The French entry in the Gaza Ship of fools flotilla 2011 has decided not to sail. What changed their mind? Was it the lack of insurance? Was it the declaration of the International red Cross that there was no humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and the increasing realization they were being used as a provaction to war?
from YNET
Members of Jewish community in France band together, send 500 letters of protest against Gaza flotilla, effectively preventing ship bought by organizers for €530,000 from docking in Marseille. On Tuesday the battle came to a hilt when Jewish MP Jacques-Alain Bénisti but a query to French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe, asking to learn France's official position on the flotilla. The move was said to have put pressure on local insurance companies and helped to cancel the French ship's participation.
"We feel great joy, but we know that this is just a small battle in a larger war. There are many battles left until September. We must not claim victory, only rejoice in the united front we have presented and move on," a source from the Jewish community said.
Turkey is also reconsidering its participation in the blocakade running publicity stunt:
Again, from YNET
On Wednesday, Turkish newspaper Hurriyet reported that the IHH is considering canceling the flotilla following developments in the region, particularly in Syria. "We think we can achieve our goals regardless of whether we send the Marmara ship to Gaza or not. We shall make a final decision by the end of the week," the IHH spokesman said.
The lesson? In the words of our esteemed comrades: The people united can never be defeated. Keep the pressure on, folks.
"Though I could not caution all I yet may warn a few:
Don't lend your hand to raise no flag
atop no ship of fools "
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Formula one racer from Gaza to be entered in UK race
Photo: UPI/Ismael Mohamad
Student in the Gaza have made a racing car they hope will compete in this year's Formula Student, a student engineering competition that takes place in the UK in July.
They built it at UNRWA's Khan Younis Training Center using locally made parts to manufacture their car and now are hoping to take part in the race against teams from 30 other countries.
Hmmm. What comes to my mind is "just like the Warsaw ghetto". Right, Leslie Angeline?
Awww. Another setback for the Free Gaza Movement
Oh, no! Their ship fell through. It must be Israel's fault. Its ALWAYS Israel's fault.
The latest update from the Free Gaza blockade runners:
June 14, 2011
Nothing except piracy and brute force will stop us from going.
As reported previously, our partner, the International Committee to Break the Siege of Gaza, lost its 320-passenger ship due to interference ("sabotage") of the purchase. We believe that heavy-handed tactics were applied to the owner not to sell.
Nevertheless, the ICBSG is back in business, with a smaller vessel, and FPM will be on it, albeit with a reduced delegation of only five U.S. citizens. We are consulting with our delegates and FPM organizers, and can confirm that among the delegates will be Ambassador Sam Hart, USS Liberty veteran Joe Meadors and FPM co-founder Paul Larudee. We are still waiting to hear from two others, and will let you know the final roster in the coming days.
In the past few weeks, many of our delegates, including Cynthia McKinney and Father Louis Vitale, have reported that they would not be able to come for reasons including medical procedures, scheduling, and competing commitments. The delays in the departure date have also compromised the ability of some delegates to participate. Self-selection has therefore played a significant role in determining the make-up of the delegation.
Through such trying times, we take inspiration from the Palestinian culture of sumud (steadfastness), which absorbs all disappointment and endures all reversals of fortune. It is this quality that assures that when opportunity appears, the Palestinians will be there to recover their land and their rights. We can do no less than to be at their side, and to help create this opportunity.
The FPM Team
The latest update from the Free Gaza blockade runners:
June 14, 2011
Nothing except piracy and brute force will stop us from going.
As reported previously, our partner, the International Committee to Break the Siege of Gaza, lost its 320-passenger ship due to interference ("sabotage") of the purchase. We believe that heavy-handed tactics were applied to the owner not to sell.
Nevertheless, the ICBSG is back in business, with a smaller vessel, and FPM will be on it, albeit with a reduced delegation of only five U.S. citizens. We are consulting with our delegates and FPM organizers, and can confirm that among the delegates will be Ambassador Sam Hart, USS Liberty veteran Joe Meadors and FPM co-founder Paul Larudee. We are still waiting to hear from two others, and will let you know the final roster in the coming days.
