Westport, Connecticut: "This did not feel like political protest. This felt like terrorism."

The bucolic town of Westport Connecticut experienced a shock last month, when a synagogue event was stormed by 2 anti-Israel activists, prompting a congregant to cry  "This felt like terrorism". Several schools, including  Coleytown Middle School, Coleytown Elementary School, the pre-school at the Unitarian Church and the Temple Israel Nursery were placed under lockdown while the situation unfolded. 

Anti-Israel activist Daniel Fischer

Anti-Israel activist Gregory Williams

From Stephanie Bass, reported in the Police Report On Temple Israel Confrontation: 

In the middle of speeches, there was a loud disturbance. I couldn't tell how many people, but they were banging on the door to the room, yelling either "Justice for the Palestinians" or "Freedom for the Palestinians." There were 80 women in the room. People started screaming "Get down!" and "Call 911!" Women ran to the back of the room, or ran out a back door.

The "Palestinian" ranting went on. I was waiting for the machine gun fire. First I thought, I could die today; then I thought if many people die today, I don't want to be one of them.

I'd been in Israel during the '73 war. I thought of Newtown and that movie theater in Colorado. I dove under the table. After a few minutes, the Israeli Brigadier General grabbed my hand. She said it was okay to come out; personnel at the temple had subdued the men.

This did not feel like political protest. This felt like terrorism.

For their role in terrorizing the people of Temple Israel, Daniel Fischer and Gregory Williams, both 25 years old, and residents of  New Haven have been charged with 1st degree criminal trespass and breach of peace 2nd degree

Gregory Williams is a student at Yale University's Divinity School and Daniel Fischer is a "community activist" with the Middle East Crisis Committee.

Sen. Toni Boucher called on Yale "to condemn and take the strongest possible action regarding this student. The Divinity program should be a model for peace, tolerance and understanding of all religions in the often hostile world we live in."

LA raises 33.5 million for the Friends of the IDF

The annual fundraiser thrown by the Los Angeles branch of the Friends of the IDF has raised a record 33.5 million dollars.

The gala event , chaired by Israeli-American businessman Haim Saban was attended by Barbra Streisand, Pamela Anderson, Arnold Schwarzenegger , Kathy Ireland, Sylvester Stallone and over 1200 other guests.

FIDF was established in 1981as a 501(C)(3) not-for-profit organization with the mission of providing and supporting educational, social, cultural, and recreational programs and facilities for the men and women of the IDF. Today, FIDF has more than 120,000  supporters, and 15 regional offices throughout the U.S.

Via MarketWatch

Notable donations made at the event included $9 million from Larry Ellison, co-founder and Chairman of Oracle Corporation; $5 million from Sheldon and Miriam Adelson; $5.2 million from brothers Maurice and Paul Marciano of Guess Jeans; $3.6 million from Cheryl andHaim Saban; $2 million from Steve Tisch, Chairman and Executive Vice President of the New York Giants; $1 million from Leo David, founder of the Western Region of the FIDF; and $1.6 million from The Helmsley Charitable Trust. In addition, first-time attendees and donors Michael and Susan Dell gave $1.8 million to fund IMPACT! educational scholarship programs

Jewish Voice for Peace to protest Baltimore Synagogue

JVP is organizing a  protest of a Baltimore synagogue, for daring to host a  fundraising event for the friends of the IDF.  The extremist group is encouraging the harassment of attendees.    JVP has a long, checkered history of disrupting Jewish community events.  This is just the  sort of activity that earned JVP a place on the ADL's list of anti-Israel groups.

Protesting a synagogue.  Really, JVP.  Can you get any lower?

JVP's announcement follows

Join Baltimore Jewish Voice for Peace for a picket of the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF), which is holding a fundraising gala on Tuesday, October 29 at Chizuk Amuno Congregation in Pikesville.

FIDF initiates and helps support educational, social, cultural and recreational programs and facilities for Israeli soldiers. They financially support the IDF, which is the chief enforcement arm of Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine.

The IDF's violations of Palestinian human rights are notorious and well documented. While Israel shuts down Palestinian and international humanitarian aid organizations, more land and resources are stolen in the West Bank, Gaza is under siege, and the Israeli Knesset votes to forcibly relocate tens of thousands of Bedouin citizens of Israel from their traditional lands. All the while, Israeli soldiers kill Palestinian civilians.

Join Baltimore Jewish Voice for Peace to say Baltimore does not support the occupation of Palestine! Bring signs, banners and noise makers, and meet by the entrance on Stevenson Road to greet gala visitors as they come into the parking lot.

When: Tuesday October 29, 5:00 PM

Where: 8100 Stevenson Road, Pikesville, Maryland

Directions: From Baltimore/East, take I-695 west towards Pikesville. Take exit 21: Stevenson Road. Turn right at the stop sign onto Stevenson Road and Chizuk Amuno is immediately on the left. From Columbia/West, take I-695 east towards Towson. Take exit 21: Park Heights Avenue/ Stevenson Road. Cross Park Heights Avenue to the service road that parallels I-695 (Brooks Robinson Drive). Proceed to the next light, Stevenson Road. Turn left onto Stevenson Road. Turn left into the Chizuk Amuno entrance.

If you're coming, please let us know at baltimorejvp@gmail.com. If you want to carpool from Baltimore, let us know.

San Francisco Friends of the IDF raises $900,000 for Israel

Way to go, San Francisco!

