The petty vandalism done to Rabbi Lerner's home can only be the act of fools, who do not understand that they are damaging the cause of Zionism and of Israel.
Only fools resort to violence to settle an otherwise peaceful political difference of opinion. Everyone else understands that as soon as you have used violence, you lost the argument, no matter how just your claims might be.
The perpetrators do not not represent anyone other than themselves. Rabbi Lerner's opinions and actions are despicable, but committing this act of petty vandalism against him will only give his cause an aura of undeserved glory and martyrdom.
Ami Isseroff
Monday, May 3, 2010
RABBI LERNER'S HOME VANDALIZED
Rabbi Michael Lerner's home in Berkeley was vandalized over the weekend. According to a press release issued by Tikkun Magazine, "The attackers used a powerful form of glue to attach posters to his door and around the property of his home attacking Lerner personally, and attacking liberals and progressives as being supporters of terrorism and "Islamo-fascism."
They posted a printed bumper sticker saying "fight terror--support Israel" next to a caricature of Judge Goldstone whose UN report on Israel's human rights violations in its attack on Gaza last year has been denounced as anti-Semitic and pro-terror by right wingers in Israel and the U.S.. The caricature has Goldstone talking about being kept from his grandson's bar mitzvah, and the caricature of Rabbi Lerner responds by saying "any enemy of Israel is a friend of mine."
------------------------------------
VANDALISM IS AN ACT OF HATE
Okay then, can you spell S.T.U.P.I.D. out there in Alwaysrightistan?
Do you really think such acts of vandalism are justified? What the hell is wrong with you? Where is your sense of Jewish Ethics? Where is your common decency?
And do you REALLY think that such stupid and reprehensible actions will not come back to haunt you?
Look, I don't agree with Rabbi Michael Lerner either.
But he's free to have his own point of view, and, like everyone in this country, he is free to be wrong, utterly and completely wrong.
Disagreement is one thing, targeted vandalism is something else entirely.
It's positively European.
------------------------------------
Press Release: From Tikkun Magazine
Contact: Will Pasley 510 644 1200
Rabbi Lerner's Home Attacked by ... [CUT: unwarranted assumption]
Berkeley, Ca. May 3, 2010
Release date: May 4, 2010
Berkeley police today confirmed that the attack on Rabbi Lerner's home late Sunday June 2nd or early morning Sunday July 3rd was in fact a crime and was being investigated.
The attackers used a powerful form of glue to attach posters to his door and around the property of his home attacking Lerner personally, and attacking liberals and progressives as being supporters of terrorism and "Islamo-fascism."
They posted a printed bumper sticker saying "fight terror--support Israel" next to a carcature (stet) of Judge Goldstone whose UN report on Israel's human rights violations in its attack on Gaza last year has been denounced as anti-Semitic and pro-terror by right wingers in Israel and the U.S..
... [CUT : self-serving blather] ...
In the 24 years of Tikkun's operation, we have received many death threats and vicious hate mail, including phone calls to our office announcing that "Rabbi Lerner is dead" and others saying "We will kill all of you."
This particular attack has two worrisome elements not previously there:
1. They attack Rabbi Lerner's home.
As law enforcement people told us, this is a way of conveying the messaget to Lerner: "We know where you live, we know your house is vulnerable, so don't ignore our threats."
2. By linking Lerner to alleged terrorism, they provide for themselves and other extremists a "right-wing justification"to use violence against Lerner, even though
Lerner has been a prominent advocate of non-violence.
He regularly critiques Palestinian acts of violence when they occur, including the shelling of Israeli towns by Hamas, just as he critiques the violence of the Israeli occupation, and as he critiques the US war in Iraq and Afghanistan, the occupation of Chechny by Russia, the occupation of Tibet by China, the human rights violations agaisnt their own people by the rulers of Iran, the acts of violence of those resisting the US occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan, the violence against women and homosexuals in many Arab and African countries (and in
the US and Israel as well), the genocide in Darfur, the violence against Jews in some parts of Europe, and the list goes on.
Needless to say, this latest attack, on Lerner's home, has caused great concern to his family.
... [CUT: one-sided statement] ...
They posted a printed bumper sticker saying "fight terror--support Israel" next to a caricature of Judge Goldstone whose UN report on Israel's human rights violations in its attack on Gaza last year has been denounced as anti-Semitic and pro-terror by right wingers in Israel and the U.S.. The caricature has Goldstone talking about being kept from his grandson's bar mitzvah, and the caricature of Rabbi Lerner responds by saying "any enemy of Israel is a friend of mine."
------------------------------------
VANDALISM IS AN ACT OF HATE
Okay then, can you spell S.T.U.P.I.D. out there in Alwaysrightistan?
Do you really think such acts of vandalism are justified? What the hell is wrong with you? Where is your sense of Jewish Ethics? Where is your common decency?
And do you REALLY think that such stupid and reprehensible actions will not come back to haunt you?
Look, I don't agree with Rabbi Michael Lerner either.
But he's free to have his own point of view, and, like everyone in this country, he is free to be wrong, utterly and completely wrong.
Disagreement is one thing, targeted vandalism is something else entirely.
It's positively European.
------------------------------------
Press Release: From Tikkun Magazine
Contact: Will Pasley 510 644 1200
Rabbi Lerner's Home Attacked by ... [CUT: unwarranted assumption]
Berkeley, Ca. May 3, 2010
Release date: May 4, 2010
Berkeley police today confirmed that the attack on Rabbi Lerner's home late Sunday June 2nd or early morning Sunday July 3rd was in fact a crime and was being investigated.
The attackers used a powerful form of glue to attach posters to his door and around the property of his home attacking Lerner personally, and attacking liberals and progressives as being supporters of terrorism and "Islamo-fascism."
They posted a printed bumper sticker saying "fight terror--support Israel" next to a carcature (stet) of Judge Goldstone whose UN report on Israel's human rights violations in its attack on Gaza last year has been denounced as anti-Semitic and pro-terror by right wingers in Israel and the U.S..
... [CUT : self-serving blather] ...
In the 24 years of Tikkun's operation, we have received many death threats and vicious hate mail, including phone calls to our office announcing that "Rabbi Lerner is dead" and others saying "We will kill all of you."
This particular attack has two worrisome elements not previously there:
1. They attack Rabbi Lerner's home.
As law enforcement people told us, this is a way of conveying the messaget to Lerner: "We know where you live, we know your house is vulnerable, so don't ignore our threats."
2. By linking Lerner to alleged terrorism, they provide for themselves and other extremists a "right-wing justification"to use violence against Lerner, even though
Lerner has been a prominent advocate of non-violence.
He regularly critiques Palestinian acts of violence when they occur, including the shelling of Israeli towns by Hamas, just as he critiques the violence of the Israeli occupation, and as he critiques the US war in Iraq and Afghanistan, the occupation of Chechny by Russia, the occupation of Tibet by China, the human rights violations agaisnt their own people by the rulers of Iran, the acts of violence of those resisting the US occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan, the violence against women and homosexuals in many Arab and African countries (and in
the US and Israel as well), the genocide in Darfur, the violence against Jews in some parts of Europe, and the list goes on.
Needless to say, this latest attack, on Lerner's home, has caused great concern to his family.
... [CUT: one-sided statement] ...
Friday, April 30, 2010
PILAR RAHOLA SPEECH
Speech by Spanish politician, journalist and activist Pilar Rahola.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Why don't we see demonstrations against Islamic dictatorships in London , Paris , Barcelona ? Or demonstrations against the Burmese dictatorship? Why aren't there demonstrations against the enslavement of millions of women who live without any legal protection? Why aren't there demonstrations against the use of children as human bombs where there is conflict with Islam? Why has there been no leadership in support of the victims of Islamic dictatorship in Sudan ? Why is there never any outrage against the acts of terrorism committed against Israel ? Why is there no outcry by the European left against Islamic fanaticism? Why don't they defend Israel 's right to exist? Why confuse support of the Palestinian cause with the defense of Palestinian terrorism? And finally, the million dollar question: Why is the left in Europe and around the world obsessed with the two most solid democracies, the United States and Israel, and not with the worst dictatorships on the planet? The two most solid democracies, who have suffered the bloodiest attacks of terrorism, and the left doesn't care.
And then, to the concept of freedom. In every pro Palestinian European forum I hear the left yelling with fervor: "We want freedom for the people!" Not true. They are never concerned with freedom for the people of Syria or Yemen or Iran or Sudan , or other such nations. And they are never preoccupied when Hammas destroys freedom for the Palestinians. They are only concerned with using the concept of Palestinian freedom as a weapon against Israeli freedom. The resulting consequence of these ideological pathologies is the manipulation of the press. The international press does major damage when reporting on the question of the Israeli-Palestinian issue. On this topic they don't inform, they propagandize. When reporting about Israel the majority of journalists forget the reporter code of ethics.
And so, any Israeli act of self-defense becomes a massacre, and any confrontation, genocide. So many stupid things have been written about Israel , that there aren't any accusations left to level against her.
At the same time, this press never discusses Syrian and Iranian interference in propagating violence against Israel ; the indoctrination of children and the corruption of the Palestinians. And when reporting about victims, every Palestinian casualty is reported as tragedy and every Israeli victim is camouflaged, hidden or reported about with disdain. And let me add on the topic of the Spanish left. Many are the examples that illustrate the anti-Americanism and anti-Israeli sentiments that define the Spanish left.
For example, one of the leftist parties in Spain has just expelled one of its members for creating a pro-Israel website. I quote from the expulsion document: "Our friends are the people of Iran , Libya and Venezuela , oppressed by imperialism, and not a Nazi state like Israel ." In another example, the socialist mayor of Campozuelos changed Shoah Day, commemorating the victims of the Holocaust, with Palestinian Nabka Day, which mourns the establishment of the State of Israel, thus showing contempt for the six million European Jews murdered in the Holocaust.
Or in my native city of Barcelona , the city council decided to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the creation of the State of Israel, by having a week of solidarity with the Palestinian people. Thus, they invited Leila Khaled, a noted terrorist from the 70's and current leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a terrorist organization so described by the European Union, which promotes the use of bombs against Israel.
This politically correct way of thinking has even polluted the speeches of president Zapatero. His foreign policy falls within the lunatic left, and on issues of the Middle East he is unequivocally pro Arab. I can assure you that in private, Zapatero places on Israel the blame for the conflict in the Middle East , and the policies of foreign minister Moratinos reflect this. The fact that Zapatero chose to wear a kafiah in the midst of the Lebanon conflict is no coincidence; it's a symbol. Spain has suffered the worst terrorist attack in Europe and it is in the crosshairs of every Islamic terrorist organization.
As I wrote before, they kill us with cell phones hooked to satellites connected to the Middle Ages. An yet the Spanish left is the most anti Israeli in the world. And then it says it is anti Israeli because of solidarity. This is the madness I want to denounce in this conference.
Conclusion: I am not Jewish. Ideologically I am left and by profession a journalist. Why am I not anti Israeli like my colleagues? Because as a non-Jew I have the historical responsibility to fight against Jewish hatred and currently against the hatred for their historic homeland, Israel . To fight against anti-Semitism is not the duty of the Jews, it is the duty of the non-Jews. As a journalist it is my duty to search for the truth beyond prejudice, lies and manipulations. The truth about Israel is not told.
As a person from the left who loves progress, I am obligated to defend liberty, culture, civic education for children, coexistence and the laws that the Tablets of the Covenant made into universal principles. Principles that Islamic fundamentalism systematically destroys.
That is to say that as a non-Jew, journalist and lefty I have a triple moral duty with Israel, because if Israelis destroyed, liberty, modernity and culture will be destroyed too. The struggle of Israel , even if the world doesn't want to accept it, is the struggle of the world.
Pilar Rahola
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1030117.html
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pilar-Rahola/160601218238
http://israelseen.com/2010/02/08/pilar-rahola-jews-with-six-arms/
http://israelseen.com/2009/12/30/pilar-rahola-is-a-spanish-politician-journalist-and-activist/
http://www.pilarrahola.com/3_0/HOME/default.cfm?IDIOMA=ENG
http://www.israpundit.com/2008/?p=20252
http://www.cicweb.ca/scene/2010/04/speech-by-spanish-activist-pilar-rahola-the-struggle-of-israel-is-the-struggle-of-the-world/
Bravo, sister!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
CROSSPOSTED HERE:
http://deathbynoodles.blogspot.com/2010/04/pilar-rahola-speech.html
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Why don't we see demonstrations against Islamic dictatorships in London , Paris , Barcelona ? Or demonstrations against the Burmese dictatorship? Why aren't there demonstrations against the enslavement of millions of women who live without any legal protection? Why aren't there demonstrations against the use of children as human bombs where there is conflict with Islam? Why has there been no leadership in support of the victims of Islamic dictatorship in Sudan ? Why is there never any outrage against the acts of terrorism committed against Israel ? Why is there no outcry by the European left against Islamic fanaticism? Why don't they defend Israel 's right to exist? Why confuse support of the Palestinian cause with the defense of Palestinian terrorism? And finally, the million dollar question: Why is the left in Europe and around the world obsessed with the two most solid democracies, the United States and Israel, and not with the worst dictatorships on the planet? The two most solid democracies, who have suffered the bloodiest attacks of terrorism, and the left doesn't care.
And then, to the concept of freedom. In every pro Palestinian European forum I hear the left yelling with fervor: "We want freedom for the people!" Not true. They are never concerned with freedom for the people of Syria or Yemen or Iran or Sudan , or other such nations. And they are never preoccupied when Hammas destroys freedom for the Palestinians. They are only concerned with using the concept of Palestinian freedom as a weapon against Israeli freedom. The resulting consequence of these ideological pathologies is the manipulation of the press. The international press does major damage when reporting on the question of the Israeli-Palestinian issue. On this topic they don't inform, they propagandize. When reporting about Israel the majority of journalists forget the reporter code of ethics.
And so, any Israeli act of self-defense becomes a massacre, and any confrontation, genocide. So many stupid things have been written about Israel , that there aren't any accusations left to level against her.
At the same time, this press never discusses Syrian and Iranian interference in propagating violence against Israel ; the indoctrination of children and the corruption of the Palestinians. And when reporting about victims, every Palestinian casualty is reported as tragedy and every Israeli victim is camouflaged, hidden or reported about with disdain. And let me add on the topic of the Spanish left. Many are the examples that illustrate the anti-Americanism and anti-Israeli sentiments that define the Spanish left.
For example, one of the leftist parties in Spain has just expelled one of its members for creating a pro-Israel website. I quote from the expulsion document: "Our friends are the people of Iran , Libya and Venezuela , oppressed by imperialism, and not a Nazi state like Israel ." In another example, the socialist mayor of Campozuelos changed Shoah Day, commemorating the victims of the Holocaust, with Palestinian Nabka Day, which mourns the establishment of the State of Israel, thus showing contempt for the six million European Jews murdered in the Holocaust.
Or in my native city of Barcelona , the city council decided to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the creation of the State of Israel, by having a week of solidarity with the Palestinian people. Thus, they invited Leila Khaled, a noted terrorist from the 70's and current leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a terrorist organization so described by the European Union, which promotes the use of bombs against Israel.
