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.

New Secretary General of Kairos Palestine Hind Khoury rationalizes suicide bombers.

The new Secretary General of Kairos Palestine is Hind Khoury 

Listen to a 2011 clip of her rationalizing suicide bombing




"...our martyrs, even if they were suicide bombers they are martyrs we can't think of them as criminals. i refuse that. "

Sabeel Hosts 9/11 truther Richard Falk

Richard Falk is theUnited Nations special rapporteur for human rights in the Palestinian territories. He's a shill for Hamas, a 9/11 Truther, and a  very special fan of notorious anti-Semite Gilad Atzmon

So many others have said it better than I possibly could.

From Yair Rosenberg, originally appearing in The Tablet

By day, Falk serves as the United Nations special rapporteur for human rights in the Palestinian territories, where his support for the terrorist group Hamas has been so blatant that the Palestinian Authority tried to get him fired. The United States and Canada have also called for him to be dismissed, and he has been censured by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. But Falk’s most objectionable conduct has actually taken place outside the U.N.’s halls.

In 2004, he wrote the preface to a book by conspiracy theorist David Ray Griffin which argued that the Bush administration helped perpetrate the 9/11 attacks. “There have been questions raised here and there and allegations of official complicity made almost from the day of the attacks, especially in Europe,” Falk wrote, “but no one until Griffin has had the patience, the fortitude, the courage, and the intelligence to put the pieces together in a single coherent account.” In 2011, Falk mused on his blog about the “apparent cover up” of 9/11, and the “eerie silence of the mainstream media, unwilling to acknowledge the well-evidenced doubts about the official version of the events.” He reaffirmed these views this past June, when he told radio host and 9/11 truther Kevin Barrett that “questioning that deeply the official version of 9/11 does touch the third rail of American political sensitivities, and there is an attempt to discredit and destroy anyone that makes such a bold statement, and this has intimidated a lot of people.”

Falk is an equal opportunity advocate of conspiracy theories, not just about America, but about Jews. In 2011, he effusively blurbed a vicious book which called American Jews “the enemy within,” questioned the historicity of the Holocaust, and claimed that “robbery and hatred is imbued in Jewish modern political ideology on both the left and the right.” In Falk’s opinion, prominently showcased on the book’s front cover, such insights constitute “a transformative story told with unflinching integrity that all (especially Jews) who care about real peace, as well as their own identity, should not only read, but reflect upon and discuss widely.” Of course, in the opinion of everyone else–including Ali Abunimah and Omar Barghouti, leaders of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel–such ugly utterances constitute blatant anti-Semitism. As Andrew Sullivan, no Israeli apologist, put it, “Why would anyone blurb a book like this? I’m all for airing a variety of views, and provocative theories. That doesn’t mean you have to endorse poisonous, wounding hate.” And just in case you thought this was an odd aberration for Falk, he’s having lunch with the book’s author this week. It’s business as usual for the man who has dubbed the Jewish state “genocidal” and repeatedly compared it to Nazi Germany, and once posted a cartoon of a yarmulke-wearing dog urinating on Lady Justice while chewing on a bloody skeleton.

From an interview with Jen Psaki, State Department spokesperson  via the UN Watch website

We condemn and completely reject Richard Falk’s latest outrageous statements made during an interview with Russia Today. The Administration has repeatedly condemned in the strongest terms his despicable and deeply offensive comments, particularly his anti-Semitic blog postings, his endorsement of 9/11 conspiracy theories, and more recently, his deplorable statements with regard to the terrorist attacks in Boston. His most recent remarks, however, represent a new low. We do not support his mandate or his work, which has been one-sided and biased, nor do we believe he should continue to serve as independent UN rapporteur, and we reiterate our calls for him to step down from this role.

We note that his term as Special Rapporteur ends in March 2014, and he cannot be reappointed to the role after that time.

What does a promoter of antisemitism, a shill for terrorists and a conspiracy theorist do when his UN position expires?

Apparently, he goes on a speaking tour for Sabeel

Uptown Body and Fender hosts antisemitic speaker at Jazz for Palestine event

Only in the Bay area would an auto body shop play host to local non profits after hours. The concept is charming, and the venue is more attractive than you'd guess.  Uptown Body and Fender's website states  they "supports Oakland and East Bay communities by offering its shop free of charge to local and non-profit organizations for their fundraising events."

