In response to the grand jury decision not to issue an indictment against the white police officer who shot and killed Michael Brown, an unarmed African-American in Ferguson, Missouri, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) called the tragedy a wake-up call, “reminding us that the problems we face as a nation transcend Ferguson.”
Karen J. Aroesty, ADL St. Louis Regional Director, and Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director issued the following statement:
The events in Ferguson, Missouri should prompt all of us to do some very serious soul-searching.
We start from the premise that America is a nation governed by the rule of law. We were not in the grand jury room, we did not see the evidence, but we respect the grand jury’s integrity and their commitment to meeting the heavy responsibility thrust upon them. Friends of the Brown family, members of his community, and people across the nation may disagree with the outcome, and that is their right. But disagreement is never an excuse for violence.
At the same time, this tragedy should be a wake-up call reminding us that the problems we face as a nation transcend Ferguson. Fifty years after the passage of the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964, our society is still not free from bias, racial prejudice, and discrimination. African-Americans are still the most frequent targets of hate crimes in America, black students are suspended or expelled from our public schools at a much higher rate than white students, and there are many other examples that show the continuing racial divide.
Michael Brown’s father has said that he does not want his son’s death to have been in vain. Rather, he wants it to lead to positive change, “change that makes the St. Louis region better for everyone.” We commend him for that, and hope that we can all come away from this tragedy with an understanding that will help not only St. Louis, but our whole nation. This is an appropriate moment to look at ourselves honestly, to confront the prejudice and bigotry that tarnish our society, and to commit ourselves to ensuring that we have a justice system that all Americans can trust.
*************
The ADL statement was widely condemned by the IJAN, the extremist International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network, who wrote
The ADL's decision to firmly support the police and attempt to silence nation-wide collective action is no surprise given their history of collaboration with and support of police violence and surveillance in the US. The ADL directly trains tens of thousands of police and other “security forces” and leads population control training of US Police by Israeli military and police forces. By facilitating the training of US police in Ferguson and other cities, the ADL acts as a driving force in the cross-pollination of the most repressive practices and the increasing militarization of police forces in the US and Israel.
We are disgusted that the ADL continues to stick to what it knows best: racism.
Why would the extremist IJAN deliberately mischaracterize the ADL’s statement? What kind of irrational moral inversion does it take to call a statement that urges Americans to engage in 'soul searching" because their nation is still not free from free from “bias, racial prejudice, and discrimination.”, racist?
You’ll find the answer at the Mike report
Jeff Robbins in a guest post at the Mike Report, has provided the answer, writing, “The plan” as far as the Arabs were concerned was to “peel” American Jews away from the major American Jewish organizations, and in that way dilute American support for Israel.
Robbins provides the background:
In late 2004, as I was nearing the end of my tenure as President of the World Affairs Council of Boston, a foreign policy forum, we invited Nabil Fahmi, the then-Ambassador of Egypt to the United States, to speak to a group of Boston’s civic leaders about the Mideast. Fahmi delivered the predictable fare, blaming Israel not only for the Arab-Israeli conflict but for the region’s problems more generally. Straying somewhat from my proper role as host, I questioned him directly, and sharply, about his version of events, and insisted that he address the recently-released United Nations Arab Human Development Report written by Arab social scientists that placed blame for the Arab countries’ woes on the Arabs.
When it was time for him to leave, Fahmi made a special point of coming to see me to say goodbye, and asked me to come see him the next time I was in Washington, D.C. This was a gracious act on his part, particularly given my critical questioning of him in a public setting, and I did go see him at the fortress-like building that is Egypt’s Embassy to the United States. The meeting took place on November 22, 2004 in Ambassador Fahmi’s office, with only the two of us and his note-taker present. For an hour, Fahmi leaned back in his chair and explained to me that “the plan” as far as the Arabs were concerned was to “peel” American Jews away from the major American Jewish organizations, and in that way dilute American support for Israel.
We've seen JVP's childish rants against AIPAC and StandWithUs. The IJAN has the JNF and the ADL in its crosshairs. Other Jewish organizations are also under attack. This is not a spontaneous grass-roots response- its a concerted, coordinated Arab-lead effort.