This politically correct way of thinking has even polluted the speeches of president Zapatero. His foreign policy falls within the lunatic left, and on issues of the Middle East he is unequivocally pro Arab. I can assure you that in private, Zapatero places on Israel the blame for the conflict in the Middle East , and the policies of foreign minister Moratinos reflect this. The fact that Zapatero chose to wear a kafiah in the midst of the Lebanon conflict is no coincidence; it's a symbol. Spain has suffered the worst terrorist attack in Europe and it is in the crosshairs of every Islamic terrorist organization.
As I wrote before, they kill us with cell phones hooked to satellites connected to the Middle Ages. An yet the Spanish left is the most anti Israeli in the world. And then it says it is anti Israeli because of solidarity. This is the madness I want to denounce in this conference.
Conclusion: I am not Jewish. Ideologically I am left and by profession a journalist. Why am I not anti Israeli like my colleagues? Because as a non-Jew I have the historical responsibility to fight against Jewish hatred and currently against the hatred for their historic homeland, Israel . To fight against anti-Semitism is not the duty of the Jews, it is the duty of the non-Jews. As a journalist it is my duty to search for the truth beyond prejudice, lies and manipulations. The truth about Israel is not told.
As a person from the left who loves progress, I am obligated to defend liberty, culture, civic education for children, coexistence and the laws that the Tablets of the Covenant made into universal principles. Principles that Islamic fundamentalism systematically destroys.
That is to say that as a non-Jew, journalist and lefty I have a triple moral duty with Israel, because if Israelis destroyed, liberty, modernity and culture will be destroyed too. The struggle of Israel , even if the world doesn't want to accept it, is the struggle of the world.
Pilar Rahola
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1030117.html
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pilar-Rahola/160601218238
http://israelseen.com/2010/02/08/pilar-rahola-jews-with-six-arms/
http://israelseen.com/2009/12/30/pilar-rahola-is-a-spanish-politician-journalist-and-activist/
http://www.pilarrahola.com/3_0/HOME/default.cfm?IDIOMA=ENG
http://www.israpundit.com/2008/?p=20252
http://www.cicweb.ca/scene/2010/04/speech-by-spanish-activist-pilar-rahola-the-struggle-of-israel-is-the-struggle-of-the-world/
Bravo, sister!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
CROSSPOSTED HERE:
http://deathbynoodles.blogspot.com/2010/04/pilar-rahola-speech.html
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Berkeley Divestment Fails
From our Friends at "Divest this!" the single best source on the web for all things BDS.
BDS Twofer Takedown in California
"At Berkeley, after having made their presentations endlessly for weeks on end, after dozens of news stories, hundreds of blog entries, thousands of e-mails and millions of Tweets, they decided to demonstrate that the ASUC vote against their pet project was an example of – wait for it – them being "silenced" (illustrated by the BDSers covering their own mouths with tape and marching out of the room).
For the sake of sanity and harmony at Berkeley, let’s hope that tape remains on at least through the end of the semester."
BDS Twofer Takedown in California
"At Berkeley, after having made their presentations endlessly for weeks on end, after dozens of news stories, hundreds of blog entries, thousands of e-mails and millions of Tweets, they decided to demonstrate that the ASUC vote against their pet project was an example of – wait for it – them being "silenced" (illustrated by the BDSers covering their own mouths with tape and marching out of the room).
For the sake of sanity and harmony at Berkeley, let’s hope that tape remains on at least through the end of the semester."
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
UC San Diego ASUC Presidents Statement on Divestment
The President of the UC San Diego Student body takes a firm and principled stand AGAINST Divestment
It is not often that a student association has an opportunity to consider legislation and take a stand on issues of national and international import. As an Association, we have passed resolutions to promote what we believe and hope will make a better world. We have taken stances against sweat shop labor, unfair trade practices, and violations of civil rights. We aspire not only to be students in support of the progress of our own nation, but to also be global citizens who answer the call for aid. It is a basic civic duty awarded to us as a representative government, and one that is codified in our Constitution.
However, these past few days, I have watched as our campus climate has gotten worse. I have witnessed the creation of two competing groups and camps around a singular contentious issue: the consideration of a resolution at our ASUCSD Council meeting today. In many ways, I am watching history repeat itself.
Last year, when a resolution was proposed concerning the conflict in Gaza, two student groups came to several ASUCSD Council meetings, passionately defending and advocating for their world point-of-view, their perspective on an issue that even our best international leaders have yet to successfully resolve. Some of these students believed they were compelled to come to this meeting to defend a country they hold dear. Others came to the meeting advocating for peace and human rights, hoping to lead the Association towards what they argued was progress. What is tragic is that both groups were correct, incorrect, misinformed, and made some good and bad points. The issue was a complicated one, something that the ASUCSD Council was obviously ill-equipped to solve.
Now that a year has passed, we are still ill-equipped to resolve this issue. Consideration of this resolution today will only prove again for us one thing: that it is divisive. It is dividing our students, pitting groups against each other who are fighting to be represented by their student association. They should not have to fight for the voice of our Association. We could not call any resolution approved through this process representative of the students at our university. And thus, I do not believe our student association can or should take a stance on this resolution.
I am not here to choose or argue sides. For me, the most important consideration is the welfare of the student body at the University. Passage of this legislation will create a divide that violates the goals and purposes of our Association. To this end, I will be voting against the passage of this resolution. I urge my colleagues to do the same.
I am truly proud to be a part of the extraordinary institution that is UC San Diego. The University has given us these words to live by: Local Impact, National Influence, and Global Reach. Issues such as these prove that, as a student body, we are strong and passionate. Despite what happens in our Council tonight, remember that, together, we are Tritons, and that we will continue to make an impact wherever we go.
Sincerely yours,
UTSAV GUPTA
President, Associated Students
University of California, San Diego
It is not often that a student association has an opportunity to consider legislation and take a stand on issues of national and international import. As an Association, we have passed resolutions to promote what we believe and hope will make a better world. We have taken stances against sweat shop labor, unfair trade practices, and violations of civil rights. We aspire not only to be students in support of the progress of our own nation, but to also be global citizens who answer the call for aid. It is a basic civic duty awarded to us as a representative government, and one that is codified in our Constitution.
However, these past few days, I have watched as our campus climate has gotten worse. I have witnessed the creation of two competing groups and camps around a singular contentious issue: the consideration of a resolution at our ASUCSD Council meeting today. In many ways, I am watching history repeat itself.
Last year, when a resolution was proposed concerning the conflict in Gaza, two student groups came to several ASUCSD Council meetings, passionately defending and advocating for their world point-of-view, their perspective on an issue that even our best international leaders have yet to successfully resolve. Some of these students believed they were compelled to come to this meeting to defend a country they hold dear. Others came to the meeting advocating for peace and human rights, hoping to lead the Association towards what they argued was progress. What is tragic is that both groups were correct, incorrect, misinformed, and made some good and bad points. The issue was a complicated one, something that the ASUCSD Council was obviously ill-equipped to solve.
Now that a year has passed, we are still ill-equipped to resolve this issue. Consideration of this resolution today will only prove again for us one thing: that it is divisive. It is dividing our students, pitting groups against each other who are fighting to be represented by their student association. They should not have to fight for the voice of our Association. We could not call any resolution approved through this process representative of the students at our university. And thus, I do not believe our student association can or should take a stance on this resolution.
I am not here to choose or argue sides. For me, the most important consideration is the welfare of the student body at the University. Passage of this legislation will create a divide that violates the goals and purposes of our Association. To this end, I will be voting against the passage of this resolution. I urge my colleagues to do the same.
I am truly proud to be a part of the extraordinary institution that is UC San Diego. The University has given us these words to live by: Local Impact, National Influence, and Global Reach. Issues such as these prove that, as a student body, we are strong and passionate. Despite what happens in our Council tonight, remember that, together, we are Tritons, and that we will continue to make an impact wherever we go.
Sincerely yours,
UTSAV GUPTA
President, Associated Students
University of California, San Diego
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Mahmoud Abbas nags Obama
Once again the Associated Press has shown its biases, catering to the Europeans and Arabs.
In an article entitled "Abbas calls on Obama to impose Mideast peace deal", Karin Laub gives a platform for Mahmoud Abbas to vent and spew, lecturing president Obama on what Abbas feels the president should do.
It is a stellar example of Arab bombast.
"Since you, Mr. President and you, the members of the American administration, believe in this, it is your duty to call for the steps in order to reach the solution and impose the solution -- impose it"
Source:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/feedarticle/9046493
And
http://www.boston.com/news/world/middleeast/articles/2010/04/24/abbas_no_palestinian_state_in_temporary_borders/
To what effect is this rhetoric? Does Abbas intend to adhere to any peace deal? Has Abbas EVER shown an intent to abide by the terms of such an agreement?
Would Abbas survive for even one minute if he, exceptionally, announced that intent?
The Palestinian Authority, of which he is the head, and the PLO, of which he is one of the contending and contentious warlords, continue to glorify violence, encourage discord, and rob their cause's koffers of the funds so generously and naively contributed by Europe and the United States.
The Europeans and Americans, in return, continue to believe that so ineffective a leader of so venal and unreliable a concatenatus will pave the road to peace - and turn their eyes grateful blind to the misdeeds of a man whose sole claim to fame is the planning of the Munich massacre in 1972.
In the matter of peace, surely one should doubt both his sincerity and his commitment.
It might be fatal not to.
Quote:
Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas called on President Barack Obama on Saturday to impose a Mideast peace deal, reflecting growing frustration with what Palestinians see as Washington's failure to wrangle concessions out of Israel's hardline government.
End quote.
It is obvious that Abbas either thinks that such will be impossible - and by demanding it of the Americans he himself is absolved of all effort and all blame when peace remains a chimera - OR he sincerely believes that the American President is a no friend to the Jewish State.
The latter is not entirely likely - Abbas is a realist and a professional cynic.
Quote:
Abbas says there's no point in holding talks as long as Israel keeps building settlements on Palestinian-claimed land and refuses to discuss the fate of east Jerusalem, the sector of the city Palestinians claim as a future capital.
End quote.
By which he advertises that he will disregard any and all possibilities of peace and Palestinian statehood if the extremist demands of the Arabs are not met. They want Jerusalem, and they want NO Jewish state.
Quote:
The Palestinians say they won't engage unless Israel promises not to start new housing projects in east Jerusalem.
End quote.
Cities are always in motion. Both construction and deconstruction are constant processes in the daily life of a city. And it is natural that the capitol city of a nation should build and be rebuilt. The demand that the Israelis cease doing so in the city that has been theirs for over three millennia is tantamount to denying their right to their city and their homeland.
It is, in fact, a declaration of war, albeit one not coupled with outright violence.
Quote:
Israelis and Palestinians have negotiated for nearly two decades, with the U.S. acting as a broker. The outlines of a deal were sketched out a decade ago, by then-U.S. President Bill Clinton, but the two sides never came close to a final agreement.
End quote.
That negotiations have continued so long is a testament to the optimism and good faith of the Israelis in the face of constant treachery by the Palestinians and sabotage by the other Arabs.
As so many Israeli politicians have regretfully concluded, there is no partner on the Arab side. The Arabs talk peace while making demands, then talk war when their bluster proves ineffective. Neither the Arab nation, nor the Muslim Umma, is in any way inclined to acknowledge that their past conquests and landrapes fail to justify continued and future conquests and landrapes.
Until the Palestinians grow up, and throw off the yoke of feudalism, and more importantly shed the meddlesome influence of the other Arabs, there can be little real chance of peace.
Which is precisely what Abbas so clearly states by his demand that Israel yield her capitol, and that America force a final solution on the Jews.
By not committing, the Arab world betrays its fundamental cowardice.
I am grateful to Karin Laub and the Associated Press for reporting with a straight face; they have revealed their inherent biases against Israel, and their intellectual and progressive predisposition in favor of the Arabs.
Bravo.
In an article entitled "Abbas calls on Obama to impose Mideast peace deal", Karin Laub gives a platform for Mahmoud Abbas to vent and spew, lecturing president Obama on what Abbas feels the president should do.
It is a stellar example of Arab bombast.
"Since you, Mr. President and you, the members of the American administration, believe in this, it is your duty to call for the steps in order to reach the solution and impose the solution -- impose it"
Source:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/feedarticle/9046493
And
http://www.boston.com/news/world/middleeast/articles/2010/04/24/abbas_no_palestinian_state_in_temporary_borders/
To what effect is this rhetoric? Does Abbas intend to adhere to any peace deal? Has Abbas EVER shown an intent to abide by the terms of such an agreement?
Would Abbas survive for even one minute if he, exceptionally, announced that intent?
The Palestinian Authority, of which he is the head, and the PLO, of which he is one of the contending and contentious warlords, continue to glorify violence, encourage discord, and rob their cause's koffers of the funds so generously and naively contributed by Europe and the United States.
The Europeans and Americans, in return, continue to believe that so ineffective a leader of so venal and unreliable a concatenatus will pave the road to peace - and turn their eyes grateful blind to the misdeeds of a man whose sole claim to fame is the planning of the Munich massacre in 1972.
In the matter of peace, surely one should doubt both his sincerity and his commitment.
It might be fatal not to.
Quote:
Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas called on President Barack Obama on Saturday to impose a Mideast peace deal, reflecting growing frustration with what Palestinians see as Washington's failure to wrangle concessions out of Israel's hardline government.
End quote.
It is obvious that Abbas either thinks that such will be impossible - and by demanding it of the Americans he himself is absolved of all effort and all blame when peace remains a chimera - OR he sincerely believes that the American President is a no friend to the Jewish State.
The latter is not entirely likely - Abbas is a realist and a professional cynic.
Quote:
Abbas says there's no point in holding talks as long as Israel keeps building settlements on Palestinian-claimed land and refuses to discuss the fate of east Jerusalem, the sector of the city Palestinians claim as a future capital.
End quote.
By which he advertises that he will disregard any and all possibilities of peace and Palestinian statehood if the extremist demands of the Arabs are not met. They want Jerusalem, and they want NO Jewish state.
Quote:
The Palestinians say they won't engage unless Israel promises not to start new housing projects in east Jerusalem.
End quote.
Cities are always in motion. Both construction and deconstruction are constant processes in the daily life of a city. And it is natural that the capitol city of a nation should build and be rebuilt. The demand that the Israelis cease doing so in the city that has been theirs for over three millennia is tantamount to denying their right to their city and their homeland.
It is, in fact, a declaration of war, albeit one not coupled with outright violence.
Quote:
Israelis and Palestinians have negotiated for nearly two decades, with the U.S. acting as a broker. The outlines of a deal were sketched out a decade ago, by then-U.S. President Bill Clinton, but the two sides never came close to a final agreement.
End quote.
That negotiations have continued so long is a testament to the optimism and good faith of the Israelis in the face of constant treachery by the Palestinians and sabotage by the other Arabs.
As so many Israeli politicians have regretfully concluded, there is no partner on the Arab side. The Arabs talk peace while making demands, then talk war when their bluster proves ineffective. Neither the Arab nation, nor the Muslim Umma, is in any way inclined to acknowledge that their past conquests and landrapes fail to justify continued and future conquests and landrapes.
Until the Palestinians grow up, and throw off the yoke of feudalism, and more importantly shed the meddlesome influence of the other Arabs, there can be little real chance of peace.
Which is precisely what Abbas so clearly states by his demand that Israel yield her capitol, and that America force a final solution on the Jews.
By not committing, the Arab world betrays its fundamental cowardice.