Unfortunately, either through ignorance or perhaps malice, Uptown Body and Fender has become the go-to venue for haters.  Do shop owners Lisandro Allende and Giovanna Tanzillo even care what takes place under their roof?  Earlier this year the auto body shop played host to notorious anti-Semite Gilad Atzmon, a man so bitter, so vile, he has been condemned by most of his former allies.

Uptown Body and Fender, located in the heart of Oakland on 26th Street continues on the low road, hosting "Jazz for Palestine" , sponsored by Friends of Sabeel, NA on Nov. 9  Sabeel itself is problematic, distorting Biblical language and imagery to push its extremist agenda. 

From the ADL profile on Sabeel:

Sabeel’s efforts to demonize Israel and Israelis have also featured charges of deicide against Jews; they have compared Palestinians to a modern-day Jesus and accused Israel of engaging in a “crucifixion” of these Palestinians. In an Easter mes­sage several years ago, Ateek explic­itly said: “Jesus is on the cross again with thou­sands of cru­ci­fied Pales­tini­ans around him…The Israeli gov­ern­ment cru­ci­fix­ion sys­tem is oper­at­ing daily,” a highly offensive expression given centuries of Jewish oppression on the basis of deicide charges. Ateek and his organization have also compared Israel to the Nazis, accusing Israel of committing a “Holocaust” against Palestinians.

The event also features cartoonist Khalil Bendib, whose antisemitic caricatures could have been lifted straight from Der Sturmer.

From Bendib exposed

Giving lip service to a philosophy of equality and justice while turning a a blind eye to the antisemites by their side is one of the hallmarks of the anti- Israel movement world wide.  Its truly a shame that our local businesses have chosen to aid and abet this bigotry.

Sabeel : Just Anti-Semitism

 The  Sabeel conference is coming to Albuquerque, New Mexico. Sabeel  demonizes Israel using offensive Holocaust imagery  and spurious theological arguments and is a driving force behind the campaign to pressure mainline churches to divest from Israel.

FOSNA Philosophy Just Anti-Semitism was written by Sam Sokolove / Executive Director, Jewish Federation of New Mexico and Todd Goldblum / Chair, Israel Action Network, New Mexico

 As the Sept. 15 Albuquerque Journal article detailed, Friends of Sabeel in North America will be holding a “Justice & Peace in Palestine and Israel” conference in Albuquerque later this month. What the article failed to convey, however, is that while Sabeel hides behind a language of peace and reconciliation, FOSNA – listed by the Anti-Defamation League as one of “The Top Ten Anti-Israel Groups in America” – actively promotes a rejection of Israel as a Jewish state.

An integral part of the global anti-Israel Boycott, Sanctions and Divestment movement, Sabeel promotes the idea that Zionism is based on a false reading of the Bible and that it stands for injustice and in opposition to God.

 In addition, Sabeel often compares the Palestinians to the crucified Jesus, and Israel to his murderers, alluding to the ugly deicide charge against all the Jewish people. Examples include referring to Israeli actions with deicide language such as “The Israeli government crucifixion system is operating daily” or “Israel has placed a large boulder, similar to the stone placed on the entrance of Jesus’ tomb. This boulder has shut in the Palestinians.”

 Sabeel conferences are notorious for featuring speakers who vilify Israel and routinely lift the voices of anti-Zionist Jews as a means to disingenuously suggest that they bring Christians, Jews and Muslims to the table. They continually reject almost all mainstream Jewish voices, including progressive or dovish Zionists.

When the Jewish Federation of New Mexico and Jewish clergy first became aware of the FOSNA conference last summer, we also learned that friends in the interfaith community had been approached to serve as conference sponsors. Given the positive history of interfaith relations between Christians and Jews in Albuquerque, it was our responsibility to offer a mainstream Jewish perspective on this conference.

 As a result, it was heartening to garner the support of friends like the New Mexico Conference of Churches and Episcopal Cathedral Church of St. John who distanced themselves from FOSNA in demonstration of sensitivity to Jewish community concerns and civic discourse.

Characterizing these conversations as “bullying” and “harassment” is profoundly incorrect, but an expected part of the BDS campaign. We are confident that other church representatives who have lent their endorsement to the Sabeel conference will come to recognize the one-sided, inflammatory and destructive nature of the movement.

To be sure, the Jewish community of New Mexico is in no way monolithic, and many of us often vocally criticize the policies of Israel’s government. However, the overwhelming majority of Jews in New Mexico and around the globe recognize Israel as a miraculous return of our homeland after a 3,500-year exile, and a vibrant, if young and imperfect, democracy for people of all religions within a region surrounded by intolerance and brutal dictatorships that conspicuously escape Sabeel and BDS scorn.