In the past few weeks, many of our delegates, including Cynthia McKinney and Father Louis Vitale, have reported that they would not be able to come for reasons including medical procedures, scheduling, and competing commitments. The delays in the departure date have also compromised the ability of some delegates to participate. Self-selection has therefore played a significant role in determining the make-up of the delegation.
Through such trying times, we take inspiration from the Palestinian culture of sumud (steadfastness), which absorbs all disappointment and endures all reversals of fortune. It is this quality that assures that when opportunity appears, the Palestinians will be there to recover their land and their rights. We can do no less than to be at their side, and to help create this opportunity.
The FPM Team
Israeli singer Efrat Gosh to perform in Marrickville, Australia
Delivering another blow to the local BDS'ers, Israeli singer Efrat Gosh, last years Israeli female artist of the year will be performing at ground zero of the flailing BDS movement, Marrickville, Austraila.
Gosh was originally going to perform just a single gig in Sydney last weekend.
From the Sydney Morning Herald:
However, the Israeli embassy in Canberra and the Zionist Federation of Australia decided to promote a second show as a direct consequence of the council's controversial "boycott Israel" proposal earlier this year.
We wanted to bring Israeli culture specifically to Marrickville to show another colour of Israel," said the Israeli embassy spokeswoman, Einat Weiss.
"We realised that a lot of people who live in Marrickville didn't know anything about the real Israel."
In a press release yesterday promoting the singer's performance, the Israeli embassy said Gosh had chosen to perform in Marrickville to help Sydney's inner-west residents recognise Israel's cultural contribution to the world.
"They can also seize the opportunity to learn more about Israel," the press release read.
"Proponents of the boycott who failed to see the country's vibrant and multicultural heart should watch Gosh's performance and experience a piece of the real Israel."
Gosh was originally going to perform just a single gig in Sydney last weekend.
From the Sydney Morning Herald:
However, the Israeli embassy in Canberra and the Zionist Federation of Australia decided to promote a second show as a direct consequence of the council's controversial "boycott Israel" proposal earlier this year.
We wanted to bring Israeli culture specifically to Marrickville to show another colour of Israel," said the Israeli embassy spokeswoman, Einat Weiss.
"We realised that a lot of people who live in Marrickville didn't know anything about the real Israel."
In a press release yesterday promoting the singer's performance, the Israeli embassy said Gosh had chosen to perform in Marrickville to help Sydney's inner-west residents recognise Israel's cultural contribution to the world.
"They can also seize the opportunity to learn more about Israel," the press release read.
"Proponents of the boycott who failed to see the country's vibrant and multicultural heart should watch Gosh's performance and experience a piece of the real Israel."
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
U.S. Homeland Security asks Jewish groups to be vigilant against terrorism
From an article by Natasha Mozgovaya, in Haaretz
Jewish Federations of North America officials met today at the White House with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. The meeting, coinciding with the announcement of the Federation movement’s new partnership with DHS, was dedicated mainly to the state of threats posed to American Jewish institutions.
According to the Jewish Federations spokesman, it’s the first time DHS is partnering with a faith-based community to advance its “If You See Something, Say Something” campaign.
“Homeland security begins with hometown security, and our nation’s faith-based organizations play a critical role in keeping our communities safe,” said Secretary Napolitano, according to the White House readout of the meeting...
“The American Jewish community and the places we gather are, unfortunately, often targets for terrorists. This new partnership with the Department of Homeland Security will empower us to counter this threat as we become more actively involved in our own protection," said Michael Gelman, chair of the Executive Committee of the Board of The Jewish Federations of North America...
He added that “the security threat to Jewish community centers, schools, and places of worship has not abated since the death of Osama bin Laden. Days after his killing, al-Qaida in Yemen called for retaliatory attacks against Jewish targets.”
