmond Public Library:

Saturday, April 2 at 3:00 pm
Richmond Public Library 
325 Civic Center Plaza, Richmond, CA 94804

Pass the Popcorn. Jewish Voice for Peace: Simply Hypocrisy

Its almost comical.

Jewish Voice for Peace has routinely stood shoulder to shoulder with the worse anti-Semites and conspiracy theorists out there, silent to the Jew-hate  that surrounded them. They've routinely marched along with groups  supporting terror. They've protested Jewish cultural events. They interrupted a commemoration on the liberation of Auschwitz.  They've sponsored and promoted anti-Semitic speakers.   They have lobbied against resolutions that would protect Jewish students on campus. 

And if we are to believe Gilad Atzmon, they coached a repulsive anti-Semite on how to be more politically correct and socially acceptable.

Gilad Atzmon refused and now finds himself in their cross-hairs – particularly ironic since they recently promoted his Los Angeles appearance.

Is JVP anti-Semitic? 

Its hard to know, but they have certainly aided and abetted anti-Semites, and offered them cover.  

What do we do when haters fight? I see no alternative than to sit back  and watch from a distance.

Gilad Atzmon has published a letter  that he claims is from  Rebecca Vilkomerson, JVP's Executive Director, disavowing itself from Alison Weir. He calls it  "The Protocols Of The Elders of ‘Anti' Zion".

It’s a classic pot calling the kettle black moment.

Pass the popcorn.

May 5, 2015

Dear Ms. Weir,

Jewish Voice for Peace has chosen not to work with you because our central tenet is opposition to racism in all its forms, and you have chosen repeatedly to associate yourself with people who advocate for racism.

You have been a repeat guest of white supremacist Clay Douglas on his hate radio show, the Free American. Clay Douglas is concerned primarily with the survival of the White race and sees malign Jewish influence everywhere. His racist, anti-Jewish, and anti-gay rhetoric can be found across the front pages of his multiple websites.

In the course of your appearance with Clay Douglas on August 25, 2010, for example, you were silent when Douglas invoked the Protocols of the Elders of Zion and engaged in a racist diatribe against Jews. Your repeated appearance on this show (April 23 and August 25, 2010; February 9 and May 18, 2011) show that you knew his extremist views and chose to continue the association.

Your troubling associations and choices further include giving interviews to a range of far-right outlets including The American Free Press, which the Southern Poverty Law Center has identified as a hate group, and the anti-gay, anti-Jewish pastor Mark Dankof. One of your articles appeared in an anthology that was promoted by the infamous Holocaust-denial organization, the Institute for Historical Review. We see no evidence that you have disavowed any of these outlets or institutions. Our movement must be built on a foundation of love, justice and equality for all people. It should not and cannot win by fueling or endorsing any form of hate, whether against People of Color, gays, Jews, Muslims or anyone else.

At Jewish Voice for Peace, we are particularly sensitive to the long history of anti-Jewish oppression as well as the ways that Palestinian liberation work is frequently tarred with false charges of anti-Semitism. Just as we call out the hateful associations of those who seek to perpetuate injustice against Palestinians, as a movement we must also hold the line against those who promote the false notion that Palestinian liberation can be won at the expense of others.

The alleged letter drips with unctuous self righteousness and irony.  JVP’s long history of questionable partnerships and regular protests of Jewish community events have shown  how particularly insensitive and willingly blind the group has been to the long history of anti-Jewish oppression.

It was just this March, when they collaborated with Alison Weir on an anti-AIPAC campaign.

To disavow Alison Weir, but to continue an association with Code Pink, who have happily vacationed with the mullahs of Iran (who have denied one Holocaust while planning another) is simply hypocrisy

To disavow Alison Weir, but to continue an association with American Muslims for Palestine, Sabeel and CAIR is simply hypocrisy.

To disavow Alison Weir but to continue an association with any group that deny the Jewish people the right to self determination is simply hypocrisy.

To disavow Alison Weir but to continue an association with  any group that seeks to restrict the rights of the Jewish people is simply hypocrisy.

This letter does not represent a policy shift for Jewish Voice for Peace. Its posturing- a desperate grasp at adding a veneer of respectability to an organization that's repeatedly been exposed for its intolerance and bigotry.

To learn more about Jewish Voice for Peace
Driving a wedge: JVP’s strategy to weaken U.S. Support for Israel by Dividing the Jewish Community

Jews Helping Hamas Are No Voice for Peace

Jewish Voice for Peace whitewashes anti-Semitism in the anti-Israel movement

For more information on the family feud:

When Israel-haters attack - each other

When Rogues Fall Out: Weir's warfare with Jewish Voice for Peace

Sorry, Alison Weir. Americans Know. You can't fool them.

The attack on the USS Liberty was a tragic accident that unfolded during the 6 day war.   Ten United States investigations and three Israeli inquiries conclusively established the attack was a mistake. According to the Jewish Virtual library

Israel ultimately paid nearly $13 million in humanitarian reparations to the United States and to the families of the victims in amounts established by the U.S. State Department. The matter was officially closed between the two governments by an exchange of diplomatic notes on December 17, 1987.