I am grateful to Karin Laub and the Associated Press for reporting with a straight face; they have revealed their inherent biases against Israel, and their intellectual and progressive predisposition in favor of the Arabs.
Bravo.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Never trust a Turk
Turkey was one of Israel's main customers for military goods until Sheikh Erdogan started sucking up to Iran. Now, it appears, Israel has seriously reconsidered their relationship with the 'sick man of Europe'. As well they should.
FROM ARUTZ SHEVA:
Israel Rejects Turkish Request to Buy Arms
by Hana Levi Julian
Israel has declined a request by Turkey to purchase several different military systems, including an anti-tank guided weapon and a missile system for its navy.
The request by the Turkish government was rejected by Israel's SIBAT, the defense assistance and export organization, which is currently reviewing each order on a case-by-case basis.
Turkey said it wanted to buy the Spike non-line-of-site (NLOS) anti-tank guided weapon, the Namer heavy infantry fighting vehicle, and the Israel Aerospace Industries' (IAI) Barak 8 theater-defense missile system for its navy, according to UK-based Jane's Defence Weekly.
Israel did, however, deliver the last of 170 upgraded M60A1 main battle tanks (MBTs) to the Turkish military on April 7 through a joint contract between Israel Military Industries (IMI) and Turkey's Aselsan, shepherded along by Columbia.
The move is seen as a response to Turkey's increasing anti-Israel rhetoric and the pro-Islamic leanings in its foreign and domestic policies.
An Israeli defense official was quoted by the military publication as saying, “Ties with Turkey will never be the way they once were. We are being very careful which systems we sell them, due to the growing Islamic trends in the country.”
Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Recep Erdogan harshly criticized Israel during and following its counter terrorism Operation Cast Lead in Gaza, which ran from December 28, 2008 to January 20, 2009.
Since that time, relations between the two countries have steadily deteriorated, a trend reflected in Turkey's decision in October 2009 to bar Israel's Air Force from participating in the joint Anatolian Eagle exercises. Turkey ultimately chose to cancel the drill rather than back down in response to pressure from the United States and Italy, who were also set to participate.
As a result, Israel has also been searching for new air space in which to conduct long-range training exercises, since Turkey has refused the IAF use of its air space. Recently the Defense Ministry has been exploring the possibility of renewing a 2006 agreement to deploy IAF fighter jets in Romania.
SOURCE:
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/news.aspx/137115
AFTERTHOUGHT
Turkey's relationship with Nato and Israel was always predicated upon countering the weight of Russia.
Since the end of the cold war, Turkey has attempted to position itself as a moderate, bridging the divide between the Islamic nutballs in Iran and Pakistan, the Europeans with their justifiable worry about the porosity of their southern borders, the Arab World, and the temporarily denatured Russian bear.
This was a careful and subtle balancing act - one at which Turkey was bound to fail.
Sheikh Erdogan has made sure, however, that Turkey stumbled, and that it would happen dramatically sooner than anyone even anticipated. International relations have never been the Turks' strong suit (consider their hamfisted performance during the last several decades of the degenerate Ottoman empire, and their offkilter mad-pig rampaging since the death of Ataturk), and their support for irredentist Turkic fanatics in Russian Central Asia and the far west of China has won them few friends.
Their obsequious approach to Tehran now proves the bankruptcy of their political ambitions; they are desperate, and they have lost the trust of even the most well-willing of their onetime allies.
It is time for the Western World to cut Turkey loose.
They have become a treacherous liability, and a danger to civilization. Their economy and their society have lost any promise, and their friendship, never sincere, is proving a snake in the bosom. They are ever more reverting to the perverse bigotries that informed their centuries-long savage repression the Greek and Balkan lands, and their 1915-17 brutal massacre of the Armenians.
The Turks have in recent years shown their true colors. The fantasy of Turkish modernization, the very idea that Turkey could ever become a liberal secular democracy, has been permanently shattered by their Islamic movement, and Erdogan's pimp-like pandering to the Persians and Arabs.
Turkey should NEVER be allowed into the EU.
-----Stephanie 周
FROM ARUTZ SHEVA:
Israel Rejects Turkish Request to Buy Arms
by Hana Levi Julian
Israel has declined a request by Turkey to purchase several different military systems, including an anti-tank guided weapon and a missile system for its navy.
The request by the Turkish government was rejected by Israel's SIBAT, the defense assistance and export organization, which is currently reviewing each order on a case-by-case basis.
Turkey said it wanted to buy the Spike non-line-of-site (NLOS) anti-tank guided weapon, the Namer heavy infantry fighting vehicle, and the Israel Aerospace Industries' (IAI) Barak 8 theater-defense missile system for its navy, according to UK-based Jane's Defence Weekly.
Israel did, however, deliver the last of 170 upgraded M60A1 main battle tanks (MBTs) to the Turkish military on April 7 through a joint contract between Israel Military Industries (IMI) and Turkey's Aselsan, shepherded along by Columbia.
The move is seen as a response to Turkey's increasing anti-Israel rhetoric and the pro-Islamic leanings in its foreign and domestic policies.
An Israeli defense official was quoted by the military publication as saying, “Ties with Turkey will never be the way they once were. We are being very careful which systems we sell them, due to the growing Islamic trends in the country.”
Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Recep Erdogan harshly criticized Israel during and following its counter terrorism Operation Cast Lead in Gaza, which ran from December 28, 2008 to January 20, 2009.
Since that time, relations between the two countries have steadily deteriorated, a trend reflected in Turkey's decision in October 2009 to bar Israel's Air Force from participating in the joint Anatolian Eagle exercises. Turkey ultimately chose to cancel the drill rather than back down in response to pressure from the United States and Italy, who were also set to participate.
As a result, Israel has also been searching for new air space in which to conduct long-range training exercises, since Turkey has refused the IAF use of its air space. Recently the Defense Ministry has been exploring the possibility of renewing a 2006 agreement to deploy IAF fighter jets in Romania.
SOURCE:
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/news.aspx/137115
AFTERTHOUGHT
Turkey's relationship with Nato and Israel was always predicated upon countering the weight of Russia.
Since the end of the cold war, Turkey has attempted to position itself as a moderate, bridging the divide between the Islamic nutballs in Iran and Pakistan, the Europeans with their justifiable worry about the porosity of their southern borders, the Arab World, and the temporarily denatured Russian bear.
This was a careful and subtle balancing act - one at which Turkey was bound to fail.
Sheikh Erdogan has made sure, however, that Turkey stumbled, and that it would happen dramatically sooner than anyone even anticipated. International relations have never been the Turks' strong suit (consider their hamfisted performance during the last several decades of the degenerate Ottoman empire, and their offkilter mad-pig rampaging since the death of Ataturk), and their support for irredentist Turkic fanatics in Russian Central Asia and the far west of China has won them few friends.
Their obsequious approach to Tehran now proves the bankruptcy of their political ambitions; they are desperate, and they have lost the trust of even the most well-willing of their onetime allies.
It is time for the Western World to cut Turkey loose.
They have become a treacherous liability, and a danger to civilization. Their economy and their society have lost any promise, and their friendship, never sincere, is proving a snake in the bosom. They are ever more reverting to the perverse bigotries that informed their centuries-long savage repression the Greek and Balkan lands, and their 1915-17 brutal massacre of the Armenians.
The Turks have in recent years shown their true colors. The fantasy of Turkish modernization, the very idea that Turkey could ever become a liberal secular democracy, has been permanently shattered by their Islamic movement, and Erdogan's pimp-like pandering to the Persians and Arabs.
Turkey should NEVER be allowed into the EU.
-----Stephanie 周
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Jeff Prager's Lies and Damned Lies
Jeff Prager of Minnesota, a certified (and certifiable) Israel hater with way too much time on his hands, spent hours this week attempting to manipulate a World Jewish Congress opinion poll. After 1,700 clicks, he posted the results on his facebook page, declaring unequivocally that the World Jewish Congress™ CONFIRMS American Public Opinion is AGAINST Israel.
Little Jeffy declared:
"Breaking News! Special Polls conducted by the venerable World Jewish Congress™ established in 1936 certify that American Public Opinion is squarely against Israeli policy. These Polls, certified by the World Jewish Congress™ leave no room for doubt folks. We should cease and desist from further support both militarily and financially provided through our tax dollars for the State of Israel immediately, if not sooner. These polls are available at the World Jewish Congress™ web site at the link below and the screen shots below prove beyond a shadow of a doubt it's time to release the leach."
The children from Jeffy's pre-school immediately jumped on the bandwagon, giggling back and forth to each other. Jeffy helpfully offered tips on furthering the fraud
Jeff Prager
Certified World Jewish Congress™ Poll results don't lie!
Wed at 7:39pm
Betty Molchany
Jeff, I was thinking about you on the long way home from work elsewhere. I enjoyed all your messages, especially on these polls. How did the numbers get this way? You are a miracle worker. :-)
Wed at 10:04pm
Jeff Prager
A bazillion little clicks from Minneapolis.
Wed at 10:06pm
Jeff Prager
Some of the numbers are even higher now.
When I first started it took 2-3 clicks to move a percentage point. Now it takes 50-80 clicks. They won't soon move down again, I'm monitoring them hourly.
Wed at 10:07pm
El Duce
I will have to start clicking on that poll, I am openly against Israel, and there conquest towards genocide.
Wed at 10:36pm
Betty Molchany
Jeff, I posted a link to your comments. You are my buddy. And am I glad.
Wed at 10:36pm
Jeff Prager
If anyone is interested in clicking, please choose questions that I haven't listed above. I'm monitoring the above questions and haven't got the time to tackle them all so I chose the ones most important to me. There are a dozen or so polls though.
By the way, all you have to do is click the "vote" button and use the "back" button on your browser and click the "vote" button again, you don't even have to check the question box, it remains checked. It's fun while it lasts, which won't be forever.
Wed at 10:53pm
Amjad Doumani
Just voted Israel down on all counts.
Wed at 11:13pm
Alaqsamassacre Eighttenninety
Right ON !
Yesterday at 4:44am
Jeff Prager
AMAZING what certified polls will say about public opinion!
Yesterday at 5:05am
Robert Hand
I believe. I DO believe. Alleluia, I do believe.
http://tinyurl.com/y7uge65
Yesterday at 10:01am
Here's when it starts getting interesting. Although Jeff Prager and company readily admitted their fraud, they seem genuinely confused when the World Jewish Congress invalidated the 1,700 clicks from Jeffy's computer . Filled with self righteous indignation, they condemn the "Zionists" for invalidating their fraud.
Peter K. Vickers
The polls have been stuffed or changed arbitrarily from when you lifted these screen shots. The tragic and misguided comments after the poll I took this morning just strengthen my resolve. Zionism is a racist ideology and one that poses an existential threat to all human beings and the future of the human species, and global and Israeli Zionists are the most dangerous, arrogant, delusional people on the planet and MUST be brought to heel.
Yesterday at 11:28am
Peter K. Vickers
I posted most of my comment above after the poll, but it was not posted. I do not think we should be drawing attention to these polls as the Zionistas have legions of people with the time to load the results in their favour, and many Sheeple believe such polls reflect real public opinion.
Yesterday at 11:39am
Mary Shepard
I posted a comment here earlier but it seems to have disappeared.
Beware of these informal polls which can be so easily doctored. Their results mean nothing, unfortunately.
Yesterday at 11:44am
Betty Molchany
I just checked ant the poll count is greater than ever in favor of the Zionists. And they never posted my comments that I could see.
Yesterday at 11:53am
Peter K. Vickers
Time to take down this note and move on I think. What say you Jeff?
Yesterday at 12:00pm
Mary Shepard
A lot of anti-Islam comments on that website.
Yesterday at 12:06pm
Jeff Prager
I don't think it's time to take this post down but perhaps it might be time to pursue the issue of fixed public opinion polls further, would anyone agree?
Yesterday at 12:51pm
Crystal Gaza Robert
My comment didn't show and I agree with Peter!
Yesterday at 1:07pm
Mary Shepard
I second that!
Yesterday at 1:12pm
Jeff Prager
It's a bit scary but this is something that needs to be pursued simply from a moral perspective. The World Jewish Congress holds significant sway over public opinion and if that public opinion is contrived it's called fraud.
Yesterday at 1:17pm
Betty Molchany
I think the poll and Jeff's reports on it are evidence of manipulation by the WJC. Yes, we did it as well, but Jeff's actions were not to mislead but to test his assumptions about the site and especially because our comments weren't being posted. I would not remove this evidence.
Yesterday at 1:29pm
Peter K. Vickers
But Jeff you are assuming that the Sheeple can discern the difference or that they even care.
Yesterday at 1:31pm
Jeff Prager
I'm not assuming anyone cares because few do. BUT, I care and that means I have a responsibility whether anyone else cares or not. If I were the ONLY person that cared it would be no different. And sometimes it feels like I am. That doesn't prevent me from having an all-consuming desire for truth.
Yesterday at 2:08pm
Peter K. Vickers
Agreed. I just don't know whether this is helpful in our struggle against Zionist Israel.
Yesterday at 2:19pm
Mike Vail
There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.
Mark Twain, attributed to Benjamin Disraeli
3 hours ago
Jeff Prager
True, and the World Jewish Congress manufactures wonderful statistics.
about an hour ago
Mike Vail
>>> do you honestly believe AIPAC and the WJC to be above reproach on everything they say and do, just because they're Jewish organizations? That's what I call racism.
about an hour ago
Jeff Prager
Mike, I would expect that the World Jewish Congress might conflate the statistics. What I wouldn't expect is that they would do it in such an easily discoverable way. It's not racism. It's the exposure of stupidity.
about an hour ago
Jeff Prager actually says " The World Jewish Congress holds significant sway over public opinion and if that public opinion is contrived it's called fraud."
Why yes, it is, Jeffy. Yes it is. And 1,700 clicks from the computer in your Mommys basement in an effort to manipulate a poll is precisely that. Perhaps Jeff, if you had truth and history on your side, you wouldn't have the need to lie and manipulate. And perhaps, Jeff, if you had a life, with real friends and real activities, you wouldn't be hunched over the tiny blue screen of Mom's computer for hours on end. Yes, the same Jeff Prager who claims he has "an all-consuming desire for truth." has no trouble lying, cheating and manipulating opinions to further his agenda. Can you say "Hypocrite" children? I think you can.
Michael Thaidigsmann of the World Jewish Congress found Jeff's manipulation of little consequence and briefly stated:
"We had indeed a manipulation attempt for the poll and received 1,700 votes from one person somewhere in the US. This has been fixed now and that poll can only be voted in once per computer."
Little Jeffy declared:
"Breaking News! Special Polls conducted by the venerable World Jewish Congress™ established in 1936 certify that American Public Opinion is squarely against Israeli policy. These Polls, certified by the World Jewish Congress™ leave no room for doubt folks. We should cease and desist from further support both militarily and financially provided through our tax dollars for the State of Israel immediately, if not sooner. These polls are available at the World Jewish Congress™ web site at the link below and the screen shots below prove beyond a shadow of a doubt it's time to release the leach."
The children from Jeffy's pre-school immediately jumped on the bandwagon, giggling back and forth to each other. Jeffy helpfully offered tips on furthering the fraud
Jeff Prager
Certified World Jewish Congress™ Poll results don't lie!