 The conflict in the Middle East is about finding a peaceful path to establish two states for two peoples, not about preventing a group from exercising its right to self-determination.

There are appropriate and meaningful forums for interfaith discussion on all issues pertaining to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that engender dialogue and increased understanding. Sadly, Sabeel’s commitment is not to promoting this goodwill, but instead to spreading vicious propaganda to assault Israel’s legitimacy

Sabeel, and FOSNA (Friends of Sabeel North America) wrap their old fashioned anti-Semitism in the feel good rhetoric of " peace ".  To those of you in Albuquerque and  elsewhere- if you believe our best hope for peace are two states living side by side, then keep your distance from this extremist organization

Only in Berkeley.

Sighted at Berkeley BART today.



"Join with us?" Is it just me, or is this a blatant attempt to confuse viewers that the advertisement is somehow associated with the pro-Israel organization StandWithUs?

And what should we make of the activists giving out these by the BART rotunda, during morning commute?



Its just another in a series of "only in Berkeley" moments.

Persecution of Christians in the World. Sabeel is silent

Sabeel is coming to town March 16-17. Sabeel is a Christian liberation theology organization based in Jerusalem. It was founded by Palestinian Anglican priest, Rev. Naim Ateek, and has been widely denounced for its
one-sided anti-Israel rhetoric.

from the ADL:
Friends of Sabeel-North America (FOSNA): As part of the anti-Israel movement's effort to attract support from the mainstream, Friends of Sabeel—North America (FOSNA), the U.S. affiliate of Sabeel, a Jerusalem-based Palestinian Christian organization, has been particularly effective at forging alliances with a number of mainline Protestant churches. FOSNA-organized events, including multiple U.S. conferences and organized trips to Israel, regularly feature speakers who accuse Israel of racism, oppression and human rights violations. With a presence in two dozen U.S. states, FOSNA has played a central role in bridging the anti-Israel movement with mainstream American Christian groups. Some of these have responded to FOSNA's outreach by integrating anti-Israel efforts into their broader social causes, bolstering the anti-Israel movement's ability to spread its messages to wider and otherwise untapped audiences. In 2009 and 2010, Sabeel conferences from Hawaii to Washington, DC, attracted hundreds of participants, and smaller, local events take place throughout the year.

One aspect of Christian life in the Middle east that you'll never hear mentioned by Sabeel is the persecution of Christians under Palestinian rule.

From an interview with Justus Reid Weiner Palestinian Crimes against Christian Arabs:

•Under the Palestinian regime Christian Arabs have been victims of frequent human rights abuses by Muslims. There are many examples of intimidation, beatings, land theft, firebombing of churches and other Christian institutions, denial of employment, economic boycotts, torture, kidnapping, forced marriage, sexual harassment, and extortion. Palestinian Authority (PA) officials are directly responsible for many of the human rights violations. Muslims who have converted to Christianity are in the greatest danger. They are often left defenseless against cruelty by Muslim fundamentalists. Some have been murdered.
•Christian Arabs also fall victim to the chaos and anarchy typical of PA rule. This situation is fostered by societal rigidity, criminal gangs, lack of education, absence of due process, incitement, unreliable courts, and the denial of these problems-all running counter to Israel's desire for a prosperous and stable neighbor.
•Muslim attitudes toward Christians and Jews are influenced by the concepts and prejudices about their inferiority that the practice of dhimmitude has spawned in Islamic society. As dhimmis, Christians living in Palestinian-controlled territories are not treated as equals of Muslims and are subjected to debilitating legal, political, cultural, and religious restrictions.
•The human rights violations against the Christian Arabs in the disputed territories are committed by Muslims. Yet for political and economic reasons many Palestinian Christian leaders blame Israel for these crimes rather than the actual perpetrators. This motif of the transference of blame has been adopted by several Christian leaders in the Western world. Others there who are aware of the PA's human rights abuses choose to remain silent.