The USA and Israel have closed the matter, but flotidiot and anti-Israel activist Joe Meadors and his handlers at If Americans Knew are determined to keep  the incident alive.

To  Joe Meadors and Alison Weir. Americans Know, and that's why no one showed up to your little stunt.

Joe Meadors writes about a memorial service for the men killed and wounded in the attack on the USS  Liberty, and asks " What if you gave a memorial service and nobody came?"

On June 8th of every year — the anniversary of the Israeli attack on the USS Liberty — USS Liberty survivors and our families gather to hold a memorial service in Washington DC. This year it was held in the Navy Memorial.
Members of Congress were invited to send an official representative to honor our fallen shipmates as were the Department of Defense and Navy Department, The American Legion, the Navy League and the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
These are all organizations who never miss an opportunity to honor the American military especially those who have been Killed in Action during an attack by an enemy of the United States.
Well, almost never.
The Department of Defense was a no-show.
The Navy Department was a no-show.
The American Legion was a no-show.
The Navy League was a no-show.
Congress was a no-show.

The reasons were obvious, to all but Joe.  No one wants to risk the taint of an association with him or with his play group..


Joe Meadors identifies himself as the "Director of Operations" of the USS Liberty Veterans Association,  but his close alliances with doctrinaire haters Alison Weir and Paul Larudee have been well documented.

Joe- both you and Alison are whack job conspiracy theorists. The ADL diplomatically states  "Alison Weir’s criticism of Israel has, at times, crossed the line into distortions customarily found in the literature of anti-Semites."  Alison has written that Judaism “a ruthless and supremacist faith”. There's a word for people like her. I think you can guess it.

No one showed up to the memorial service, not out of disrespect for those who gave their lives in this unfortunate accident, but because of your involvement. When your organization carries the endorsement of the KKK, maybe its time to turn your gaze inward.

Here. Let me help you.

Americans Know, Joe.
Americans Know, Alison.

And that's precisely why Americans avoid you both.

Billboard Wars Redux. The Sacramento edition

Curiouser and Curiouser.  The original announcement from the Free Palestine Movement  largely took credit for the anti-Israel billboard that went up on I 50 near Sacramento, and even requested that donations to be sent to the FPM  "office"- which just happens to be Paul Larudee's home.  It follows:

 

Here is the new billboard, paid with your donations.  It is viewed from US-50 westbound, just before it meets with I-80, southwest of Sacramento, which is a section of the main highway belt of the city, receiving major traffic.

As you can see, the billboard was designed to appeal to persons not particularly informed about the issue, and not even necessarily sympathetic to Palestine.  This is deliberate: there is no point trying to win people who already sympathize with us.  The billboard has been up for two weeks now, and will remain for another two weeks or more.  It connects to a website that offers additional information and is another donation site.

  As we previously announced, our coalition is taking the campaign national, and we expect to announce additional advertisements in other states before long, subject to your donations.  Please continue to support our work by sending your tax-exempt check to the address below, or go to our website www.freepalestinemovement.org/donate.html and donate on line.  It’s tax deductible either way, and we encourage you to sign up for automatic monthly payments to assure continuous funding.  If you are sending a check you can mail it to:

 

FPM (Bus Ad Campaign)

405 Vista Heights Rd.  El Cerrito, CA 94530

 

But now a "clarification" has been issued.  From the FPM team:

To clarify our earlier message below: the Free Palestine Movement is proud to have provided the funds for the Sacramento billboard. We are not the sponsors, however, of this billboard or of this new Stop the Blank Check campaign.  The sponsors are the Council for the National Interest and If Americans Knew.

If you want to donate directly to the Stop the Blank Check campaign to educate the American public via billboards and other media, please send your contribution directly to either of these organizations, with a note specifying that these are for the Stop the Blank Check campaign

What comes to mind is the adage "No honor among thieves".  Paul Larudee has found himself on the outs with other activists before.   In an open letter to Paul, anti-Israel activist Lubna  Masarwa accused him of falsely taking credit for the  Welcome to Palestine campaign

You have appeared in the media over the last week, often stating that
you organized the Welcome to Palestine campaign. All statements you
have made in regards to this campaign were false.

While our not so esteemed opponents are duking it out over who takes credit for what failed project, there is some positive news from the pro-Israel side.

StandWithUs (SWU) is countering anti-Israel billboards by placing its own ad beginning November 5 for three weeks. The SWU ad encourages the public to "Tell Congress Not to Support Palestinian Groups Like Hamas Because They Don't Want Peace." It specifically targets an anti-Israel billboard that calls for ending military aid to Israel. The 12x50 foot billboard will be visible on Interstate 80 near Harbor Boulevard exit.