Wed at 7:39pm
Betty Molchany
Jeff, I was thinking about you on the long way home from work elsewhere. I enjoyed all your messages, especially on these polls. How did the numbers get this way? You are a miracle worker. :-)
Wed at 10:04pm
Jeff Prager
A bazillion little clicks from Minneapolis.
Wed at 10:06pm
Jeff Prager
Some of the numbers are even higher now.
When I first started it took 2-3 clicks to move a percentage point. Now it takes 50-80 clicks. They won't soon move down again, I'm monitoring them hourly.
Wed at 10:07pm
El Duce
I will have to start clicking on that poll, I am openly against Israel, and there conquest towards genocide.
Wed at 10:36pm
Betty Molchany
Jeff, I posted a link to your comments. You are my buddy. And am I glad.
Wed at 10:36pm
Jeff Prager
If anyone is interested in clicking, please choose questions that I haven't listed above. I'm monitoring the above questions and haven't got the time to tackle them all so I chose the ones most important to me. There are a dozen or so polls though.
By the way, all you have to do is click the "vote" button and use the "back" button on your browser and click the "vote" button again, you don't even have to check the question box, it remains checked. It's fun while it lasts, which won't be forever.
Wed at 10:53pm
Amjad Doumani
Just voted Israel down on all counts.
Wed at 11:13pm
Alaqsamassacre Eighttenninety
Right ON !
Yesterday at 4:44am
Jeff Prager
AMAZING what certified polls will say about public opinion!
Yesterday at 5:05am
Robert Hand
I believe. I DO believe. Alleluia, I do believe.
http://tinyurl.com/y7uge65
Yesterday at 10:01am
Here's when it starts getting interesting. Although Jeff Prager and company readily admitted their fraud, they seem genuinely confused when the World Jewish Congress invalidated the 1,700 clicks from Jeffy's computer . Filled with self righteous indignation, they condemn the "Zionists" for invalidating their fraud.
Peter K. Vickers
The polls have been stuffed or changed arbitrarily from when you lifted these screen shots. The tragic and misguided comments after the poll I took this morning just strengthen my resolve. Zionism is a racist ideology and one that poses an existential threat to all human beings and the future of the human species, and global and Israeli Zionists are the most dangerous, arrogant, delusional people on the planet and MUST be brought to heel.
Yesterday at 11:28am
Peter K. Vickers
I posted most of my comment above after the poll, but it was not posted. I do not think we should be drawing attention to these polls as the Zionistas have legions of people with the time to load the results in their favour, and many Sheeple believe such polls reflect real public opinion.
Yesterday at 11:39am
Mary Shepard
I posted a comment here earlier but it seems to have disappeared.
Beware of these informal polls which can be so easily doctored. Their results mean nothing, unfortunately.
Yesterday at 11:44am
Betty Molchany
I just checked ant the poll count is greater than ever in favor of the Zionists. And they never posted my comments that I could see.
Yesterday at 11:53am
Peter K. Vickers
Time to take down this note and move on I think. What say you Jeff?
Yesterday at 12:00pm
Mary Shepard
A lot of anti-Islam comments on that website.
Yesterday at 12:06pm
Jeff Prager
I don't think it's time to take this post down but perhaps it might be time to pursue the issue of fixed public opinion polls further, would anyone agree?
Yesterday at 12:51pm
Crystal Gaza Robert
My comment didn't show and I agree with Peter!
Yesterday at 1:07pm
Mary Shepard
I second that!
Yesterday at 1:12pm
Jeff Prager
It's a bit scary but this is something that needs to be pursued simply from a moral perspective. The World Jewish Congress holds significant sway over public opinion and if that public opinion is contrived it's called fraud.
Yesterday at 1:17pm
Betty Molchany
I think the poll and Jeff's reports on it are evidence of manipulation by the WJC. Yes, we did it as well, but Jeff's actions were not to mislead but to test his assumptions about the site and especially because our comments weren't being posted. I would not remove this evidence.
Yesterday at 1:29pm
Peter K. Vickers
But Jeff you are assuming that the Sheeple can discern the difference or that they even care.
Yesterday at 1:31pm
Jeff Prager
I'm not assuming anyone cares because few do. BUT, I care and that means I have a responsibility whether anyone else cares or not. If I were the ONLY person that cared it would be no different. And sometimes it feels like I am. That doesn't prevent me from having an all-consuming desire for truth.
Yesterday at 2:08pm
Peter K. Vickers
Agreed. I just don't know whether this is helpful in our struggle against Zionist Israel.
Yesterday at 2:19pm
Mike Vail
There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.
Mark Twain, attributed to Benjamin Disraeli
3 hours ago
Jeff Prager
True, and the World Jewish Congress manufactures wonderful statistics.
about an hour ago
Mike Vail
>>> do you honestly believe AIPAC and the WJC to be above reproach on everything they say and do, just because they're Jewish organizations? That's what I call racism.
about an hour ago
Jeff Prager
Mike, I would expect that the World Jewish Congress might conflate the statistics. What I wouldn't expect is that they would do it in such an easily discoverable way. It's not racism. It's the exposure of stupidity.
about an hour ago
Jeff Prager actually says " The World Jewish Congress holds significant sway over public opinion and if that public opinion is contrived it's called fraud."
Why yes, it is, Jeffy. Yes it is. And 1,700 clicks from the computer in your Mommys basement in an effort to manipulate a poll is precisely that. Perhaps Jeff, if you had truth and history on your side, you wouldn't have the need to lie and manipulate. And perhaps, Jeff, if you had a life, with real friends and real activities, you wouldn't be hunched over the tiny blue screen of Mom's computer for hours on end. Yes, the same Jeff Prager who claims he has "an all-consuming desire for truth." has no trouble lying, cheating and manipulating opinions to further his agenda. Can you say "Hypocrite" children? I think you can.
Michael Thaidigsmann of the World Jewish Congress found Jeff's manipulation of little consequence and briefly stated:
"We had indeed a manipulation attempt for the poll and received 1,700 votes from one person somewhere in the US. This has been fixed now and that poll can only be voted in once per computer."
Saturday, April 10, 2010
QUIT Turns Out To Protest Gay Israeli Films
Several people came up to me as I stood in front of the Roxie Theater on 16th Street with my Israeli flag and asked for clarification--who were we? And why were we there? And who were the other people?
You have to love San Francisco. Here is what was going on...
The Roxie was showing Eyes Wide Open,a film about an Orthodox man in Jerusalem, struggling with his sexuality. This was part of Out In Israel, a month-long celebration of things LGBT, Jewish and Israeli, organized by the Israeli Consulate in San Francisco.
Now, if this had happened a month earlier, the Westboro Baptists might still have been in town, and they could have come and protested the gayness, but instead they had moved on, and the film was being protested by QUIT. That's Queers Undermining Israeli Terrorism. No, I did not make that up.
QUIT was there because they hate the State of Israel. They were there with pink banners, complaints about 'pinkwashing', and very creepy signs. My friends and I were there because they were there. We were showing support for films about closeted gay men in Jerusalem by holding Israeli flags, rainbow flags, and signs that were much more delightful and amusing than those held by QUIT.
I was struck, as always, by the passion and intensity of the people I find myself across the lines from at these events. The jumbled tangle of anti-Semitism and vague left-political platitudes, turned into something so irrational, heartless and strange that I can barely make out what these folks think they're doing.
The question I wanted to ask, and didn't get a chance to, was this: "Is there another country on earth, no matter what its human rights record, that you would protest gay films from?"
The answer, of course, is 'no', as one of my fellow flag-wavers said briskly. But it does highlight the unique place Israel holds in the minds of her haters--the only nation on earth with no right to even make films about its LGBT citizens, reviled by these 'activists' far more than nations that, say, just KILL their LGBT citizens.
Strange world. Queer, even, one might say.
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, March 29, 2010
Day of rage against Israeli Couscous, redux
Khaled Abu Toameh, Palestinian reporter for the Jerusalem Post gave at talk at UC Berkeley a few months ago. He mentioned a discussion with a friend- they were trying to name a hero of the Palestinian people, but could not identify a single one that had not been associated with violence. The poet, Mahmoud Darwish was eventually agreed upon, but the question remained, why was this so difficult? Why is violence so inherent the Palestinian cause?
I ask myself this again, as another day of rage upon Israeli couscous is upon us. The anti-Israel forces are planning attacks on March 30 on Israeli products and the stores that stock them. This is, they claim, in commemoration of "Land Day". Hmmm. What better way to celebrate a holiday than by a grocery store pogrom? Why bother with picnics, family gatherings, fireworks, or even a sale at Macy's when you can interfere with someone's shopping experience ?
A recent grocery store pogrom led by Amir of the "peace" group "South bay mobilization" ended in a trash can set on fire in a fit of "Pay attention to ME! Pay attention to ME!" worthy of an angry 2 year old. What will tomorrow bring? I guess I'll have to find out second hand. Its Pesach, the holiday of our deliverance of Egypt and I'll be spending it with family and friends, not trashing someone else's property in the name of "justice".
Don't expect me to wish you luck with the Berkeley Bowl, Kate. The last time you pulled your nonsense, the store was so angry, they created end of aisle displays of all their Israeli products. I suspect it will be no different this time. And where but the Berkeley Bowl can I find crunchy candy sweet persimmons, straight from the Sharon Valley in Israel? They are great eaten out of hand, but try them sliced thin in a spinach salad, with a light vingarette. Just heavenly.
Follow up April 30.
A recent trip to the Berkeley Bowl showed they've added a brand new line of Israeli health and beauty aids, "Yes to carrots". Made with Dead Sea Minerals. Never tested on animals
Looks like the campaign to deshelve Israeli products from the Berkeley bowl is a resounding failure. I never get tired of saying that, Kate.
I ask myself this again, as another day of rage upon Israeli couscous is upon us. The anti-Israel forces are planning attacks on March 30 on Israeli products and the stores that stock them. This is, they claim, in commemoration of "Land Day". Hmmm. What better way to celebrate a holiday than by a grocery store pogrom? Why bother with picnics, family gatherings, fireworks, or even a sale at Macy's when you can interfere with someone's shopping experience ?
A recent grocery store pogrom led by Amir of the "peace" group "South bay mobilization" ended in a trash can set on fire in a fit of "Pay attention to ME! Pay attention to ME!" worthy of an angry 2 year old. What will tomorrow bring? I guess I'll have to find out second hand. Its Pesach, the holiday of our deliverance of Egypt and I'll be spending it with family and friends, not trashing someone else's property in the name of "justice".
Don't expect me to wish you luck with the Berkeley Bowl, Kate. The last time you pulled your nonsense, the store was so angry, they created end of aisle displays of all their Israeli products. I suspect it will be no different this time. And where but the Berkeley Bowl can I find crunchy candy sweet persimmons, straight from the Sharon Valley in Israel? They are great eaten out of hand, but try them sliced thin in a spinach salad, with a light vingarette. Just heavenly.
Follow up April 30.
A recent trip to the Berkeley Bowl showed they've added a brand new line of Israeli health and beauty aids, "Yes to carrots". Made with Dead Sea Minerals. Never tested on animals
Looks like the campaign to deshelve Israeli products from the Berkeley bowl is a resounding failure. I never get tired of saying that, Kate.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
UC Berkeley ASUC President Smelko vetoes Divisive Israel Divestment bill
Will Smelko, the president of the UC Berkeley student senate, vetoed the divestment bill the senate had approved last week, that called for the University of California to divest from companies that have provided military supplies to Israel.
President Smelko declared, "To achieve and maintain campus unity and peace, the perception of the bill as a symbolic attack on a specific community of our fellow students, and/or fears of the bill being used as a tool to delegitimize the state of Israel, cannot be overstated."
Next week the student senate will vote on whether to overturn the veto of the ASUC president Will Smelko. Please consider sending an email to President Smelko (president@asuc.org) thanking him for his courageous decision and statement, and copying the rest of the student senate (senate@asuc.org) to let them know of your support for the president's position.
"While the ASUC as a body has stated convincingly that it does not want ASUC and UC dollars going to fund weapons, war crimes, or human rights violations, this veto has to do with the mechanism by which the ASUC achieves its mission of building peace and goodwill in a way that avoids the shortcomings of the bill (such as a) ... selective, one-sided focus on a specific country that lacks important historical context and understanding," Smelko said in his statement.
Smelko said that his decision to veto the bill had come after lengthy consideration.
"This decision was by no means easy, and in fact one of the more difficult decisions I've had to make," he said in the statement. "No matter what I do, large groups of people are going to be very mad and upset, and I have to balance that with the fiduciary duties and responsibilities I swore to when I took office last May, no matter how big the pressure may be."
President Smelko declared, "To achieve and maintain campus unity and peace, the perception of the bill as a symbolic attack on a specific community of our fellow students, and/or fears of the bill being used as a tool to delegitimize the state of Israel, cannot be overstated."
Next week the student senate will vote on whether to overturn the veto of the ASUC president Will Smelko. Please consider sending an email to President Smelko (president@asuc.org) thanking him for his courageous decision and statement, and copying the rest of the student senate (senate@asuc.org) to let them know of your support for the president's position.
"While the ASUC as a body has stated convincingly that it does not want ASUC and UC dollars going to fund weapons, war crimes, or human rights violations, this veto has to do with the mechanism by which the ASUC achieves its mission of building peace and goodwill in a way that avoids the shortcomings of the bill (such as a) ... selective, one-sided focus on a specific country that lacks important historical context and understanding," Smelko said in his statement.
Smelko said that his decision to veto the bill had come after lengthy consideration.
"This decision was by no means easy, and in fact one of the more difficult decisions I've had to make," he said in the statement. "No matter what I do, large groups of people are going to be very mad and upset, and I have to balance that with the fiduciary duties and responsibilities I swore to when I took office last May, no matter how big the pressure may be."
Saturday, March 20, 2010
San Francisco anti-war protest fizzles
Today's big anti-war protest was a big waste of time. Like all anti-war protests here in the City by the Bay, it was organized by International ANSWER (Dick Becker's group), which tried to rope in as many different groups as possible in order to make an impressive showing, while fronting the usual destructive messages.
A semblance of diversity
They did pull in a broad spectrum of groups.
Four different versions of communist revolutionary, each with their own booth. Code pink. Veterans for Peace. The International Solidarity Movement. Bayan (Philippino something, didn't ask, can't stand those folks). Black Blok and other free-range anarchists. The nine-eleven conspiracy cults, representing seven different belief-systems - did you know the Masons were behind the attack? I didn't.
Free Leonard Peltier. The Queer Insurrection. Revolutionary Labor organizers. Radical Vegans. Angry Arab-American teenagers. The Uhuru Black Nationalists from Oakland. Elderly people from all over Northern California.
Few people
They did NOT make an impressive showing.
It was all supposed to start at eleven, but didn't actually get cracking till twelve. By that time nearly eight hundred people had dribbled into Civic Center Plaza. There were several angry speeches, and precisely forty five minutes late, at quarter to one, the mob headed into the Tenderloin chanting revolutionary slogans, leaving a skeleton crew to guard the dozen or so booths.
And no point
Their message was too unstructured and all-inclusive to make any impact.
The only ones on focus were the two dozen Palestinian activists, who carried International ANSWER's trademark banner ("Occupation is a Crime - Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine"), at the front, and chanted about Palestine whenever possible. There was also a banner right next to them, which Dick Becker forced them to carry, reading "fund jobs, schools, healthcare, housing, not war". They didn't look too pleased by that. Grim and sour.