Jewish Federations of North America officials met today at the White House with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. The meeting, coinciding with the announcement of the Federation movement’s new partnership with DHS, was dedicated mainly to the state of threats posed to American Jewish institutions.
According to the Jewish Federations spokesman, it’s the first time DHS is partnering with a faith-based community to advance its “If You See Something, Say Something” campaign.
“Homeland security begins with hometown security, and our nation’s faith-based organizations play a critical role in keeping our communities safe,” said Secretary Napolitano, according to the White House readout of the meeting...
“The American Jewish community and the places we gather are, unfortunately, often targets for terrorists. This new partnership with the Department of Homeland Security will empower us to counter this threat as we become more actively involved in our own protection," said Michael Gelman, chair of the Executive Committee of the Board of The Jewish Federations of North America...
He added that “the security threat to Jewish community centers, schools, and places of worship has not abated since the death of Osama bin Laden. Days after his killing, al-Qaida in Yemen called for retaliatory attacks against Jewish targets.”
Monday, June 13, 2011
Hundreds of Grad rockets smuggled into Gaza in recent weeks
From Ma'an
Israel is concerned that unrest in Libya has created a new smuggling route for weapons into Gaza, Israeli media reported Friday.
The Hebrew-language newspaper Maariv said Israeli security officials had received information that fighting against Moammar Gadhafi's regime in Libya had weakened the leader's control and allowed the flow of weapons into the hands of arms dealers and "terror organizations."
Weapons were smuggled from Libya through Egypt and into Gaza via underground tunnels, the report said.
According to Maariv, Egyptian authorities were trying to intercept the weapons, but many convoys managed to reach Gaza.
Hundreds of Grad rockets with ranges of 60 - 70 kilometers had been smuggled into Gaza in recent weeks, strengthening Hamas and posing a serious threat to Israel, the newspaper reported.
Short-range rockets, rifles and ammunition had also been smuggled into the coastal enclave, the report said.
Israeli officials had received information that Russian-made anti-tank missiles that had been sold to Libya were now in the hands of rebel forces in the south, the newspaper said, adding that Israeli security officials feared the missiles would be smuggled into Gaza.
Israel is concerned that unrest in Libya has created a new smuggling route for weapons into Gaza, Israeli media reported Friday.
The Hebrew-language newspaper Maariv said Israeli security officials had received information that fighting against Moammar Gadhafi's regime in Libya had weakened the leader's control and allowed the flow of weapons into the hands of arms dealers and "terror organizations."
Weapons were smuggled from Libya through Egypt and into Gaza via underground tunnels, the report said.
According to Maariv, Egyptian authorities were trying to intercept the weapons, but many convoys managed to reach Gaza.
Hundreds of Grad rockets with ranges of 60 - 70 kilometers had been smuggled into Gaza in recent weeks, strengthening Hamas and posing a serious threat to Israel, the newspaper reported.
Short-range rockets, rifles and ammunition had also been smuggled into the coastal enclave, the report said.
Israeli officials had received information that Russian-made anti-tank missiles that had been sold to Libya were now in the hands of rebel forces in the south, the newspaper said, adding that Israeli security officials feared the missiles would be smuggled into Gaza.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Rules and Guidelines for Westerners reporting on the Middle East
Rules and Guidelines for Westerners reporting on the Middle East
What do we do when someone writes something brilliant and insightful on their blog?
We gleefully cut and paste it.
From the blog: The Jihad threat against the West and Israel: Musings on Islamic fundamentalism and Israel from a UK perspective
I am pleased to reveal the following rule book issued to all members of the Western media corps:
Rule 1 (Incidents involving possible loss of Arab lives)
If there is any incident either in Israel or near its borders in which there are claims of Arab losses you should write a report with the following headline:
“Israeli troops kill X Arab civilians including Y children”
For the numbers X and Y simply choose the highest figures from the following sources:
* Syrian State Television
* Hamas
* Hezbollah
* The Palestinian Authority
* Al Jazeera
* Any person within 20 miles of the incident who is wearing a kaffiya or a Burka.