Jeff Robbins' answer to to this challenge? "Israel Advocacy Organizations Need To Up Their Game"
Showing posts with label IJAN. Show all posts
Showing posts with label IJAN. Show all posts
Thursday, February 12, 2015
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
The International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network: Beyond Chutzpah
Like many anti-Israel groups the International Jewish Anti-Zionist network is little more than a website and an email list, providing anonymity and a "Jewish" cover to their actual financiers and handlers. In the case of the IJAN, their primary purpose appears to be "Jew-washing" events that cross the line into anti-Semitism. Yes, as hard to imagine as it might be- there are events that even Jewish voice for Peace won't touch. Locally, the IJAN works closely with the Arab Resource Organizing Center and uses their facilities to host events. The IJAN has co-sponsored a talk accusing Israel of deliberately irradiating Mizrachi refugees. They have hosted notorious anti-Semite and Global march to Jerusalem organizer Feroze Mithaborwala. Most recently the IJAN recently paraded Hajo Meyer, a long time anti-Israel activist and Holocaust survivor on a widely discredited 12 city tour "Never again is for Everyone"
Hajo Meyer carries the endorsement of ex-KKK leader David Duke, and Hatem Bazian, a UC Berkeley faculty member with a lengthy resume of anti-Israel activities. At the IJAN sponsored tour at Rutgers University New Jersey, event organizers led by Sara Kershnar (Shown below, shortly before her arrest for interrupting a talk at the San Francisco Jewish Community Center) suddenly instituted an admission fee (in violation of university policy) to discourage Jewish pro-Israel students from entering the event.
At the IJAN "Never again" talk at DePaul University in Chicago , attendees reported:
"The organizers created an intimidating atmosphere. One attendee likened it to a Ku Klux Klan rally. No audience members were allowed to record, film, or photograph the speakers. Members of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), which sponsored the event, patrolled the aisles looking for “contraband” recording devices. This created a tense atmosphere, which one audience member described as fascist."
"The speakers vilified current peace efforts and praised the terrorist group Hamas. They repeatedly attacked the moderate Palestinian Authority for “collaborating” with Israel by engaging in peace talks and extolled Hamas as “the democratically elected representatives of the Palestinian people." They attacked Israel’s peace treaties with Egypt and Jordan, with Bazian claiming that the treaties were simply an Israeli plot to “extend its strategic borders all the way up to Iraq.”"
"Hajo Meyer made the Nazi-Israeli equation more explicit. Exploiting his status as a Holocaust survivor, he compared IDF soldiers to Auschwitz guards. He denigrated Jews and Judaism. “The Jewish people are not a civilization,” he charged. The only religion that pro-Israel Jews share is the Holocaust religion. . . . They cannot claim they are Jewish, so therefore they had to invent the Holocaust religion, that is, with its high priest Elie Wiesel,” he said.
From the ADL:
"The tour is the latest effort by anti-Israel activists to exploit the sacred memory of the Holocaust for the purpose of painting its victim, the Jewish people, as the "new" oppressor in the form of Israel. Anti-Israel activists have regularly used Holocaust language to demonize and vilify Israel, including referring to Israeli soldiers as Nazis and comparing Israel's blockade of Gaza to a "concentration camp" or "ghetto."
Exploiting the holocaust? Why would anything from the IJAN surprise us?
From their website:
We pledge to: Oppose Zionism and the State of Israel
Zionism is racist. It demands political, legal and economic power for Jews and European people and cultures over indigenous people and cultures. Zionism is not just racist but anti-Semitic. It endorses the sexist European anti-Semitic imagery of the effeminate and weak “diaspora Jew” and counters it with a violent and militarist “new Jew,” one who is a perpetrator rather than a victim of racialized violence. Zionism thus seeks to make Jews white through the adopting of white racism against Palestinian people…
And now in an act of staggering and mind-blowing hubris, those nefarious holocaust exploiters at the International Jewish Anti-Zionist network, are, wait for it... accusing The Horowitz Freedom center of exploiting the Holocaust.
The story:
The David Horowitz Freedom Center paid for a full page advertisement in the New York Times on April 24 of this year
The ad begins:
"The Holocaust began with Boycotts of Jewish stores and ended with death camps. The calls for a new Holocaust can be heard throughout the Middle east and in Europe as well. In the wake of the murders of a rabbi and three Jewish children in Toulouse, it is time for supporters of the boycott, divestment and Sanction Israel Movement (BDS) to ask themselves what they did to contribute to the atmosphere of hate that spawned these and the murder of Jews"
And the IJAN responds (accompanied by a ubiquitous petition and request for money):
Take Action against Slander and Misuse of the Nazi Holocaust
"On April 24th, the New York Times published a dangerous and slanderous ad paid for by the David Horowitz Freedom Foundation. The ad invokes the Nazi holocaust in order to attack supporters of BDS including several professors (see William Thompson’s powerful response here). It is incumbent upon Jews of conscience and others who share our commitment to justice to speak out in defense of those who bravely promote justice for Palestinians and against the egregious misuse of the legacy of the holocaust."