Despite the large number of signs in Spanish, the Latinos were conspicuous by a near complete absence. Did I already mention that there were elderly folks from all over Northern California? That means 'mostly white' and 'middle class'. But not all washed - some white people have eccentric notions of hygiene (patchouli is NOT a disinfectant).
Jobs, healthcare, home-owner concerns, toxics in the water, Jews are to blame for nearly everything, no it's the Masons, you're both wrong it's actually Bush and Cheney and the Bilderburgers. Down with Obama.
Aimless slog
After an hour and a half of stumbling around the Tenderloin, herded hither and thither by the very patient men in blue, the march returned. The Palestinian homies got to the podium first, and began shouting 'free free Palestine' through a bullhorn. Ten minutes later Dick Becker's boys finally got them to shut up so that more angry speeches could be made. Much of which were off-tangent and hard to understand (please enunciate next time, folks - oh heck, go ahead and mumble, nobody really cares).
The 'scene'
At this point the crowd started thinning out rapidly, leaving no more than a couple of hundred in the Plaza. Lilly Haskell and her Jihadi pets remained in the area, and Forest Schmidt resumed chatting-up a woman at a booth not his own. Gloria LaRiva gibbered and moaned irrelevantly into the microphone, and there was burning sage.
Lilly Haskell is the Wellesley graduate and Arab-wannabe who was arrested last year when a bunch of "Palestinian" teenagers attacked a Jewish grandma in the subway last, Forest Schmidt is Richard Becker's flunky and general handyman - until today, I thought he didn't like women. Gloria LaRiva is not Dick Becker's housekeeper, but his favorite spokeshorse - she shows up at every one of his social events to prove that he is sensitive to the voice of the non-white community.
And as a Chinese-American, I really do appreciate the attempt, no matter how flat it falls. Thanks, Dick!
Kudos to the police
And as usual, the San Francisco Police Department performed stellarly, keeping the Anarchists and hepped up juveniles from destroying private property and overturning garbage cans. If it weren't for them, windows would be broken, little old Chinese ladies would be roughed up, and anybody who looked too Jewish would be attacked - that seems to be the standard modus operandi of the liquor store owner's kids when nobody is watching.
By the way, Forest Schmidt, several of the cops are far better looking than you. Plus they don't have that little rodent moustache either. They're real men.
A semblance of diversity
They did pull in a broad spectrum of groups.
Four different versions of communist revolutionary, each with their own booth. Code pink. Veterans for Peace. The International Solidarity Movement. Bayan (Philippino something, didn't ask, can't stand those folks). Black Blok and other free-range anarchists. The nine-eleven conspiracy cults, representing seven different belief-systems - did you know the Masons were behind the attack? I didn't.
Free Leonard Peltier. The Queer Insurrection. Revolutionary Labor organizers. Radical Vegans. Angry Arab-American teenagers. The Uhuru Black Nationalists from Oakland. Elderly people from all over Northern California.
Few people
They did NOT make an impressive showing.
It was all supposed to start at eleven, but didn't actually get cracking till twelve. By that time nearly eight hundred people had dribbled into Civic Center Plaza. There were several angry speeches, and precisely forty five minutes late, at quarter to one, the mob headed into the Tenderloin chanting revolutionary slogans, leaving a skeleton crew to guard the dozen or so booths.
And no point
Their message was too unstructured and all-inclusive to make any impact.
The only ones on focus were the two dozen Palestinian activists, who carried International ANSWER's trademark banner ("Occupation is a Crime - Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine"), at the front, and chanted about Palestine whenever possible. There was also a banner right next to them, which Dick Becker forced them to carry, reading "fund jobs, schools, healthcare, housing, not war". They didn't look too pleased by that. Grim and sour.
Despite the large number of signs in Spanish, the Latinos were conspicuous by a near complete absence. Did I already mention that there were elderly folks from all over Northern California? That means 'mostly white' and 'middle class'. But not all washed - some white people have eccentric notions of hygiene (patchouli is NOT a disinfectant).
Jobs, healthcare, home-owner concerns, toxics in the water, Jews are to blame for nearly everything, no it's the Masons, you're both wrong it's actually Bush and Cheney and the Bilderburgers. Down with Obama.
Aimless slog
After an hour and a half of stumbling around the Tenderloin, herded hither and thither by the very patient men in blue, the march returned. The Palestinian homies got to the podium first, and began shouting 'free free Palestine' through a bullhorn. Ten minutes later Dick Becker's boys finally got them to shut up so that more angry speeches could be made. Much of which were off-tangent and hard to understand (please enunciate next time, folks - oh heck, go ahead and mumble, nobody really cares).
The 'scene'
At this point the crowd started thinning out rapidly, leaving no more than a couple of hundred in the Plaza. Lilly Haskell and her Jihadi pets remained in the area, and Forest Schmidt resumed chatting-up a woman at a booth not his own. Gloria LaRiva gibbered and moaned irrelevantly into the microphone, and there was burning sage.
Lilly Haskell is the Wellesley graduate and Arab-wannabe who was arrested last year when a bunch of "Palestinian" teenagers attacked a Jewish grandma in the subway last, Forest Schmidt is Richard Becker's flunky and general handyman - until today, I thought he didn't like women. Gloria LaRiva is not Dick Becker's housekeeper, but his favorite spokeshorse - she shows up at every one of his social events to prove that he is sensitive to the voice of the non-white community.
And as a Chinese-American, I really do appreciate the attempt, no matter how flat it falls. Thanks, Dick!
Kudos to the police
And as usual, the San Francisco Police Department performed stellarly, keeping the Anarchists and hepped up juveniles from destroying private property and overturning garbage cans. If it weren't for them, windows would be broken, little old Chinese ladies would be roughed up, and anybody who looked too Jewish would be attacked - that seems to be the standard modus operandi of the liquor store owner's kids when nobody is watching.
By the way, Forest Schmidt, several of the cops are far better looking than you. Plus they don't have that little rodent moustache either. They're real men.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Essays from the UC Berkeley Hearing regarding Divestment
Matt, from UC Berkeley's Tikvah: Students for Israel read this thoughtful essay at the ASUC hearing regarding Divestment on March 17. Reprinted here with permission and gratitude:
Good evening ladies and gentlemen of the ASUC. As much as I appreciate what you do for the student body, there are some bills that come up before you occasionally that are simply so ludicrous, hypocritical, and misguided that I must put my foot down. I come before you tonight to inform you that it is absolutely correct to say that Israel does not have the world’s most pristine human rights record. The Israeli government has made many poor decisions across its history, and even recently. When I make such statements, I critique Israel, but I do not cross the line into anti-Israel or anti-Semitic rhetoric.
Here’s where the picture gets more complicated. Some supporters of this bill claim that it is not anti-Israel, and that it is simply interested in human rights. Let me show you where you are wrong on this. I agree that we as students should not have investments in countries with abysmal human rights records. This goes against our core values, and it is our moral duty to stand up and decry human rights violations when they occur. If you agree with these statements, then you ought to be ashamed of yourselves. If you are going to divest funding from Israel in the name of human rights, you must divest funding from every single other country in the region, and then some. Let’s start with Saudi Arabia. In Saudi Arabia, freedom of religion does not exist. There are separate roads for different religions, and prohibition of public practise of other religions. I as a bisexual can be officially executed for who I am, and who I love, as can any other member of the LGBT community, in any country across the region. Foreigners with AIDS are deported. There are no laws against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Women cannot drive cars, cannot go out into public without a male relative guardian, and are essentially subjected to what may be accurately labelled “gender apartheid”. Human slavery, though outlawed on paper decades ago, still exists, particularly in a form where children as young as four are trafficked from South Asia to serve as camel race jockeys. Berkeley even has gone so far as to have a partnership with a university in Saudi Arabia.
Let’s move on to China. In the course of the brutal repression and occupation of Tibet, at least hundreds of thousands, if not millions (according to Tibetan estimates), have been killed, and tens if not hundreds of thousands have “disappeared”. China has been the largest investor in Sudan’s oil business, is Sudan’s biggest economic partner, and has in fact supplied the very fighter jets and military trucks used by the janjaweed to perpetrate the genocide in Darfur. The threat of a Chinese veto, among other things, has even stalled the UN Security Council from taking stronger action about Darfur.
In Iran, gays, lesbians, and Bahá’ís are murdered, men may even be killed for non-penetrative sexual acts, the government publishes the anti-Semitic Protocols of the Elders of Zion, there is a stranglehold on political freedom and freedom of speech, and the government sponsors terrorist organisations committed to the annihilation of Israel such as Hamas and Hizballah, the latter of which has wreaked internal havoc on the country of Lebanon. Turkey denies the genocide it perpetrated 95 years ago against the Armenians, as it simultaneously broadcasts cartoons portraying Jews as bloodthirsty baby-killers, and welcomes a UC study abroad program.
Israel is the only country in a region stretching from Morocco to Iran marked by the most recent Freedom in the World report as FREE. Not partly free, not “not free”, free. You repeatedly tout the number of dead in Gaza as evidence of war crimes. By this logic, in World War II, Germany should be seen as the victim of war crimes perpetrated by Britain and the USA, who specifically targeted civilian areas. Israel not only intended to avoid civilian casualties, but took special measures, quoted by some as the most stringent measures in human wartime history, to ensure that they would not happen. Are you sad that more Israelis didn’t die? So before you even consider removing funding from Israel, consider the vast swath of countries whose human rights abuses far outweigh those of Israel. The fact that this country is being brought up before any of these others singles out Israel, and the fact that to date no resolutions have been passed condemning any of these other countries nor removing investments in them, is indicative of the fact that Israel is held to a higher standard.
I don’t care if it’s one company being divested from, or a hundred, the rationale behind it is intensely hypocritical and flawed. The only time I should see this bill even coming up, and we can have a true debate about this issue, should be when we have condemned every single other country in the region for their mountain of human rights violations. Until that happens, I stand by my viewpoint that this bill is flagrantly anti-Israel, and absolutely takes a ‘side’ in the political web of the Arab-Israeli conflict by sidestepping the larger picture of a region filled with crimes against human dignity that you choose to ignore on this Senate floor. I do not yield my time to questions.
Good evening ladies and gentlemen of the ASUC. As much as I appreciate what you do for the student body, there are some bills that come up before you occasionally that are simply so ludicrous, hypocritical, and misguided that I must put my foot down. I come before you tonight to inform you that it is absolutely correct to say that Israel does not have the world’s most pristine human rights record. The Israeli government has made many poor decisions across its history, and even recently. When I make such statements, I critique Israel, but I do not cross the line into anti-Israel or anti-Semitic rhetoric.
Here’s where the picture gets more complicated. Some supporters of this bill claim that it is not anti-Israel, and that it is simply interested in human rights. Let me show you where you are wrong on this. I agree that we as students should not have investments in countries with abysmal human rights records. This goes against our core values, and it is our moral duty to stand up and decry human rights violations when they occur. If you agree with these statements, then you ought to be ashamed of yourselves. If you are going to divest funding from Israel in the name of human rights, you must divest funding from every single other country in the region, and then some. Let’s start with Saudi Arabia. In Saudi Arabia, freedom of religion does not exist. There are separate roads for different religions, and prohibition of public practise of other religions. I as a bisexual can be officially executed for who I am, and who I love, as can any other member of the LGBT community, in any country across the region. Foreigners with AIDS are deported. There are no laws against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Women cannot drive cars, cannot go out into public without a male relative guardian, and are essentially subjected to what may be accurately labelled “gender apartheid”. Human slavery, though outlawed on paper decades ago, still exists, particularly in a form where children as young as four are trafficked from South Asia to serve as camel race jockeys. Berkeley even has gone so far as to have a partnership with a university in Saudi Arabia.
Let’s move on to China. In the course of the brutal repression and occupation of Tibet, at least hundreds of thousands, if not millions (according to Tibetan estimates), have been killed, and tens if not hundreds of thousands have “disappeared”. China has been the largest investor in Sudan’s oil business, is Sudan’s biggest economic partner, and has in fact supplied the very fighter jets and military trucks used by the janjaweed to perpetrate the genocide in Darfur. The threat of a Chinese veto, among other things, has even stalled the UN Security Council from taking stronger action about Darfur.
In Iran, gays, lesbians, and Bahá’ís are murdered, men may even be killed for non-penetrative sexual acts, the government publishes the anti-Semitic Protocols of the Elders of Zion, there is a stranglehold on political freedom and freedom of speech, and the government sponsors terrorist organisations committed to the annihilation of Israel such as Hamas and Hizballah, the latter of which has wreaked internal havoc on the country of Lebanon. Turkey denies the genocide it perpetrated 95 years ago against the Armenians, as it simultaneously broadcasts cartoons portraying Jews as bloodthirsty baby-killers, and welcomes a UC study abroad program.
Israel is the only country in a region stretching from Morocco to Iran marked by the most recent Freedom in the World report as FREE. Not partly free, not “not free”, free. You repeatedly tout the number of dead in Gaza as evidence of war crimes. By this logic, in World War II, Germany should be seen as the victim of war crimes perpetrated by Britain and the USA, who specifically targeted civilian areas. Israel not only intended to avoid civilian casualties, but took special measures, quoted by some as the most stringent measures in human wartime history, to ensure that they would not happen. Are you sad that more Israelis didn’t die? So before you even consider removing funding from Israel, consider the vast swath of countries whose human rights abuses far outweigh those of Israel. The fact that this country is being brought up before any of these others singles out Israel, and the fact that to date no resolutions have been passed condemning any of these other countries nor removing investments in them, is indicative of the fact that Israel is held to a higher standard.
I don’t care if it’s one company being divested from, or a hundred, the rationale behind it is intensely hypocritical and flawed. The only time I should see this bill even coming up, and we can have a true debate about this issue, should be when we have condemned every single other country in the region for their mountain of human rights violations. Until that happens, I stand by my viewpoint that this bill is flagrantly anti-Israel, and absolutely takes a ‘side’ in the political web of the Arab-Israeli conflict by sidestepping the larger picture of a region filled with crimes against human dignity that you choose to ignore on this Senate floor. I do not yield my time to questions.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
BERKELEY STUDENTS VOTE AGAINST ISRAEL
In a move stunning for both its inherent bigotry and its high level of moron quotient, the Student Senate at UC Berkeley voted for a bill calling for divestment from two companies because of Israel.
All quotes below are taken from the press release.
["UC Berkeley Student Senate Passes Divestment Bill in Response to Israeli Occupation"]
QUOTE:
The Senate bill directs both the UC Regents and the Student Government to divest from General Electric and United Technologies. General Electric manufactures Apache helicopter engines; United Technologies manufactures Sikorsky helicopters and F-16 aircraft engines.
END QUOTE.
QUOTE:
Student Senator Rahul Patel supported the bill, declaring that “in the 1980s the Student Government was a central actor in demanding that the university divest from South African apartheid. 25 years later, it is a key figure in shaping a nationwide movement against occupation and war crimes around the world. Student Government can be a space to mobilize and make decisions that have a significant impact on the international community. We must utilize these spaces to engage each other about issues of justice worldwide.”
END QUOTE.
The odious and false comparison with South African Apartheid is rather interesting, given that several other countries actually can be called 'apartheid regimes'..... not only in the Arab world.
Such stellar international players as India, Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan, and Turkey, for example.