From the World Watch List (WWL)

WWL is a ranking of 50 countries where persecution of Christians for religious reasons is worst. The list covers persecution of Christians of all denominations


1.North Korea
2.Afghanistan
3.Saudi Arabia
4.Somalia
5.Iran
6.Maldives
7.Uzbekistan
8.Yemen
9.Iraq
10.Pakistan
11.Eritrea
12.Laos
13.Northern Nigeria
14.Mauritania
15.Egypt
16.Sudan
17.Bhutan
18.Turkmenistan
19.Vietnam
20.Chechnya
21.China
22.Qatar
23.Algeria
24.Comoros
25.Azerbaijan
26.Libya
27.Oman
28.Brunei
29.Morocco
30.Kuwait
31.Turkey
32.India
33.Burma (Myanmar)
34.Tajikistan
35.Tunisia
36.Syria
37.United Arab Emirates
38.Ethiopia
39.Djibouti
40.Jordan
41.Cuba
42.Belarus
43.Indonesia
44.Palestinian Territories
45.Kazakhstan
46.Bahrain
47.Colombia
48.Kyrgyzstan
49.Bangladesh
50.Malaysia

The Palestinian territories make the list- Israel does not. Yet we can take it as a given that there will be no mention at the Sacramento Sabeel conference of the suffering of the Christians in the disputed territories.

This photo appeared in the blog Silk Roads and Siamese Smiles: This is what welcomes Christian tourists into the Israeli town of Nazereth. It is near the Church of the Annunciation.



From Dexter Van Zile "Primer on Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center"

Sabeel ...broadcasts a dishonest narrative about the Arab/Israeli conflict that:

Promotes an obsession with Jewish sin;
Promotes ambivalence over Jewish power
Encourages listeners to ignore problems in Palestinian society that undermine the prospects for Israeli and Palestinian safety and freedom;
Ignores the role Muslim extremists have played in the decline of the Christian population in the disputed territories and the Middle East;
Blames Israel, and only Israel, for the suffering of the Palestinian people; and Promotes an indifference to Israeli suffering as a result of Palestinian terror attacks.

Indifference is not a Christian trait. We remind our Christian friends to reject Sabeel when it comes to Sacramento March 16-17

Open questions to Jewish Voice for Peace

An open letter to Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) from a new blog: Engaging Zion

"Yes, this question is an accusation. I won’t pretend otherwise. You are my Jewish brothers and sisters, and I am living in Israel where some six million of your Jewish brothers and sisters — almost half of the Jewish people — face a virulent strain of annihilationist politics on our borders and in the broader region.

I must get one thing off the table up front: I do not question your right, moral or civil, as a diaspora Jewish organization to criticize — even harshly — the policies of Israel’s government. No government is above criticism, no politician is above the law. The issue of how to criticize, however, is a legitimate one for honest debate. I feel compelled to write this blog entry, because I am deeply troubled by your partnership choices.

My question is far deeper. For me, personally and literally, it is an existential one. This has to do with your partnering with a number of organizations to produce an ad campaign calling for the United States to stop all military aid to Israel. These ads are now appearing on the sides of San Francisco’s iconic cable cars and elsewhere. Nice placement, by the way.

Two of your partners in this endeavor are American Muslims for Palestine and Friends of Sabeel of North America. In my view, these groups are beyond the pale of what any organization that describes itself as “Jewish” should be partnering with. Here are my reasons:

On December 21, 2010 AMP issued a press release announcing a rally marking the second anniversary of Operation Cast Lead. The last sentence of the release declared:

Palestinians are more determined than ever to fight on until total liberation, until every refugee can return, until the land of Palestine is free from the river to the sea!

This statement is unequivocal. There is no room for Israel in this vision of “peace” promoted by your AMP partner.

This is not the first time you co-sponsored programming with AMP. Last winter you partnered with them and Sabeel in a similar ad campaign in San Francisco. Your slogan: “Be on our side. We are the side of peace and justice.” Really? AMP seeks our destruction, sorry, “liberation” from the “river to the see.” Peace?

Furthermore, AMP has at least one board member, Osama Abu Irshaid, who was involved in pro-Hamas activities in the U.S. He was editor of Al-Zaytounah, published by the now-defunct Islamic Association for Palestine (IAP), which with the Holy Land Fund, was a member of the Palestine Committee, court records show. This committee, other court records show, was created by the radical Muslim Brotherhood — Hamas’ parent body — to assist Hamas politically and financially. This is the side of “peace and justice?”

Dear JVP, some more questions:
Were you aware that AMP takes such a clear position calling for Israel’s destruction?

If not, now that you know, will you distance yourself from this organization and have no further dealings with them?