The IJAN - a group that paraded a decrepit anti-Israel activist though 12 cities to exploit his status as a holocaust survivor is complaining about the "misuse of the Holocaust" It is, to paraphrase Norman Finklestein "Beyond Chutzpah"
Hajo Meyer carries the endorsement of ex-KKK leader David Duke, and Hatem Bazian, a UC Berkeley faculty member with a lengthy resume of anti-Israel activities. At the IJAN sponsored tour at Rutgers University New Jersey, event organizers led by Sara Kershnar (Shown below, shortly before her arrest for interrupting a talk at the San Francisco Jewish Community Center) suddenly instituted an admission fee (in violation of university policy) to discourage Jewish pro-Israel students from entering the event.
At the IJAN "Never again" talk at DePaul University in Chicago , attendees reported:
"The organizers created an intimidating atmosphere. One attendee likened it to a Ku Klux Klan rally. No audience members were allowed to record, film, or photograph the speakers. Members of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), which sponsored the event, patrolled the aisles looking for “contraband” recording devices. This created a tense atmosphere, which one audience member described as fascist."
"The speakers vilified current peace efforts and praised the terrorist group Hamas. They repeatedly attacked the moderate Palestinian Authority for “collaborating” with Israel by engaging in peace talks and extolled Hamas as “the democratically elected representatives of the Palestinian people." They attacked Israel’s peace treaties with Egypt and Jordan, with Bazian claiming that the treaties were simply an Israeli plot to “extend its strategic borders all the way up to Iraq.”"
"Hajo Meyer made the Nazi-Israeli equation more explicit. Exploiting his status as a Holocaust survivor, he compared IDF soldiers to Auschwitz guards. He denigrated Jews and Judaism. “The Jewish people are not a civilization,” he charged. The only religion that pro-Israel Jews share is the Holocaust religion. . . . They cannot claim they are Jewish, so therefore they had to invent the Holocaust religion, that is, with its high priest Elie Wiesel,” he said.
From the ADL:
"The tour is the latest effort by anti-Israel activists to exploit the sacred memory of the Holocaust for the purpose of painting its victim, the Jewish people, as the "new" oppressor in the form of Israel. Anti-Israel activists have regularly used Holocaust language to demonize and vilify Israel, including referring to Israeli soldiers as Nazis and comparing Israel's blockade of Gaza to a "concentration camp" or "ghetto."
Exploiting the holocaust? Why would anything from the IJAN surprise us?
From their website:
We pledge to: Oppose Zionism and the State of Israel
Zionism is racist. It demands political, legal and economic power for Jews and European people and cultures over indigenous people and cultures. Zionism is not just racist but anti-Semitic. It endorses the sexist European anti-Semitic imagery of the effeminate and weak “diaspora Jew” and counters it with a violent and militarist “new Jew,” one who is a perpetrator rather than a victim of racialized violence. Zionism thus seeks to make Jews white through the adopting of white racism against Palestinian people…
And now in an act of staggering and mind-blowing hubris, those nefarious holocaust exploiters at the International Jewish Anti-Zionist network, are, wait for it... accusing The Horowitz Freedom center of exploiting the Holocaust.
The story:
The David Horowitz Freedom Center paid for a full page advertisement in the New York Times on April 24 of this year
The ad begins:
"The Holocaust began with Boycotts of Jewish stores and ended with death camps. The calls for a new Holocaust can be heard throughout the Middle east and in Europe as well. In the wake of the murders of a rabbi and three Jewish children in Toulouse, it is time for supporters of the boycott, divestment and Sanction Israel Movement (BDS) to ask themselves what they did to contribute to the atmosphere of hate that spawned these and the murder of Jews"
And the IJAN responds (accompanied by a ubiquitous petition and request for money):
Take Action against Slander and Misuse of the Nazi Holocaust
"On April 24th, the New York Times published a dangerous and slanderous ad paid for by the David Horowitz Freedom Foundation. The ad invokes the Nazi holocaust in order to attack supporters of BDS including several professors (see William Thompson’s powerful response here). It is incumbent upon Jews of conscience and others who share our commitment to justice to speak out in defense of those who bravely promote justice for Palestinians and against the egregious misuse of the legacy of the holocaust."