QUOTE:
The Senate deliberation, which started Wednesday night, concluded at 3 am Thursday morning, March 18. The meeting was flooded with students, educators, and community members, which prompted the relocation of the Senate session from the Senate Chambers to a larger room. The attendees took turns making impassioned arguments for and against the bill. The diverse list of guest speakers included 76 names, ranging in age from college freshmen to Vietnam veterans.
After amendments, the final bill passed on a 16-4 vote.
In addition to Israeli military action, the student initiative was motivated by an 2005 call on behalf of 171 Palestinian civil society organizations calling on "people of conscience all over the world to impose broad boycotts and implement divestment initiatives against Israel … until it fully complies with the precepts of international law."
END QUOTE.
It would appear that many of the Student Senators are ignorant of international law. This is, of course, in keeping with their loyalties to the 171 Palestinian civil society organizations aforementioned, in addition to the ISM, MECA, and others of a questionable nature. That, besides their being ignorant, they are ethically crippled, goes without saying.
Berkeley is no longer the stellar educational institution it once was.
QUOTE:
According to Emiliano Huet-Vaughn, co-author of the bill, “this vote is an historic step in holding all state and corporate actors accountable for their violations of basic human rights. The broad cross section of the community that came out to demand our university invest ethically belies the notion that the American people will tolerate the profiting from occupation or other human rights abuses.” Student Senator Emily Carlton, co-sponsor of the bill, agreed, adding “this action will only be historic if it is repeated throughout the country and the world; I hope that student governments all over America will see in this a sign that the time to divest from war is now.”
END QUOTE.
Co-authors of the bills were students Tom Pessah (tompessah@berkeley.edu, 510.590.7902) and Emiliano Huet-Vaughn (emiliano@econ.berkeley.edu, 510.847.6186).
This per the press release that Katherine Fuchs (katherine.endtheoccupation@gmail.com) forwarded on March 18, 2010.
-----------------------------------------------
AFTERTHOUGHT
My parents studied at Berkeley, as did their siblings and their friends.
I also went to Berkeley. So did many of my friends.
Berkeley was once a wonderful institution. It is no longer so.
The town itself is notorious for the anti-Semitic atmosphere, the campus is a place where it is not safe to be pro-Israel.
I shall henceforth be cheering for Stanford on game day, and boycotting all things Berkeley.
All quotes below are taken from the press release.
["UC Berkeley Student Senate Passes Divestment Bill in Response to Israeli Occupation"]
QUOTE:
The Senate bill directs both the UC Regents and the Student Government to divest from General Electric and United Technologies. General Electric manufactures Apache helicopter engines; United Technologies manufactures Sikorsky helicopters and F-16 aircraft engines.
END QUOTE.
QUOTE:
Student Senator Rahul Patel supported the bill, declaring that “in the 1980s the Student Government was a central actor in demanding that the university divest from South African apartheid. 25 years later, it is a key figure in shaping a nationwide movement against occupation and war crimes around the world. Student Government can be a space to mobilize and make decisions that have a significant impact on the international community. We must utilize these spaces to engage each other about issues of justice worldwide.”
END QUOTE.
The odious and false comparison with South African Apartheid is rather interesting, given that several other countries actually can be called 'apartheid regimes'..... not only in the Arab world.
Such stellar international players as India, Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan, and Turkey, for example.
QUOTE:
The Senate deliberation, which started Wednesday night, concluded at 3 am Thursday morning, March 18. The meeting was flooded with students, educators, and community members, which prompted the relocation of the Senate session from the Senate Chambers to a larger room. The attendees took turns making impassioned arguments for and against the bill. The diverse list of guest speakers included 76 names, ranging in age from college freshmen to Vietnam veterans.
After amendments, the final bill passed on a 16-4 vote.
In addition to Israeli military action, the student initiative was motivated by an 2005 call on behalf of 171 Palestinian civil society organizations calling on "people of conscience all over the world to impose broad boycotts and implement divestment initiatives against Israel … until it fully complies with the precepts of international law."
END QUOTE.
It would appear that many of the Student Senators are ignorant of international law. This is, of course, in keeping with their loyalties to the 171 Palestinian civil society organizations aforementioned, in addition to the ISM, MECA, and others of a questionable nature. That, besides their being ignorant, they are ethically crippled, goes without saying.
Berkeley is no longer the stellar educational institution it once was.
QUOTE:
According to Emiliano Huet-Vaughn, co-author of the bill, “this vote is an historic step in holding all state and corporate actors accountable for their violations of basic human rights. The broad cross section of the community that came out to demand our university invest ethically belies the notion that the American people will tolerate the profiting from occupation or other human rights abuses.” Student Senator Emily Carlton, co-sponsor of the bill, agreed, adding “this action will only be historic if it is repeated throughout the country and the world; I hope that student governments all over America will see in this a sign that the time to divest from war is now.”
END QUOTE.
Co-authors of the bills were students Tom Pessah (tompessah@berkeley.edu, 510.590.7902) and Emiliano Huet-Vaughn (emiliano@econ.berkeley.edu, 510.847.6186).
This per the press release that Katherine Fuchs (katherine.endtheoccupation@gmail.com) forwarded on March 18, 2010.
-----------------------------------------------
AFTERTHOUGHT
My parents studied at Berkeley, as did their siblings and their friends.
I also went to Berkeley. So did many of my friends.
Berkeley was once a wonderful institution. It is no longer so.
The town itself is notorious for the anti-Semitic atmosphere, the campus is a place where it is not safe to be pro-Israel.
I shall henceforth be cheering for Stanford on game day, and boycotting all things Berkeley.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
New BDS Epic Fail : The Davis Co-op says No to BDS
Earlier, we had written about an attempt by some community members to bring the BDS movement into the bucolic town of Davis, and the subsequent community response.
There has finally been a resolution, and once again, the side of sweetness and light has prevailed:
From our Friends at Divest this- the source for information on the BDS movement worldwide
On Monday evening, the forces of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) were handed a major defeat when the Davis Food Co-op, located in Davis California, turned down demands by BDS activists to put a boycott of Israeli goods to a Co-op wide vote.
While this story may not be big enough to hit the national press, the details surrounding the decision make this as significant an event in the continuing annals of BDS failure as the Presbyterian Church's 2006 decision to abandon divestment altogether (a decision which changed the threat level of BDS from "potential issue" to "serious loser").
As backdrop, the Davis Food Co-op is a highly successful, member-owned cooperative with a nearly forty year history and over 9000 member-owners. Given the nature of the organization, the institution takes understandable pride in its progressive values and responsiveness to members needs, connections to the community that have contributed to its decades of success.
Sadly, it was these very qualities that made the organization a target for the local branch of the BDS movement, a movement whose two major tactics involve: (1) dressing up their mission of de-legitimization and demonization in a progressive/human-rights vocabulary; and (2) abusing the openness of organizations like the Co-op for their own narrow, political ends.
The Co-op recently reduced the number of members needed to put an issue to a Co-op-wide ballot from 15% to 5%, which gave local BDS organizers the impression that less than 500 signatures were needed to put their proposed ban on Israeli food products to a vote. And so their project kicked off with ongoing "tabling" at the Co-op featuring petitioning backed up by the usual context-free, anti-Israel propaganda (where Israelis were assigned the role of bullying tyrants, the Palestinians that of pristine victims, and the rest of the Middle East and all of history dumped down the memory hole).
Fortunately, large numbers of Co-op members chose to not take this challenge lying down, organizing their own tabling to educate members about the issues, and working with the leadership of the Co-op (with help from the local Jewish community) to inform the Co-op about the true nature of BDS.
What happened next was an exact replay of what's gone on whenever the boycott project tries to insinuate itself into an open-minded organization. This included all of the bitterness and divisiveness of the Arab-Israeli conflict spilling out into the community, forcing neighbors to take sides in one of the world's oldest and most complex disputes lest they be accused of betraying their progressive values.
The key to understanding the decision that was taken on Monday is that the Co-op by-laws require that member initiatives must be based on requests that were of a "lawful and proper purpose," a clause that they agreed would be more "stringently interpreted and enforced" once the threshold for a membership vote was reduced from 15%-5%.
Early in the debate over the proposal, the Co-op's board focused primarily on the "lawful" part of that phrase, seeming to reject the ballot request due to potential that it might place the organization in legal jeopardy. Now I've written before on the issue of whether or not BDS could be considered illegal based on current US anti-boycott legislation, concluding that the matter is murky (or, at least, open to interpretation).
Had the Co-op chosen to nix the boycott on the ground of potential legal risk alone, this would have been within their rights, and certainly would constitute a win over the boycotters. But the Co-op decided to do more than that. Much more.
If you look at the response they released on Monday, (click on the March 15, 2010 Resolution link of this Wiki) their entire reasoning for rejecting the boycott proposal was based on whether the proposal fulfilled the requirement regarding "proper purpose." And in over a dozen "Whereas-es" (some multi-part), the organization's leaders made it clear in no uncertain terms that a boycott does not come close to meeting that threshold.
Needless to say, the boycotters complained that, unlike matters of legality, what constitutes "proper purpose" is undefined, and thus open to the interpretation of the organization's leaders. But that is exactly why the decision made by the organization is so significant.
In this case, "proper purpose" meant the organization deciding which matters were in the community's interest and which were not. It meant grappling with the core values of the organization, and determining which issues need to be debated in the context of a cooperatively owned supermarket and which didn't. It meant looking at the obligations the organization owed not just to its membership at large, but also to the wider world. And in each and every case, the institution explained in clarifying detail why BDS did not belong at the Co-op, and why individual choices (like whether or not to buy Israeli oranges) are best left to individuals, not be subject to a majority vote.
All of this is, needless to say, incomprehensible to those behind the boycott attempt since a lack of propriety (i.e., a willing blindness to what constitutes "proper purpose" for themselves and others) is one of the key weapons of anti-Israel activists, giving them license to insert their political project (under various guises) into all manner of civic organization, regardless of what pain or damage this might cause to the institution they are trying to infiltrate.
But on Monday night, the leadership of the Davis Co-op laid down the law in terms that cannot be interpreted as anything other than a sweeping rejection of BDS.
Does this mean that Davis has suddenly become a hotbed of Zionism? Of course not. Political opinions on the Middle East vary within the Davis community on this and other issues as much as they've always done. But in making their decision, the Co-op was not making a statement on the Middle East conflict, but was instead taking a stand (based on their own rights and principles) to not be dragged into that conflict just because a group of single-issue partisans tried to exploit the organization's openness for their own ends.
No doubt, the BDSers who put so much time and effort into this project saw the Davis Co-op as one of the few institutions in America that might be vulnerable to their boycott calls, and hoped to be able to leverage success there to bring the message generated by this debate to other food co-ops and potentially other food retailers across the country.
And in this one case they were absolutely correct that the message from Davis must travel far and wide, warning similar organizations across the land of what happens to an organization when BDS comes knocking.
There has finally been a resolution, and once again, the side of sweetness and light has prevailed:
From our Friends at Divest this- the source for information on the BDS movement worldwide
On Monday evening, the forces of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) were handed a major defeat when the Davis Food Co-op, located in Davis California, turned down demands by BDS activists to put a boycott of Israeli goods to a Co-op wide vote.
While this story may not be big enough to hit the national press, the details surrounding the decision make this as significant an event in the continuing annals of BDS failure as the Presbyterian Church's 2006 decision to abandon divestment altogether (a decision which changed the threat level of BDS from "potential issue" to "serious loser").
As backdrop, the Davis Food Co-op is a highly successful, member-owned cooperative with a nearly forty year history and over 9000 member-owners. Given the nature of the organization, the institution takes understandable pride in its progressive values and responsiveness to members needs, connections to the community that have contributed to its decades of success.
Sadly, it was these very qualities that made the organization a target for the local branch of the BDS movement, a movement whose two major tactics involve: (1) dressing up their mission of de-legitimization and demonization in a progressive/human-rights vocabulary; and (2) abusing the openness of organizations like the Co-op for their own narrow, political ends.
The Co-op recently reduced the number of members needed to put an issue to a Co-op-wide ballot from 15% to 5%, which gave local BDS organizers the impression that less than 500 signatures were needed to put their proposed ban on Israeli food products to a vote. And so their project kicked off with ongoing "tabling" at the Co-op featuring petitioning backed up by the usual context-free, anti-Israel propaganda (where Israelis were assigned the role of bullying tyrants, the Palestinians that of pristine victims, and the rest of the Middle East and all of history dumped down the memory hole).
Fortunately, large numbers of Co-op members chose to not take this challenge lying down, organizing their own tabling to educate members about the issues, and working with the leadership of the Co-op (with help from the local Jewish community) to inform the Co-op about the true nature of BDS.
What happened next was an exact replay of what's gone on whenever the boycott project tries to insinuate itself into an open-minded organization. This included all of the bitterness and divisiveness of the Arab-Israeli conflict spilling out into the community, forcing neighbors to take sides in one of the world's oldest and most complex disputes lest they be accused of betraying their progressive values.
The key to understanding the decision that was taken on Monday is that the Co-op by-laws require that member initiatives must be based on requests that were of a "lawful and proper purpose," a clause that they agreed would be more "stringently interpreted and enforced" once the threshold for a membership vote was reduced from 15%-5%.
Early in the debate over the proposal, the Co-op's board focused primarily on the "lawful" part of that phrase, seeming to reject the ballot request due to potential that it might place the organization in legal jeopardy. Now I've written before on the issue of whether or not BDS could be considered illegal based on current US anti-boycott legislation, concluding that the matter is murky (or, at least, open to interpretation).
Had the Co-op chosen to nix the boycott on the ground of potential legal risk alone, this would have been within their rights, and certainly would constitute a win over the boycotters. But the Co-op decided to do more than that. Much more.
If you look at the response they released on Monday, (click on the March 15, 2010 Resolution link of this Wiki) their entire reasoning for rejecting the boycott proposal was based on whether the proposal fulfilled the requirement regarding "proper purpose." And in over a dozen "Whereas-es" (some multi-part), the organization's leaders made it clear in no uncertain terms that a boycott does not come close to meeting that threshold.
Needless to say, the boycotters complained that, unlike matters of legality, what constitutes "proper purpose" is undefined, and thus open to the interpretation of the organization's leaders. But that is exactly why the decision made by the organization is so significant.
In this case, "proper purpose" meant the organization deciding which matters were in the community's interest and which were not. It meant grappling with the core values of the organization, and determining which issues need to be debated in the context of a cooperatively owned supermarket and which didn't. It meant looking at the obligations the organization owed not just to its membership at large, but also to the wider world. And in each and every case, the institution explained in clarifying detail why BDS did not belong at the Co-op, and why individual choices (like whether or not to buy Israeli oranges) are best left to individuals, not be subject to a majority vote.
All of this is, needless to say, incomprehensible to those behind the boycott attempt since a lack of propriety (i.e., a willing blindness to what constitutes "proper purpose" for themselves and others) is one of the key weapons of anti-Israel activists, giving them license to insert their political project (under various guises) into all manner of civic organization, regardless of what pain or damage this might cause to the institution they are trying to infiltrate.
But on Monday night, the leadership of the Davis Co-op laid down the law in terms that cannot be interpreted as anything other than a sweeping rejection of BDS.