Over 300 people attended Sunday nights Friends of the IDF fund raiser, and nearly $900,000 was donated to support the brave young men and women who keep our people safe. Not too shabby coming from one of the hubs of anti-Israel organizing in the world, but we've got a long way to go to match So Cal.


 From Yeshiva World 

Over $20 million was raised at the annual Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) Western Region Gala yesterday, Tuesday, October 22, 2013. More than 1,000 FIDF supporters and dignitaries from the United States and Israel gathered to express their support for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). FIDF National Board Member and major supporter, Haim Saban, and his wife, Cheryl, served as chairs of the star-studded FIDF Gala that took place at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, CA.

Notable donations made at the event included $4.5 million from Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, Founder and President of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, $3.5 million from Vicki and Ron Simms of Simms Commercial Development, $2.3 million from Cheryl and Haim Saban, $2 million from Younes Nazarian, Co-Founder of Qualcomm, and his wife Soraya, and $1 million from Larry Ellison, CEO of Oracle. Simon Cowell of American Idol and X-Factor also attended the event and announced a donation of $150,000 to benefit the IDF soldiers. The funds raised at the Gala will go towards wellbeing and educational programs for IDF soldiers

There are other appreciable differences between  Northern and Southern California.  Is it an exclusively Northern California phenomenon that the so called peace groups advocate and practice violence?

The Northern California J Weekly reports

Police arrested and booked three people who protested outside of a Friends of the IDF fundraiser held Oct. 20 at the InterContinental Hotel in San Francisco. Fewer than 10 protesters were at the event, according to officials. Julia Pereira, 19, of San Francisco and Powell DeGange, 28, of Berkeley were arrested for trespassing and resisting arrest when they entered the hotel after being told to leave, said Albie Esparza, a spokesperson for the San Francisco Police Department.

A few minutes later, Nancy Mansour Leigh of New York was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon and disturbing the peace, police said, after she attacked a hotel guest with a bullhorn. She and a few other protesters had entered the hotel shouting anti-Israel slogans and “engaging in verbal altercation with hotel patrons that became a physical assault,” Esparza said. All three have been released but will later face charges in court.

Nancy Mansour Leigh, also known as Harrabic Tubman, is a co-founder of a group "Existence is Resistance".  The group sells shirts emblazoned with the picture of notorious  PLFP hijacker Leila Khaled, captioned  "Resistance is not terrorism" .

From the Resistance is existence website 

She was described by Ramsey Clark's International Action center as a spokesperson for the Hamas linked Viva Palestina delegation to Gaza.   Precisely the sort that might conflate assault with a bullhorn with "non-violent resistance".

Incidentally, although Students for Justice in Palestine and Women in Black both promoted this protest, they have been silent in condemning the violence.

UPDATE:
An anonymous commentor on this blog has indicated that Nancy Mansour Leigh was eventually acquitted of the changes

Weekly Roundup: BDS fails

Its time for a brief roundup of this weeks BDS fails, in case you were keeping score:

Dec.3

Alanis Morissette sang before a sold-out crowd at Nokia Stadium in Tel Aviv. The 7 time Grammy award winner  last performed in  Israel 12 years ago , an experience she described as "a great time… professionally, spiritually and emotionally".  Alanis ignored the bullying and pressure of the anti-Israel forces, and concluded her show with her song, "Thank You."

“It’s been a great 2012, Morissette told her adoring fans.  “We love you, we’re with you, America, Canada, all of us.” 

We love you, too, Alanis.

Dec.3 

If Gazans don't support BDS,  why should anyone?

The Growers' Societies in the Gaza Strip is cooperating with Arava, an Israeli export company s to  market Gazan strawberries. Nearly 400 tons of fruit geared for the European markets will be promoted with this new partnership .

Dec. 9

In spite of Stevie Wonder's last minute betrayal, the friends of the IDF fundraiser  earned 14 million dollars for Israel.  More than 1,400 people attended the event in Los Angeles, organized to aid Israel and her soldiers  Special thanks to  Haim Saban and his wife, Cheryl, who chaired the gala., to Seinfeld actor Jason Alexander emceed , David Foster and Friends, Ruben Studdard and 10-time Grammy winner Chaka Khan also performed.

Dec.10

Again, defying a mass attack on her via social media,  acclaimed Native American poet , feminist and musician Joy Harjo  performed at Tel Aviv University, to an audience of Palestinians and Israelis. Earlier today, she wrote on her blog::

I sit in a hotel room in Tel Aviv. I am far from my tribal home in Oklahoma. In eternal time, each is a room in the same heart.

I was invited to perform and speak here at Tel Aviv University several months ago. I was a guest here nearly twenty years ago and remembered this place with a great fondness. I recalled the open discussions and the cultural mix of students. I accepted the invitation....

 I will perform at the university as I promised, to an audience that will include Palestinian students. The students have written in support of me being here. I will let the words and music speak for that place beyond those who would hurt and destroy for retribution, or to be right. It is my hope that my choice will generate discussion and understanding for many paths to justice.

Dec. 10

Google launches a start up incubator in Tel Aviv   Managing director of  Google Israel R&D Center Yossi Matias said, “The Campus Tel Aviv joins Campus London. It is Google’s step to provide support for Israeli technological innovation, both because of the importance of encouraging entrepreneurship and the centrality of Israel in fostering these values. Israel’s leadership in initiating innovation is part of its DNA.”.