The IJAN - a group that paraded a decrepit anti-Israel activist though 12 cities to exploit his status as a holocaust survivor is complaining about the "misuse of the Holocaust" It is, to paraphrase Norman Finklestein "Beyond Chutzpah"
Monday, March 26, 2012
Action Alert: Join San Francisco Voice for Israel on March 30
From our friends at San Francisco Voice for Israel, the Bay Area Chapter of Standwithus
If I forget thee, oh Jerusalem....
Friday March 30 4-6 pm
Israeli consulate
456 Montgomery St
San Francisco
Join Standwithus/San Francisco Voice for Israel as we counter a protest in front of the Israeli Consulate. Local extremist groups including Al Awda and International ANSWER have called for a protest in solidarity with the Global March to Jerusalem, the latest high profile publicity stunt that seeks to storm Israel’s borders on March 30, 2012. The march has been orchestrated by leaders of the Muslim brotherhood, the Islamic Republic of Iran and the members of the Fringe Left, who deny the Jewish peoples' historical, cultural and religious ties to our holiest city, and have demanded the end of the so-called "Judaization of Jerusalem". Just last month local organizers invited notorious anti-Semite Gilad Atzmon to the Bay area as a fundraiser for the Global march to Jerusalem. Atzmon has been widely condemned across the political spectrum for his racist views. Organizers have called for demonstrations at Israel’s consulates , declaring the "GMJ will siege Israel and its embassies over the world."
Please join us in front of the Consulate, 456 Montgomery St San Francisco this Friday, March 30 from 4- 6.
Stand with us
Stand For Peace
Stand with Israel
We encourage you to bring your own signs and flags to this action, but ask you not stoop to the opposition's level of hatred by holding signs that disparage Palestinians, Arabs, or Muslims (or any other ethnicity) as a group. It is very important that those who join us refrain from engaging in confrontations with the extremist groups organizing this event. Also we specifically dissociate ourselves from anyone delivering any hate speech or threats to those on the other side and we ask that those in attendance let us know of anyone violating these guidelines.
This is what we'll be countering
If I forget thee, oh Jerusalem....
Friday March 30 4-6 pm
Israeli consulate
456 Montgomery St
San Francisco
Join Standwithus/San Francisco Voice for Israel as we counter a protest in front of the Israeli Consulate. Local extremist groups including Al Awda and International ANSWER have called for a protest in solidarity with the Global March to Jerusalem, the latest high profile publicity stunt that seeks to storm Israel’s borders on March 30, 2012. The march has been orchestrated by leaders of the Muslim brotherhood, the Islamic Republic of Iran and the members of the Fringe Left, who deny the Jewish peoples' historical, cultural and religious ties to our holiest city, and have demanded the end of the so-called "Judaization of Jerusalem". Just last month local organizers invited notorious anti-Semite Gilad Atzmon to the Bay area as a fundraiser for the Global march to Jerusalem. Atzmon has been widely condemned across the political spectrum for his racist views. Organizers have called for demonstrations at Israel’s consulates , declaring the "GMJ will siege Israel and its embassies over the world."
Please join us in front of the Consulate, 456 Montgomery St San Francisco this Friday, March 30 from 4- 6.
Stand with us
Stand For Peace
Stand with Israel
We encourage you to bring your own signs and flags to this action, but ask you not stoop to the opposition's level of hatred by holding signs that disparage Palestinians, Arabs, or Muslims (or any other ethnicity) as a group. It is very important that those who join us refrain from engaging in confrontations with the extremist groups organizing this event. Also we specifically dissociate ourselves from anyone delivering any hate speech or threats to those on the other side and we ask that those in attendance let us know of anyone violating these guidelines.
This is what we'll be countering
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Bomb Threat at the San Francisco Jewish Community Center
The San Francisco Jewish Community center on the 3200 block of California Street received a bomb threat and reported it to police at about 8:25 a.m. May 3. The building was sealed off, and several hundred people were evacuated. Motorists were told to avoid the area, and police and bomb sniffing dogs were brought to the scene. No bomb was found after an extensive search, and the center re-opened mid-morning.
The center includes a gym, classrooms, cafe, gift shop and preschool.
The JCC in San Francisco has been targeted with bomb threats in the past. Several years ago, it received a "different" type of attack, when a group attempted to interupt classes held in honor of Israel's birthday
The center includes a gym, classrooms, cafe, gift shop and preschool.