You do not need to state the source of your claim. In the unlikely event that an Israeli spokesman claims either a different figure or that the incident simply did not happen you may end your report with the following:
“An Israeli spokesman claimed, without evidence, that they ‘acted in self-defence’.
Note that there are certain circumstances where Arab deaths from violence should not be reported at all. This is when Arabs themselves openly claim to be the killers. This applies, for example, in the following cases:
* Mass slaughter in fighting between different rival groups (Hamas vs PA, Hamas vs Al Qaeda, PA vs Islamic Jihad etc)
* Where the victims are accused of being Israeli collaborators
If news of these killings does leak out into the Western media then simply write a brief statement including the words:
“The underlying cause of the violence was the oppressive Israeli occupation”
Any claims of deaths of Israelis during such incidents can be assumed to be false and hence ignored.
Rule 2: Incidents involving loss of Israeli lives
If Israelis are killed in a terrorist attack, then treat this as an opportunity to take a vacation from reporting.
However, you should immediately return from your vacation if it is discovered that an Israeli family in Jerusalem is planning to build an extra bedroom to accommodate their new baby. In that case you should write a story with the headline
Israelis destroy chance of peace by announcing new West Bank settlement plans.
At the end of the article you can use the following statement:
An Israeli government spokesman claimed that the settlement plans were in response to what they claimed was a ‘terrorist attack’.
The only exceptions to this rule are as follows:
* In the event of a suicide bombing you may interview the suicide bomber’s family and write a sympathetic piece stating how the bomber was a loving family person driven to his/her actions by the Israeli occupation. Be careful to refer to the actual suicide bombing only in vague abstract terms, never mentioning the victims or their families.
* In the event of a particularly brutal terrorist attack, such as the slaughter of an entire family in their home in which a baby is decapitated, you can, if news of the attack reaches outside Israel, write a brief report with the following words:
“Although the Israelis claim that a terrorist attack occurred at X, it is more likely to have been the result of a disgruntled Thai worker, Jewish militants intent on sparking anti-Arab violence, or simply a family dispute. ”
Make sure you never mention the widepsread celebrations that take place throughout the Palestinian territories. Instead you should quote a Palestinian Authority spokesman, who having just led the celebrations with proclamations such as "This will be the fate of all Jews" in Arabic tells you in English that the Palestinian Authority do not approve of the attack as it damages their cause, and that in any case such actions are the natural response to the Israeli occupation.
There are thirteen rules. Visit the blog. Check 'em out.
What do we do when someone writes something brilliant and insightful on their blog?
We gleefully cut and paste it.
From the blog: The Jihad threat against the West and Israel: Musings on Islamic fundamentalism and Israel from a UK perspective
I am pleased to reveal the following rule book issued to all members of the Western media corps:
Rule 1 (Incidents involving possible loss of Arab lives)
If there is any incident either in Israel or near its borders in which there are claims of Arab losses you should write a report with the following headline:
“Israeli troops kill X Arab civilians including Y children”
For the numbers X and Y simply choose the highest figures from the following sources:
* Syrian State Television
* Hamas
* Hezbollah
* The Palestinian Authority
* Al Jazeera
* Any person within 20 miles of the incident who is wearing a kaffiya or a Burka.
You do not need to state the source of your claim. In the unlikely event that an Israeli spokesman claims either a different figure or that the incident simply did not happen you may end your report with the following:
“An Israeli spokesman claimed, without evidence, that they ‘acted in self-defence’.
Note that there are certain circumstances where Arab deaths from violence should not be reported at all. This is when Arabs themselves openly claim to be the killers. This applies, for example, in the following cases:
* Mass slaughter in fighting between different rival groups (Hamas vs PA, Hamas vs Al Qaeda, PA vs Islamic Jihad etc)
* Where the victims are accused of being Israeli collaborators
If news of these killings does leak out into the Western media then simply write a brief statement including the words:
“The underlying cause of the violence was the oppressive Israeli occupation”
Any claims of deaths of Israelis during such incidents can be assumed to be false and hence ignored.