Does this mean that Davis has suddenly become a hotbed of Zionism? Of course not. Political opinions on the Middle East vary within the Davis community on this and other issues as much as they've always done. But in making their decision, the Co-op was not making a statement on the Middle East conflict, but was instead taking a stand (based on their own rights and principles) to not be dragged into that conflict just because a group of single-issue partisans tried to exploit the organization's openness for their own ends.
No doubt, the BDSers who put so much time and effort into this project saw the Davis Co-op as one of the few institutions in America that might be vulnerable to their boycott calls, and hoped to be able to leverage success there to bring the message generated by this debate to other food co-ops and potentially other food retailers across the country.
And in this one case they were absolutely correct that the message from Davis must travel far and wide, warning similar organizations across the land of what happens to an organization when BDS comes knocking.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Dear Lily Haskell
Dear Lily,
How long has it been? How many months till last I saw you?? Why haven't I seen you at anti-Israel events? Are you hiding in the shadows, avoiding public contact at all cost? Are you scheming away towards some nefarious end? Wherever you are, I want you to know that I'll be waiting. Waiting. For every event that you miss, another chance to confront you about your blind hatred is lost.
If only we could talk over coffee or a beer, perhaps you'd see that we both want the same thing: peace, and an end to prejudice on both sides (well, maybe I just want the second part). You'd finally understand that I want Palestinians to live side-by-side with Israelis, espousing nothing but a love of life. A place where both peoples have stable jobs, send their kids to safe schools, and can walk down the street safely, without molestation by suicide bombers/assassins/thugs and burdensome IDF checkpoints. Wouldn't that be wonderful? I think it would be, and it's what I want for Israel and the Palestinians.
However, you tend to operate like Hamas does and until you end that pattern of behavior there can be no peace. Blind hatred serves no one.
Perhaps one day you'll be honest with yourself and admit that murdering Jews is anathema to peace. Insisting that Israel just "go away" has no basis in reality.
Remember Lily, where there is life, there is hope.
Sincerely,
Anarcho Zionist
Pro-Peace, Pro-Israel, Pro-love.
******
Lily Haskell aka Elizabeth Haskell aka Lily (Elizabeth) Aida Haskell is a member of AROC, Arab Resource and Organizing Center, as well as a former intern of the National Lawyers Guild/San Francisco. On December 9, 2008, at an anti-Israel rally/AIPAC dinner, with use of a bullhorn, Lily led this vile chant:
"Israel Supporters watch your backs, or we'll push you down a shaft!"
Yes, that's what she belted out. She was referring to the untimely death of our friend, brother, and pro-Israel advocate, Dan Kliman.
And yet, as someone who is supports peace, love and Israel, a hand must be extended to help those filled with so much hate and prejudice, like Lily Haskell. Hence, the open letter to her.
Shalom.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
We love goats
Time to remind all of you of the fact that we love goats.
No, not in the way you think - that might be something for these people:
[DISCLAIMER: I do not wish to suggest that these people are involved with goats. For all I know they hate goats with a passion, or in a few cases perhaps worship them as reincarnated deities. Lord knows, there is no evidence that I know of that shows ANY of them anywhere near goats at any time! No goats were harmed in any way in putting this post together, and the linking of the names below with any activity meant to involve, probably involving, possibly involving, or even tangentially related to goats by the reader would be irresponsible and unwarranted. Maybe even sick. I don’t know. Okay?!?]
ACTION FOR A PROGRESSIVE PAKISTAN
AMERICAN JEWS FOR A JUST PEACE
ANOTHER JEWISH VOICE, SANTA FE
BAY AREA INTERNATIONAL JEWISH ANTI-ZIONIST NETWORK
BIRTHRIGHT UNPLUGGED
BDS BAYAREA
BOSTON BDS
BOSTON COALITION FOR PALESTINIAN RIGHTS
BREAK THE SIEGE
BURNSVILLE AND EAGAN, MINNESOTA PEACE VIGILS
CAMPAIGN TO END ISRAELI APARTHEID – SOUTHERN
CHARLOTTE 4 PEACE
GLOBAL JUSTICE PROJECT
GNASHING TEETH
HUMAN RIGHTS ACTION SERVICE, MO
INTERFAITH WITNESS FOR MIDDLE EAST PEACE
JUSTICE FIRST FOUNDATION
JUSTICE FOR PALESTINIANS
OPT OUT!
OWL’S NEST NORTH COLLABORATION
PEOPLE AGAINST HATE SPEECH
QUEERS UNDERMINING ISRAELI TERRORISM (QUIT!)
SAN JOSE PEACE AND JUSTICE CENTER
SOUTH ALAMEDA PEACE AND JUSTICE COALITION
SOUTH ASIAN COMMITTEE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
SOUTH BAY MOBILIZATION FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE
SOUTH BAY UNION OF GIANT SQUID
STUDENTS UNITED FOR PALESTINIAN EQUAL RIGHTS
THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST US TERROR WEAPONS
THE OREGON CAMPAIGN TO END ISRAELI APARTHEID
TRI-CITY PEACE AND JUSTICE
US CAMPAIGN FOR THE ACADEMIC AND CULTURAL BOYCOTT OF ISRAEL
VETERANS AGAINST TORTURE
VETERANS FOR PEACE
WESPAC FOUNDATION
WOMEN IN BLACK, LA
And also these individuals:
TOM ABERNETHY , NY
SALMA ABY AYYASH, CAMBRIDGE, MA
KAMAL AHMED CUSTOMER, CAMBRIDGE&BURLINGTON STORES, MA
CHARLOTTE ALBRECH, MINNEAPOLIS, MN
SALEM AJLUNI, SAN JOSE, CA
YASMINE ALKHATIB, LOS ANGELES, CA
HANNAH ALLEN, AMHERST, MA
D ALWAN, OAKLAND, CA
AHMAD AMARA, HARVARD UNIV, MA
ERIC ANDERSON, LOS ANGELES, CA
JUDY ANDLER, CAMBRIDGE, MA
JAHAN ANSTAN, CA
LOUISE ANTONY, AMHERST, MA
THOMAS ASH, CAMBRIDGE, MA
DEVIN ATALLAH
TERESE ATALLAH
HIMA B, NYC, NY
MIKE BALDWIN, HAYWARD, CA
JANE BARK
SUSAN BARNEY, ARLINGTON, MA
KATHLEEN BARRY, CA
BEN BARSON
JAN BAUMAN
KHALIL BENDIB, BERKELEY, CA
GRETA BERLIN, BOARD OF DIRECTOR, FREE GAZA MOVEMENT, LOS ANGELES CA
ODD JOB BOB, CA
BOB BOWES
UMAYYAH CABLE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA
ELLEN CANTAROW, MEDFORD, MA
GEORGE CAPACCIO, MA
CHARLOTTE CASEY, PRESIDENT, SAN JOSE PEACE AND JUSTICE CENTER, SAN JOSE, CA
JOHN CASSEL, OAK PARK, IL
JOYCE CASSEL, OAK PARK, IL
MARGARET CERULLO, AMHERST, MA
PETER CHABAREK, EUGENE, OR
CORTNEY CHILDS, CORVALLIS, OR
DAWN CISEK
DANIEL CLAYTON, BROOKLYN, NY
SUSAN CURTISS, LOS ANGELES, CA
DEEMA DABIS
HUMA DAR, BERKELEY, CA
L DAVIDSON, WEST CHESTER, PA
WALT DAVIS, SAN ANSEMLO, CA
KATHLEEN DENSMORE, PhD, SAN FRANCISCO, CA
DAVID DIXON
JACK DRESSER
SUSAN DUNCAN
MARTHA DWYER
JANET EISELEY CA
JEAN ENTINE
HEDY EPSTEIN, ST LOUIS, MO
KRISTI ERLICH
SHERIF FAM
SURA FARAJ, MILWAUKE, WI
FRANCIS FEELEY
DAVID FIELDER, BERKELEY, CA
JULIA FIGUEIRA-MCDONOUGH, PASADENA, CA
ROBERT FITZPATRICK, CHARLOTTE, NC
CHRIS FORD, LOS ANGELES, CA
MANZAR FOROOHAR, SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA
KARIN FRIEDEMANN, BOSTON, MA
MELISSA FROILAND, MILWAUKEE, WI
SHALINI GERA, HAYWARD, CA
PROF JOHN GERASSI, QUEENS COLLEGE, NY
ELIANE HAGOPIAN, BOSTON, MA
KATHERINE HANNA, BOSTON, MA
SWANEAGLE HARIJAN
KATHARINA HARLOW, MONTEREY, CA
MARTIN HARWAYNE
JANICE HAYDEN, CONCORD, MA
JEAN HAYS, FRESNO, CA
PAT HENDRICKS
CHARLIE HINTON, CA
JOSHUA HOUGH
LYDIA HOWELL, MINNEAPOLIS, MN
JAY HUBBELL, FRESNO, CA
MARY HUGHES
HAPPY HYDER, SAN FRANCISCO, CA
SUMIA IBRAHIM, NY
HAYAT IMAM, DORCHESTER, MA
MARY IZETT, LAFAYETTE, CA
A JARRAR, SAN JOSE, CA
JANE JEWELL, CA
PETER KARDAS, OAKLAND, CA
CASSANDRA KATSIAFICAS, BROOKLYN, NY
JUNE KENAGY, ALBANY, OR
REEMA KHAN, CAMBRIDGE, MA
LOU KIPNIS, SANTA FE, NM
VIDULA KIRTIKAR
VICTOR KIZASKI
ALICE KLEIN, MA
DAVID KLEIN, LOS ANGELES, CA
JEFF KLEIN DORCHESTER, MA
JANET KOBREN, OAKLAND, CA
JUDITH KOLOKOFF
JOEL KOVEL
GREG KOZICZ, BROOKLYN, NY
BADAR KUDSI, CA
JANE KURINSKY
PAUL LARUDEE, BERKELEY, CA, FREE GAZA MOVEMENT
CECILE LENEMAN
HOWARD LENOW
MICHAEL LETWIN, NEW YORK CITY LABOR AGAINST THE WAR, LABOR FOR PALESTINE NY
MARIAH LEUNG, AL NAKBA AWARENESS PROJECT
JOSEPH LEVINE, AMHERST, MA
SCOTT LINDER FREMONT, CA
MICHAEL LYON, SAN FRANCISCO, CA
SUNAINA MAIRA, OAKLAND, CA
MICHAEL MARIA, BOSTON, MA
ALICE MARSHALL, NY
IVAN MARTIN, ST LOUIS, MO
SAHAR MASUD
TANIA MAXWELL
HANNAH MEDROW, MILWAUKEE, WI
RASHA MHMOUD, BROOKLYN, NY
SERGIO MONTEIRO, LOS ANGELES, CA
DORINDA MORENO, FM GLOBAL, CA
MICHEL MOUSHABECK, NORTHAMPTON, MA
DR NANCY MURRAY, CAMBRIDGE, MA
HIRA NABI, AMHERST, MA
FARRUKH NAJMI
SHAHEEN NAZERALI, NY
DAVID NELSON
MARCY NEWMAN, CA
DOROTHY NAOR, ISRAEL
ANA NOGUEIRA, BROOKLYN, NY
KAMAL OBEID, HAYWARD, CA
DAVID OBERWEISER
IVAN OLSEN, CA
MARCELLO PETRIGH
ANGELA PRICE
REV JOHN PROCHASKA
YASMIN QURESHI, SAN JOSE, CA
MAZIN QUMSIYEH, PHD
BILL RAMSEY, ST LOUIS, MO
ANNE REMLEY, ANN ARBOR, MI
FREDERICK REMLEY, ANN ARBOR, MI
GREGORY RIENZO, CASTRO VALLEY, CA
ROSALIE RIENZO, CASTRO VALLEY, CA
JOHN ROBERTS, CAMBRIDGE, MA
KATHY ROBERTS, CAMBRIDGE, MA
PAULA ROCHELLE
JULIE RUFO, ALAMEDA, CA,
AMIN SABA, SAN JOSE, CA,
DINA SABA, SAN JOSE, CA,
FADI SABA, PRESIDENT, SOUTH BAY MOBILIZATION FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE, SAN JOSE, CA
NELLIE SABA, SAN JOSE, CA
RAKSHANDA SALEEM, CAMBRIDGE, MA
CAROLYN SCARR, BERKELEY, CA
SKIP SCHIEL, FRIENDS MEETING AT CAMBRIDGE (QUAKER), CAMBRIDGE, MA
HANNAH SCHWARZSCHILD
JON SEIGE, BOSTON, MA
BILL SELL
SAHAR SHAFQAT, MARYLAND
SAID SHEHADEH, PsyD QUEENS, NY
ANNA SHENK
LENORE SHERIDAN
SNEHAL SHINGAVI, VA
MOAZZAM SHIEKH, SAN FRANCISCO, CA
CATHERINE SHINN, SAINT LOUIS, MO
SAUL SLAPIKOFF, CAMBRIDGE, MA
EVE SPANGLER
JOHN SPRITZLER
RAMKUMAR SRIDHARAN, SAN JOSE, CA
A STEK, LOS ANGELES, CA
CORNELIA SULLIVAN, BOSTON, MA
IJAZ SYED, SUNNYVAL,E CA
ALLYSON TAYLOR
JOHN THIELKING, SAN JOSE, CA
KIN TILSEN WI
SAADIA TOOR, NYC, NY
JAMES VANN, OAKLAND, CA
DONALD VEACH
NICOLE VOLZ, BROOKLYN, NY
NABIL WAHBEH
DARLENE WALLACH, SAN JOSE, CA
DONNA WALLACH, SAN JOSE, CA
KATHLEEN WANG, DIAMOND BAR, CA
LARRY WARTEL, LOS ANGELES, CA
LANGSTON PIERCE-WON, OAKLAND, CA
AHMAD YAMAK, CA
NADIA YASSA, Esq, MA
JAMAL ZEID, LINCOLN, CA
MAGGIE ZHOU, ARLINGTON, MA
All of whom apparently endorsed last year's call to boycott Israeli goods and commit chicken-shit acts of vandalism provided no one was looking.
See this post:
http://atthebackofthehill.blogspot.com/2009/06/trader-joes-and-anti-semites.html
周小燕
No, not in the way you think - that might be something for these people:
[DISCLAIMER: I do not wish to suggest that these people are involved with goats. For all I know they hate goats with a passion, or in a few cases perhaps worship them as reincarnated deities. Lord knows, there is no evidence that I know of that shows ANY of them anywhere near goats at any time! No goats were harmed in any way in putting this post together, and the linking of the names below with any activity meant to involve, probably involving, possibly involving, or even tangentially related to goats by the reader would be irresponsible and unwarranted. Maybe even sick. I don’t know. Okay?!?]
ACTION FOR A PROGRESSIVE PAKISTAN
AMERICAN JEWS FOR A JUST PEACE
ANOTHER JEWISH VOICE, SANTA FE
BAY AREA INTERNATIONAL JEWISH ANTI-ZIONIST NETWORK
BIRTHRIGHT UNPLUGGED
BDS BAYAREA
BOSTON BDS
BOSTON COALITION FOR PALESTINIAN RIGHTS
BREAK THE SIEGE
BURNSVILLE AND EAGAN, MINNESOTA PEACE VIGILS
CAMPAIGN TO END ISRAELI APARTHEID – SOUTHERN
CHARLOTTE 4 PEACE
GLOBAL JUSTICE PROJECT
GNASHING TEETH
HUMAN RIGHTS ACTION SERVICE, MO
INTERFAITH WITNESS FOR MIDDLE EAST PEACE
JUSTICE FIRST FOUNDATION
JUSTICE FOR PALESTINIANS
OPT OUT!