The JCC in San Francisco has been targeted with bomb threats in the past. Several years ago, it received a "different" type of attack, when a group attempted to interupt classes held in honor of Israel's birthday
Saturday, April 16, 2011
What the Well Dressed Anti-Israel activist will be Wearing this season
Oh, those silly folk at the International Anti Zionist Network are having their annual Seder. Again. At a church. On the wrong night. And it won't be kosher for Passover.
But the Bay area is oh, so diverse and tolerant, and that's why we all love it here.
Will they speak of the land, the people and the covenant at their " Seder"? Not likely. But I think I know what each and everyone of them will be wearing Saturday April 23, at the Lake Merritt United Methodist Church.
Yes, the well dressed anti Israel activist, their minds uncomfortably burdened by thoughts of oppression, privilege, guilt and patriarchy (oh, my!) will be wearing a recycled aluminum, free trade Kippah. It's the halachically acceptable, socially conscious version of the tin foil hat, and it will keep those pesky federal agents from reading their minds with microwaves.
From the website Fair Trade Judaica: Each kippah is handmade from recycled soda cans, lined with black vinyl and hand stitched with coloured telephone wire so that they are comfortable to wear. They are available in a variety of “flavors”/colors, including coke, diet coke, Sprite Zero, Tab, creme soda, orange fanta, grape fanta, lemon twist, mango twist, carbonated apple juice, and carbonated grape juice. Kippot in silver are also available using the inside of the can.
With all the colors available, anti-Israel activists should have no trouble finding something that will complement their favorite Che shirt.
But the Bay area is oh, so diverse and tolerant, and that's why we all love it here.
Will they speak of the land, the people and the covenant at their " Seder"? Not likely. But I think I know what each and everyone of them will be wearing Saturday April 23, at the Lake Merritt United Methodist Church.
Yes, the well dressed anti Israel activist, their minds uncomfortably burdened by thoughts of oppression, privilege, guilt and patriarchy (oh, my!) will be wearing a recycled aluminum, free trade Kippah. It's the halachically acceptable, socially conscious version of the tin foil hat, and it will keep those pesky federal agents from reading their minds with microwaves.
From the website Fair Trade Judaica: Each kippah is handmade from recycled soda cans, lined with black vinyl and hand stitched with coloured telephone wire so that they are comfortable to wear. They are available in a variety of “flavors”/colors, including coke, diet coke, Sprite Zero, Tab, creme soda, orange fanta, grape fanta, lemon twist, mango twist, carbonated apple juice, and carbonated grape juice. Kippot in silver are also available using the inside of the can.
With all the colors available, anti-Israel activists should have no trouble finding something that will complement their favorite Che shirt.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Here's a Hint: Use Spell Check BEFORE you Print up the posters
The Zionist defenders of the State of Israel have often said "We are blessed by the stupidity of our opponents". Once again, this has proven true.
For "Land Day", March 30, San Francisco anti-Zionist forces had signs printed up that they intended to post on BART trains. They've used this "plop art" tactic before., hijacking bus shelters to spread their unique brand of hate and intolerance.
This time, our spelling impaired friends were removed by the police before they could embarrass their cause even further.
Its LOCALLY, kids. Not LOCOLY. Stay in school, kids. And learn to use spell check.
And thanks for reinforcing our opinion that the smart kids are the Zionist ones.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Day of Rage Against Israeli Groceries, Redux
We couldn't make this stuff up:
In "spiritual preparation for Yom Kippur" a group of anti-Israel folks (the International Jewish anti-Zionist network) led by Lacey Johnson, Rachel West and Sara Kershnar are planning another day of vandalism of Israeli products.
They will "be taking direct action (without any intention of arrest) in support of BDS (a la French video)"
The forces of goodness and light in the Bay area have enjoyed watching the "direct action" plans back-fire so beautifully. We may just have to sit back and watch the fireworks on this one, too.
In "spiritual preparation for Yom Kippur" a group of anti-Israel folks (the International Jewish anti-Zionist network) led by Lacey Johnson, Rachel West and Sara Kershnar are planning another day of vandalism of Israeli products.
They will "be taking direct action (without any intention of arrest) in support of BDS (a la French video)"
The forces of goodness and light in the Bay area have enjoyed watching the "direct action" plans back-fire so beautifully. We may just have to sit back and watch the fireworks on this one, too.
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