"We cannot allow the public to be misled by the factual distortions in yet another anti-Israel campaign. The anti-Israel ads try to undermine American support for Israel by misrepresenting Israel and its history. They leave out the real reason Israel needs to defend itself, which are ongoing threats from terrorist cells in the West Bank, from the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas, and from the existential threats from countries such as Iran. They leave out the numerous times Israel has given up land for peace - such as in Gaza in 2005 when, in exchange, Israel ended up with thousands of rockets fired at its southern communities, with Hamas claiming responsibility,” states Roz Rothstein, CEO of StandWithUs.

"Most Americans are aware that Israel is on the front lines of terrorism, and know that the military aid the small country receives helps to protect its citizens. They know that the real injustice is that Palestinian Arab leaders have rejected all territorial compromises for peace and refuse to continue direct negotiations. SWU is gratified that the majority of Americans do not subscribe to the agenda of these misguided anti-Israel groups who sponsor the ads, and who, in effect, help the extremists whose goal is to destroy the only Democracy in the Middle East.  Most Americans recognize that Israel is at the forefront of advances in technology, conservation and humanitarian programs that have benefited the world. They understand that constructive exchanges are the best hope for peaceful coexistence," states Gail Rubin, StandWithUs Sacramento/Davis Area Coordinator.

StandWithUs has countered every anti-Israel billboard that has appeared in the United States since 2007, whether they called for ending military aid to Israel or used maps that distort the region's history. SWU countered anti-Israel billboards displayed in San Francisco and Berkeley BART stations and Muni buses five times in 2011-12; in one instance by highlighting Israel's achievements in AIDS research and water conservation. On October 22, 2012, SWU placed two ads in Portland, Oregon light rail and buses for a total of 19 that stress Israel's quest for peace. In July 2012, SWU placed six ads in 75 locations in New York's Metro-North stations to counter posters of maps that misrepresent Israel's history.

Alison Weir's Council for the National Interest attempts to Infiltrate Tea party

Increasingly, the hate Israel team has not been flaunting their real agenda. Rather, like true students of Saul Alinsky they join churches, co-ops and clubs and attempt to infiltrate the system from within. By penetrating existing institutions such as unions and political parties they are able to leverage the good will and good name of these organizations.

Notorious Anti-israel activist Alison Weir has recently admitted attempts by her group, the "Council for the National Interest" to infiltrate the tea party. The Council board features such luminaries as Hassan Fouda, Paul Findley and Pete McCloskey. Alison Weir's work has appeared on the David Duke website. Yeah. She's that kind of "peace activist"

The ADL on the Council for the National Interest:

"The Council for the National Interest (CNI), which includes the Council for the National Interest Foundation (CNIF), is an anti-Israel organization that opposes U.S. aid to Israel and disseminates demonizing propaganda about Israel to academics, politicians, and other audiences.

CNIF sent several delegations to the Middle East that met with terrorist leaders from Hezbollah and Hamas, including two delegations that met with Hamas leader Khaled Meshal in Damascus in 2009 and 2008. A previous delegation met with Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah in January 2006. During the meeting, Nasrallah informed his guests of his intention to abduct Israeli soldiers. Edward Peck, a member of the delegation, later described Nasrallah's comments as a "logical, reasonable presentation" and cited it as proof that Hezbollah's image in the West was distorted. "

Egyptian anti-Israel activist and CNI board member Hassan Fouda posing "as a Jew"

Alison Weir writes:

"I’m happy to report that, thanks to your generous support, the Council for the National Interest has been particularly busy recently.

Despite some small amount of negative press and protests—from the usual radical sources—my lecture last week, “Israel-Palestine: Beyond the Headlines,” hosted by the Student Forum at the James Baker Institute for Public Policy/Rice University, was very well received. The next night I spoke to an equally receptive audience at the University of Houston. Educating and motivating young people is a priority for CNI. U.S.-Middle East relations have been contradictory and counterproductive for half a century. The future of American foreign policy is in the hands of the next generation. We have the information they need to hear—and with your help we are reaching out to students nationwide.

Our Executive Director Phil Giraldi is taking CNI’s message to new constituencies—he spoke to “Tea Party” events in Virginia and Texas, and to supporters of Congressman Ron Paul’s presidential campaign. Recruiting new friends and allies is essential to our growth and influence."

Philip Giraldi is a former CIA counter-terrorism specialist and former foreign policy adviser to Ron Paul. He is also a venomous antisemite who has written that "Israel-firsters" are the "masters of the executive and legislative branches." Yeah. He's that kind of "peace activist", too.

Alison continues:

"Finally, as you know CNI hosted, in conjunction with the International Council for Middle East Studies, a discussion on “The Arab Revolts and Their Consequences” here in Washington. There was a standing room only crowed that ranged from Congressional staff to the media—and included a former Congressman, a former ambassador, representatives from two European embassies, as well as organizations ranging from university study programs to the watchful eyes of the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs."

Just a cautionary tale to the Tea party, and to any other organization that might find itself hosting an anti-Semite someday. A word to the wise should be sufficient.