Queers Undermining Israel Terror (QUIT )undermines individual freedom

There's always a local angle.  Its a small world, after all.

From an article written by David-Elijah Nahmod  originally appearing in the South Florida Gay News.

In his article, "Queers for Palestine. What do they stand for?", David ponders the question,  "Can the queer movement can  align itself to the Palestinian liberation movement?",  reminding his readers that according to a 2010 report published by the International Lesbian and Gay Association homosexuality is illegal in the Hamas controlled Gaza Strip, and is punishable by up to ten years in prison. 

Sign at Frameline Film festival counterprotest :Queers for Palestine is like Turkeys for Thanksgiving

David brings up an incident several months ago, when a venerable San Francisco institution, Ciff's Variety Store was besieged by QUIT, a self identified queer anti-Israel group. Why would a queer group harass a local institution with a clear commitment to individual freedoms?

On Christmas Eve, 2012, representatives from QUIT Palestine (Queers Undermining Israeli Terror) entered Cliff’s Variety, a family owned hardware and housewares store in San Francisco’s predominately gay Castro district. The store first opened its doors in 1932.

 “They did not identify themselves when they entered the store,” Cliff’s manager Martha Jasten said to SFGN. “We felt ambushed. I had no idea what they’re after.”

After singing a mock Christmas Carol, the protesters loudly announced that the store was supporting the allegedly apartheid and genocidal policies of the Israeli government towards the Palestinian people. Store employees and security guards took the protesters by their arms and physically escorted them off the premises....

 Cliff’s Variety has been a vocal supporter of LGBT equality since the 1970s, according to Jasten.“The weekend after Black Friday is set aside as a fundraiser for the Harvey Milk Academy,” she said. “We also donate to the AIDS Emergency Fund.” The Milk Academy is a high school for LGBT youth located a few blocks from the store. The AIDS Emergency Fund provides financial assistance to low-income people with AIDS.

 
QUIT also regularly protests the Frameline LGBT film festival.  David points out that QUIT spokesperson Kate Raphael  has stated that QUIT takes no position on marriage equality, yet posted on her Facebook page  “We’re here, we’re Queer, and we don’t want marriage equality.” Why would a queer group consistently take positions that undermine the voices of the LGBT community?  It begs the question-how much of their actions are motivated by  perverse contrarian  pathology, rather than a genuine desire for social change?

Incidentally, nine months of unrelenting attacks on Cliff's appear to have ended. Sodastream is still being sold, and QUIT is searching for a new target, one perhaps with a bit less backbone than Cliff's.

Buy Israel Goods week starts today, Monday February 25!

From our friends at San Francisco Voice for Israel:

                                              Buy Israel Goods week starts Monday February 25!

Once again, it's time for a BIG week-- Buy Israeli Goods.

One of the most important things we can do to support Israel is not only to buy Israeli goods, but to buy them from merchants who have been the target of BDS bullies because they sell them.

As many of you have read in J Weekly  or seen on our Facebook page, two weeks ago we quietly organized a group of shoppers to support Cliff's Variety, a small family-owned store in the Castro district of San Francisco that has specifically been targeted by the BDS hate crew for defying their orders and continuing to sell Sodastream devices and mixes. Watch this short clip  to see how SodaStream promotes coexistence, and meet some of the Arab employees whose jobs the BDSers want to take away.

The staff at Cliff's was delighted to see several dozen shoppers (carrying Buy Israeli Goods shopping bags) coming in to buy from them to thank them for standing up to BDS intimidation. And once again, a positive, friendly BUYcott overcame a negative, hate-filled BOYcott effort.

Especially for San Francisco residents, those who wish to buy a Sodastream device (or need to stock up on the mixes) will get a very friendly welcome at Cliff's Variety (479 Castro St between 17th and 18th).

Another small, locally owned store repeatedly targeted by hate groups is Zand Market at 1401 Solano Avenue in Albany. They not only carry imported goods but also their own Mediterranean and Middle Eastern foods.

A partial listing of stores that carry Israeli products is at BuyIsraelGoods.org (note that some of the information there may not be current).

San Francisco Voice for Israel/Stand With Us
www.SFVoiceForIsrael.org
www.StandWithUs. com

Join the SF Voice For Israel group on Facebook!
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“If you love the bubbles, set them free”

The BDS’ers are just livid over the success of Sodastream.