OWL’S NEST NORTH COLLABORATION
PEOPLE AGAINST HATE SPEECH
QUEERS UNDERMINING ISRAELI TERRORISM (QUIT!)
SAN JOSE PEACE AND JUSTICE CENTER
SOUTH ALAMEDA PEACE AND JUSTICE COALITION
SOUTH ASIAN COMMITTEE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
SOUTH BAY MOBILIZATION FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE
SOUTH BAY UNION OF GIANT SQUID
STUDENTS UNITED FOR PALESTINIAN EQUAL RIGHTS
THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST US TERROR WEAPONS
THE OREGON CAMPAIGN TO END ISRAELI APARTHEID
TRI-CITY PEACE AND JUSTICE
US CAMPAIGN FOR THE ACADEMIC AND CULTURAL BOYCOTT OF ISRAEL
VETERANS AGAINST TORTURE
VETERANS FOR PEACE
WESPAC FOUNDATION
WOMEN IN BLACK, LA
And also these individuals:
TOM ABERNETHY , NY
SALMA ABY AYYASH, CAMBRIDGE, MA
KAMAL AHMED CUSTOMER, CAMBRIDGE&BURLINGTON STORES, MA
CHARLOTTE ALBRECH, MINNEAPOLIS, MN
SALEM AJLUNI, SAN JOSE, CA
YASMINE ALKHATIB, LOS ANGELES, CA
HANNAH ALLEN, AMHERST, MA
D ALWAN, OAKLAND, CA
AHMAD AMARA, HARVARD UNIV, MA
ERIC ANDERSON, LOS ANGELES, CA
JUDY ANDLER, CAMBRIDGE, MA
JAHAN ANSTAN, CA
LOUISE ANTONY, AMHERST, MA
THOMAS ASH, CAMBRIDGE, MA
DEVIN ATALLAH
TERESE ATALLAH
HIMA B, NYC, NY
MIKE BALDWIN, HAYWARD, CA
JANE BARK
SUSAN BARNEY, ARLINGTON, MA
KATHLEEN BARRY, CA
BEN BARSON
JAN BAUMAN
KHALIL BENDIB, BERKELEY, CA
GRETA BERLIN, BOARD OF DIRECTOR, FREE GAZA MOVEMENT, LOS ANGELES CA
ODD JOB BOB, CA
BOB BOWES
UMAYYAH CABLE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA
ELLEN CANTAROW, MEDFORD, MA
GEORGE CAPACCIO, MA
CHARLOTTE CASEY, PRESIDENT, SAN JOSE PEACE AND JUSTICE CENTER, SAN JOSE, CA
JOHN CASSEL, OAK PARK, IL
JOYCE CASSEL, OAK PARK, IL
MARGARET CERULLO, AMHERST, MA
PETER CHABAREK, EUGENE, OR
CORTNEY CHILDS, CORVALLIS, OR
DAWN CISEK
DANIEL CLAYTON, BROOKLYN, NY
SUSAN CURTISS, LOS ANGELES, CA
DEEMA DABIS
HUMA DAR, BERKELEY, CA
L DAVIDSON, WEST CHESTER, PA
WALT DAVIS, SAN ANSEMLO, CA
KATHLEEN DENSMORE, PhD, SAN FRANCISCO, CA
DAVID DIXON
JACK DRESSER
SUSAN DUNCAN
MARTHA DWYER
JANET EISELEY CA
JEAN ENTINE
HEDY EPSTEIN, ST LOUIS, MO
KRISTI ERLICH
SHERIF FAM
SURA FARAJ, MILWAUKE, WI
FRANCIS FEELEY
DAVID FIELDER, BERKELEY, CA
JULIA FIGUEIRA-MCDONOUGH, PASADENA, CA
ROBERT FITZPATRICK, CHARLOTTE, NC
CHRIS FORD, LOS ANGELES, CA
MANZAR FOROOHAR, SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA
KARIN FRIEDEMANN, BOSTON, MA
MELISSA FROILAND, MILWAUKEE, WI
SHALINI GERA, HAYWARD, CA
PROF JOHN GERASSI, QUEENS COLLEGE, NY
ELIANE HAGOPIAN, BOSTON, MA
KATHERINE HANNA, BOSTON, MA
SWANEAGLE HARIJAN
KATHARINA HARLOW, MONTEREY, CA
MARTIN HARWAYNE
JANICE HAYDEN, CONCORD, MA
JEAN HAYS, FRESNO, CA
PAT HENDRICKS
CHARLIE HINTON, CA
JOSHUA HOUGH
LYDIA HOWELL, MINNEAPOLIS, MN
JAY HUBBELL, FRESNO, CA
MARY HUGHES
HAPPY HYDER, SAN FRANCISCO, CA
SUMIA IBRAHIM, NY
HAYAT IMAM, DORCHESTER, MA
MARY IZETT, LAFAYETTE, CA
A JARRAR, SAN JOSE, CA
JANE JEWELL, CA
PETER KARDAS, OAKLAND, CA
CASSANDRA KATSIAFICAS, BROOKLYN, NY
JUNE KENAGY, ALBANY, OR
REEMA KHAN, CAMBRIDGE, MA
LOU KIPNIS, SANTA FE, NM
VIDULA KIRTIKAR
VICTOR KIZASKI
ALICE KLEIN, MA
DAVID KLEIN, LOS ANGELES, CA
JEFF KLEIN DORCHESTER, MA
JANET KOBREN, OAKLAND, CA
JUDITH KOLOKOFF
JOEL KOVEL
GREG KOZICZ, BROOKLYN, NY
BADAR KUDSI, CA
JANE KURINSKY
PAUL LARUDEE, BERKELEY, CA, FREE GAZA MOVEMENT
CECILE LENEMAN
HOWARD LENOW
MICHAEL LETWIN, NEW YORK CITY LABOR AGAINST THE WAR, LABOR FOR PALESTINE NY
MARIAH LEUNG, AL NAKBA AWARENESS PROJECT
JOSEPH LEVINE, AMHERST, MA
SCOTT LINDER FREMONT, CA
MICHAEL LYON, SAN FRANCISCO, CA
SUNAINA MAIRA, OAKLAND, CA
MICHAEL MARIA, BOSTON, MA
ALICE MARSHALL, NY
IVAN MARTIN, ST LOUIS, MO
SAHAR MASUD
TANIA MAXWELL
HANNAH MEDROW, MILWAUKEE, WI
RASHA MHMOUD, BROOKLYN, NY
SERGIO MONTEIRO, LOS ANGELES, CA
DORINDA MORENO, FM GLOBAL, CA
MICHEL MOUSHABECK, NORTHAMPTON, MA
DR NANCY MURRAY, CAMBRIDGE, MA
HIRA NABI, AMHERST, MA
FARRUKH NAJMI
SHAHEEN NAZERALI, NY
DAVID NELSON
MARCY NEWMAN, CA
DOROTHY NAOR, ISRAEL
ANA NOGUEIRA, BROOKLYN, NY
KAMAL OBEID, HAYWARD, CA
DAVID OBERWEISER
IVAN OLSEN, CA
MARCELLO PETRIGH
ANGELA PRICE
REV JOHN PROCHASKA
YASMIN QURESHI, SAN JOSE, CA
MAZIN QUMSIYEH, PHD
BILL RAMSEY, ST LOUIS, MO
ANNE REMLEY, ANN ARBOR, MI
FREDERICK REMLEY, ANN ARBOR, MI
GREGORY RIENZO, CASTRO VALLEY, CA
ROSALIE RIENZO, CASTRO VALLEY, CA
JOHN ROBERTS, CAMBRIDGE, MA
KATHY ROBERTS, CAMBRIDGE, MA
PAULA ROCHELLE
JULIE RUFO, ALAMEDA, CA,
AMIN SABA, SAN JOSE, CA,
DINA SABA, SAN JOSE, CA,
FADI SABA, PRESIDENT, SOUTH BAY MOBILIZATION FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE, SAN JOSE, CA
NELLIE SABA, SAN JOSE, CA
RAKSHANDA SALEEM, CAMBRIDGE, MA
CAROLYN SCARR, BERKELEY, CA
SKIP SCHIEL, FRIENDS MEETING AT CAMBRIDGE (QUAKER), CAMBRIDGE, MA
HANNAH SCHWARZSCHILD
JON SEIGE, BOSTON, MA
BILL SELL
SAHAR SHAFQAT, MARYLAND
SAID SHEHADEH, PsyD QUEENS, NY
ANNA SHENK
LENORE SHERIDAN
SNEHAL SHINGAVI, VA
MOAZZAM SHIEKH, SAN FRANCISCO, CA
CATHERINE SHINN, SAINT LOUIS, MO
SAUL SLAPIKOFF, CAMBRIDGE, MA
EVE SPANGLER
JOHN SPRITZLER
RAMKUMAR SRIDHARAN, SAN JOSE, CA
A STEK, LOS ANGELES, CA
CORNELIA SULLIVAN, BOSTON, MA
IJAZ SYED, SUNNYVAL,E CA
ALLYSON TAYLOR
JOHN THIELKING, SAN JOSE, CA
KIN TILSEN WI
SAADIA TOOR, NYC, NY
JAMES VANN, OAKLAND, CA
DONALD VEACH
NICOLE VOLZ, BROOKLYN, NY
NABIL WAHBEH
DARLENE WALLACH, SAN JOSE, CA
DONNA WALLACH, SAN JOSE, CA
KATHLEEN WANG, DIAMOND BAR, CA
LARRY WARTEL, LOS ANGELES, CA
LANGSTON PIERCE-WON, OAKLAND, CA
AHMAD YAMAK, CA
NADIA YASSA, Esq, MA
JAMAL ZEID, LINCOLN, CA
MAGGIE ZHOU, ARLINGTON, MA
All of whom apparently endorsed last year's call to boycott Israeli goods and commit chicken-shit acts of vandalism provided no one was looking.
See this post:
http://atthebackofthehill.blogspot.com/2009/06/trader-joes-and-anti-semites.html
[Please stop thinking about goats. This post is NOT about goats. Really!]
A rousing thankyou to the person who told me what 'bakrichot' means.
My vocabulary has been immeasurably enriched, as well as my understanding of other cultures.
My vocabulary has been immeasurably enriched, as well as my understanding of other cultures.
[Baa. Baa. Baa!]
周小燕
Jewish Voice for Peace (and BDS) Can't Explain Why They Should Be Funded by the Jewish Community Federation
Jewish Voice for Peace (the "Proud to be ashamed to be Jewish" ) group seems upset at the new policy guidelines endorsed by the San Francisco Jewish Community Federation, judging by the whining at their Muzzlewatch blog.
A local activist responds:
"This policy statement is a turning point-- not in its restatement of the existing values of the Federation, but in standing up against the creeping subversion of our community institutions by those who do not share and support those values. Jewish Voice for BDS is right about one thing, though--these guidelines are indeed aimed at them. After all, though they are a small fringe group, they have been vocally spitting in the face of this Jewish community's institutions for years. And the community, as embodied in its Federation, has finally said "Enough. We will not fund this agenda." No excommunication, no auto-da-fe, no fatwa, just a statement that those who wish to attack one of our central values shouldn't expect us to pay for it."
"The Federation is under no obligation to fund a group just because they happen to put the word "Jewish" in their name-- whether that's the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival, Jewish Voice for Peace, or a "Messianic Jewish" congregation.
Organizations stand for a set of principles. The Federation's mission statement declares:
"The Federation gives continuity to Jewish values: [including]The supporting of Israel, the democratic homeland for the Jewish people". Why, then, should it support, even indirectly, organizations or programs whose mission or content runs counter to that? Doing so would actually violate the fiduciary responsibility that its board has to its donors. Since the founding principles of BDS include the fictitious "right" of return for descendants of refugees from the Arab war against the Jews in 1947-8, the BDS movement has clearly stated that its goal is not merely the end of Israel's occupation of the West Bank, nor the establishment of a Palestinian state living in peace next to a Jewish state of Israel; its goal is a Palestinian state in place of Israel. "
Read it all at Bluetruth
A local activist responds:
"This policy statement is a turning point-- not in its restatement of the existing values of the Federation, but in standing up against the creeping subversion of our community institutions by those who do not share and support those values. Jewish Voice for BDS is right about one thing, though--these guidelines are indeed aimed at them. After all, though they are a small fringe group, they have been vocally spitting in the face of this Jewish community's institutions for years. And the community, as embodied in its Federation, has finally said "Enough. We will not fund this agenda." No excommunication, no auto-da-fe, no fatwa, just a statement that those who wish to attack one of our central values shouldn't expect us to pay for it."
"The Federation is under no obligation to fund a group just because they happen to put the word "Jewish" in their name-- whether that's the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival, Jewish Voice for Peace, or a "Messianic Jewish" congregation.
Organizations stand for a set of principles. The Federation's mission statement declares:
"The Federation gives continuity to Jewish values: [including]The supporting of Israel, the democratic homeland for the Jewish people". Why, then, should it support, even indirectly, organizations or programs whose mission or content runs counter to that? Doing so would actually violate the fiduciary responsibility that its board has to its donors. Since the founding principles of BDS include the fictitious "right" of return for descendants of refugees from the Arab war against the Jews in 1947-8, the BDS movement has clearly stated that its goal is not merely the end of Israel's occupation of the West Bank, nor the establishment of a Palestinian state living in peace next to a Jewish state of Israel; its goal is a Palestinian state in place of Israel. "
Read it all at Bluetruth
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Cal SJP Leader Husam Zakharia Prefers Violence to Peace
Legend:
Cal (UCB) = UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY
SJP = STUDENTS FOR JUSTICE IN PALESTINE
SJP LEADERSHIP = Husam Zakharia, leader of the Students for Justice in Palestine
-------
WHAT HAPPENED?
On Friday, March 5, 2010:
WHAT WAS THE RESULT?
HAVE TIKVAH STUDENTS BEEN HARASSED BEFORE?
Cal (UCB) = UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY
SJP = STUDENTS FOR JUSTICE IN PALESTINE
SJP LEADERSHIP = Husam Zakharia, leader of the Students for Justice in Palestine
-------
WHAT HAPPENED?
On Friday, March 5, 2010:
University of California at Berkeley was again the site of a clash involving pro-Israel and anti-Israel activists last Friday when Husam Zakharia, leader of the Students for Justice in Palestine, assaulted Jessica Felber of the pro-Israel Tikvah group with a shopping cart.
WHAT WAS THE RESULT?
Felber told Israel National News that she responded to the incident by immediately placing her attacker under citizens’ arrest. Police arrested him later that day and Felber expressed hope that the District Attorney will see the case through and file charges against Zakharia.
HAVE TIKVAH STUDENTS BEEN HARASSED BEFORE?
Felber said that Friday’s incident was not the first time Zakharia used violence against pro-Israel advocates. According to her, physical intimidation has frequently been employed as a tool by SJP to silence students opposing their anti-Zionist activities on campus. SJP students have been terrorizing us for three years with intimidation, accusations and threats. This incident is simply the culmination of it all and we are not going to tolerate it anymore.READ THE FULL STORY: Anti-Israel Activist Attacks Jewish Girl on Campus
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