Rule 2: Incidents involving loss of Israeli lives
If Israelis are killed in a terrorist attack, then treat this as an opportunity to take a vacation from reporting.
However, you should immediately return from your vacation if it is discovered that an Israeli family in Jerusalem is planning to build an extra bedroom to accommodate their new baby. In that case you should write a story with the headline
Israelis destroy chance of peace by announcing new West Bank settlement plans.
At the end of the article you can use the following statement:
An Israeli government spokesman claimed that the settlement plans were in response to what they claimed was a ‘terrorist attack’.
The only exceptions to this rule are as follows:
* In the event of a suicide bombing you may interview the suicide bomber’s family and write a sympathetic piece stating how the bomber was a loving family person driven to his/her actions by the Israeli occupation. Be careful to refer to the actual suicide bombing only in vague abstract terms, never mentioning the victims or their families.
* In the event of a particularly brutal terrorist attack, such as the slaughter of an entire family in their home in which a baby is decapitated, you can, if news of the attack reaches outside Israel, write a brief report with the following words:
“Although the Israelis claim that a terrorist attack occurred at X, it is more likely to have been the result of a disgruntled Thai worker, Jewish militants intent on sparking anti-Arab violence, or simply a family dispute. ”
Make sure you never mention the widepsread celebrations that take place throughout the Palestinian territories. Instead you should quote a Palestinian Authority spokesman, who having just led the celebrations with proclamations such as "This will be the fate of all Jews" in Arabic tells you in English that the Palestinian Authority do not approve of the attack as it damages their cause, and that in any case such actions are the natural response to the Israeli occupation.
There are thirteen rules. Visit the blog. Check 'em out.
Arab Resource Organizing Center Organizes Picket of Frameline LGBT film festival
An intitiative organized by the Arab Resource Organizing Center (AROC), is using the cover of real and imagined LGBT groups to picket San Francisco's LGBT film festival for daring to show an Israel film, claiming "The Consulate and its supporters have threatened to brand the festival as "anti-Jewish" if they decline their money."
Where? When? If this were true, they'd be able to provide evidence, but no, this statement was completely fabricated.
The "Queen has no Crown" , a film by Tomer Heymann explores the life of a Jewish family in Israel, and their personal struggle with identity, and belonging. The family drama is framed within the larger focus of societal drama - the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, its secular and religious citizens, and the overall struggle for human rights. This acclaimed and sensitive film is only controversial because the Israeli consulate has given Frameline a grant to bring director Tomer Heymann to the Bay area to discuss his film.
AROC (Have they ever donated money to Frameline? Have they ever sponsored an Arab film maker to speak at the festival?) have sent out multiple announcements urging the community the pressure Frameline . Their latest announcement promotes a picket of opening night:
SF Lesbian/Gay/Bi/Trans Film Festival PINKWASHES War Crimes
Apartheid -- Occupation -- Invasion -- Murder -- Racism -- Ethnic Cleansing
The San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival has accepted sponsorship and money from the Israeli consulate for the second year in a row. Every Palestinian queer organization in the world, along with a number of local and international queer groups, have demanded that the festival presenter, Frameline, stand up for human rights and international law by refusing to partner with the Israeli government. But by accepting it, and ignoring the voices and the lives of Palestinian queers, Frameline has shown itself to be anti-queer.
Join the Protest
Friday, June 17, 5:30-7:00 pm
Castro Theater, San Francisco
AROC's campaign to delegitimize the State of Israel considers any reference to Israel's excellent record in regard to gay and lesbian rights as 'pinkwashing'.
Please join StandWithUs/San Francisco Voice for Israel, GLAZE (Gays and Lesbians Advocating for the Zionist Entity) and other LGBT community organizations in countering the AROC protest at Frameline. If "all queers count", AROC- stop trying to silence OUR voices.