If you don’t, should I take that as meaning you condone this position?
Do you see that AMP’s purpose for calling for an end to U.S. military aid to Israel is to forward the goal of weakening Israel so it no longer can defend itself against terrorism or hostile armies?
Lest I be accused of either fear mongering or delusional fantasy, I direct you to just one (of numerous) annihilationist statements made by Iranian President Ahmadinejad. On August 27 (last week) he said that “Egyptian-Iranian relations in the post-Mubarak era will eliminate the presence of the Zionist entity.” According to the Ahlul Bayt News Agency, under the headline “Ahmadinejad: Egyptian-Iranian alliance can eliminate Israel,” he made these comments in an interview with Hezbollah’s Al-Manar TV where, “Ahmadinejad addressed Egyptian society, expecting that Egypt will play a key regional role in the coming period.”

One more thing: please take a look at this headline from today’s Ha’aretz: IAEA: Iran reaches breakthrough in suspected nuclear weapons push.

Not fantasy. Not fear-mongering. Just cold, hard reality: one of Iran’s chief foreign policy goals is Israel’s “elimination.”

My read of things: your partner, the AMP, seeks to weaken Israel militarily (as do you). This would greatly benefit Iran and other hostile states whose goal is to liberate Palestine “from the river to the sea.” Given the fact that Israelis are willing to fight for their right to exist, this slogan has only one meaning: war.

How is this the “side of peace”?"

The blog continues, taking on JVP's partnership with Sabeel. Not only has JVP co-sponsored these bus ads with the Sabeel group, they are sharing a booth for the second time, at an East Bay Street festival. In previous years, JVP had shared a booth with Alison Weir's hate group "If America Knew" and the International Solidarity Movement at the Marin County Fair .

Read more at Engaging Zion

Bay Area Anti-Zionists Ignore Dr. King's Message

Originally posted at Bluetruth:


Today was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in the United States. In San Francisco, as in many other cities around the country, commemorative marches occurred.  In San Francisco, perhaps unlike in many other cities, an anti-Israel group decided that it would try to hijack the parade to its "river to the sea" agenda.

It was a stunning and arrogant display. Not because they handed out fliers advertising the anti-Israel posters in BART put up by Jewish Voice for Peace and Sabeel, not because they attempted (without success) to start anti-Israel chants among the marchers, but they because did it in willful disregard of Dr. King's own position on Israel.  

Dr. King stood for peace. And he understood that peace for Israel was impossible in the context of ongoing attacks and threats of destruction, so that Israel needed to ensure its security first--even after the Six Day War, which occurred 10 months before he said:

"Peace for Israel means security, and we must stand with all our might to protect her right to exist, its territorial integrity, and the right to use whatever sea lanes it needs.  Israel is one of the great outposts of democracy in the world, and a marvelous example of what can be done, how desert land can be transformed into an oasis of brotherhood and democracy.  Peace for Israel means security, and that security must be a reality."  

(http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Quote/kingsecurity.html)

And Dr. King understood that, far too often, attacks on Israel were a more politically acceptable expression of anti-Semitism.

"When people criticize Zionists, they mean Jews, you are talking anti-Semitism."

(http://www.camera.org/index.asp?x_context=7&x_issue=21&x_article=370)

Yet Bay Area Women in Black, which is supposedly a Jewish women's group but was led for much of march by Hassan Fouda, decided to ignore Dr. King's own sentiments and make this march about what THEY wanted, not what Dr. King wanted.  

                                                                             

(And who, you may ask, is Hassan Fouda?  A man whose association with anti-Semitism has left a trail from his previous residence in Connecticut to the Bay Area, and has also included an attempt to bring outdated medications and old unusable equipment-- and a group of Turkish jihadists-- to Gaza earlier this year. Though he is not the man in this picture!)

Of course, those of us who knew this was going to happen didn't let it go unchallenged.  And no better way to do it than with Dr King's own words (thanks to BlueStarPR).  

My teenaged daughter who came along to photograph the scene was incensed that they would attempt to force this issue into the march commemorating Dr. King.  Of course, this is a standard tactic for anti-Israel groups:  International ANSWER's overt support of Hamas and Hezbollah drove any political leader with an ounce of sanity far away from their rallies against the Iraq war, and the San Francisco Pride Parade is always treated to the sight of groups demonstrating against the only country in the Middle East where LGBT individuals can live freely.  Maybe their insistence on making everything part of their war against Israel also has something to do with narcissism-- after all,  who better than a teenaged girl to recognize someone trying to say "It's all about MEEEEEEEE!!!!"

DrMike