According to a mean estimate of eight analysts surveyed by Bloomberg, SodaStream sales rose 37 percent last year to $425 million. The homemade soda machine is now available in stores as diverse as Sur la table, Walmart and the eclectic Cliff’s Variety, in San Francisco.

And the BDSer’s are fighting back.  They’ve responded with  lame song and dance routines. Biting shopkeepers. Petitions.  And now- they are releasing their ultimate weapon.  Tremble before it.
Twitter.
Yes, Twitter.

This is just pitiful.

Having failed to coerce CBS into dropping a 30 second ad from Sodastream, to be broadcast during the 4th quarter of the Super bowl the BDS holes are turning to Twitter

 “Tweeting turns out to be one of our best ways to counter the millions they've spent on the ad. If you Tweet, or would be willing to learn, you could help immeasurably.  For your own tweeting, consider these hashtags: #SodaStreamParty and #BoycottSodaStream.”

Yeah, that’ll show them....

Turned out the Sodastream commercial’s controversy extended way beyond the BDS movement.  The scheduled clip was dropped by CB, who felt it portrayed Pepsi and Coke, two huge sponsors, in a negative light. A different commercial will be shown.

What do you think?



“If you love the bubbles, set them free”

If you are having a Super bowl party, send us photos of how your Soda stream enhances the experience, and tweet them out using the #Sodastreamparty hashtag. Have some fun with it

And yeah, the 49'ers are going to kick butt on Sunday.

Why you should shop at Cliff’s Variety in San Francisco

In the summer of 2009, a small group of anti-Israel activists took it upon themselves to vandalize Israeli products at Trader Joes.

Trader Joes made it perfectly clear what they thought this, and highlighted their Israeli products with special promotions and displays.

Consumers throughout the nation fought back- and a successful "buycott" campaign was launched. There was no Israeli couscous to be found for love or money in any Trader Joes across America. The stores sold out.

The BDS holes slunk away, tails between their legs, and Trader Joes fell off the boycott list. Never to be mentioned again. Yep. BDS fail.

The lesson for the rest of us?

When we fight back we win.

Fast foward 3 years. The latest object d'ire of the BDS holes is now Sodastream- a phenomenally successful home carbonation machine. Green. Economical. Fun. Its available all over- from Walmart to Sur la Table- from the big box stores like Costco to venerable Mom and Pop businesses like Cliff's Variety in San Francisco Whats not to love?

To the BDS ers- only one thing matters. Sodastream is an Israeli company.

From Jon at Divest This:

Why you should shop at Cliff’s Variety

Well I was hoping to post some of my own BDS Christmas carols to give our tone deaf (in every meaning of the phrase) friends in BDSland something to work with other than their own contrived and butchered rhymes.

Unfortunately, everything I came up with was sung to the tune of a Gilbert and Sullivan number (no doubt an artifact of a childhood reading Mad Magazine “Sung to the Tune of…” features). So my long-delayed BDS musical will have to wait until better inspiration strikes.

Especially since the best piece of inspiration I’ve received this holiday season comes from this little shop that could, not in Bethlehem, but San Francisco:





Two things I found inspirational from this episode of the type of BDS Christmas abuse mentioned previously include:

◦For those who occasionally feel overwhelmed by perpetual propaganda attacks on Israel, check out the video to see the true face of BDS at one of its Ground Zero locations (San Francisco), a face both pinched and self-righteous, with a fat mouth singing incomprehensible lyrics out of tune. If that is what we are fighting (which we are, at least on the domestic front), is it any wonder that we’re winning?

◦And check out the guys and gals who work in a variety store to make their daily bread (vs. the BDSers who seem to enjoy a lifestyle that gives them plenty of time to abuse Cliff’s shoppers during the holiday season). As far as I can tell, the guys who introduced the BDS Bozos to the pavement outside their store were not motivated by Zionist affiliation. Rather, they were simply insisting that they were not going to serve as props (or, in this case, have their store serve as a set) for someone else’s demented morality play....

What can we do to help?  First of all, visit Cliff's Variety at  479 Castro Street San Francisco.

If you own a Sodastream, consider buying your flavorings and refill equipment there.  Even if you dont, Cliff's is a beloved  neighborhood institution- its a great place for housewares, hardware, art supplies. Visit Cliff's- show them some love, and thank them for not giving in to bullies.