UPDATE
Photos from Frameline Protest, June 17. Thanks to R for sending them our way!
Where? When? If this were true, they'd be able to provide evidence, but no, this statement was completely fabricated.
The "Queen has no Crown" , a film by Tomer Heymann explores the life of a Jewish family in Israel, and their personal struggle with identity, and belonging. The family drama is framed within the larger focus of societal drama - the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, its secular and religious citizens, and the overall struggle for human rights. This acclaimed and sensitive film is only controversial because the Israeli consulate has given Frameline a grant to bring director Tomer Heymann to the Bay area to discuss his film.
AROC (Have they ever donated money to Frameline? Have they ever sponsored an Arab film maker to speak at the festival?) have sent out multiple announcements urging the community the pressure Frameline . Their latest announcement promotes a picket of opening night:
SF Lesbian/Gay/Bi/Trans Film Festival PINKWASHES War Crimes
Apartheid -- Occupation -- Invasion -- Murder -- Racism -- Ethnic Cleansing
The San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival has accepted sponsorship and money from the Israeli consulate for the second year in a row. Every Palestinian queer organization in the world, along with a number of local and international queer groups, have demanded that the festival presenter, Frameline, stand up for human rights and international law by refusing to partner with the Israeli government. But by accepting it, and ignoring the voices and the lives of Palestinian queers, Frameline has shown itself to be anti-queer.
Join the Protest
Friday, June 17, 5:30-7:00 pm
Castro Theater, San Francisco
AROC's campaign to delegitimize the State of Israel considers any reference to Israel's excellent record in regard to gay and lesbian rights as 'pinkwashing'.
Please join StandWithUs/San Francisco Voice for Israel, GLAZE (Gays and Lesbians Advocating for the Zionist Entity) and other LGBT community organizations in countering the AROC protest at Frameline. If "all queers count", AROC- stop trying to silence OUR voices.
UPDATE
Photos from Frameline Protest, June 17. Thanks to R for sending them our way!
Saturday, June 11, 2011
The Denial of History Continues
Over at Palestinian Media Watch, Itamar Marcus and Barbara Crook have a page up about a recent claim on TV by a Palestinian 'researcher and specialist on Jerusalem', that the Crusaders wrote the Psalms. They write:
As part of the continuing Palestinian denial of Jewish history in Jerusalem, a Palestinian researcher and specialist on Jerusalem has claimed that the well-known verse of the Hebrew psalm, "If I forget thee, oh Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its skill," is not a Jewish source at all. He said that the words were uttered by a Christian Crusader, and have only recently been "borrowed" by Jews and "falsified in the name of Zionism."
As part of the continuing Palestinian denial of Jewish history in Jerusalem, a Palestinian researcher and specialist on Jerusalem has claimed that the well-known verse of the Hebrew psalm, "If I forget thee, oh Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its skill," is not a Jewish source at all. He said that the words were uttered by a Christian Crusader, and have only recently been "borrowed" by Jews and "falsified in the name of Zionism."
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Israel in the Gardens 2011--Release Your Inner Camel
The inflatable camel was with Hillel, and I took a picture of it because it said 'Release your inner camel' on the side of it, and I had never considered having an 'inner camel' before. Also, the camel is a Bactrian. Middle Eastern camels are dromedaries. I discussed this with the Hillel guy, who explained that this was the only inflatable camel on the market. We agreed that it was a Bactrian that had made aliyah.
Welcome to Israel in the Gardens, 2011, a cultural fair featuring Israeli rock, face painting, kids making spice blends, folks selling earrings, and approximately a bazillion people in line for The Flying Felafel. Targeted for hate and protest by Bay Area Women In Black and their peace-loving friends. Let the good times roll!
We, the Mighty Morphin' Zionist Defenders were ready to go. We had t-shirts. We had flags. We had Caterpillar hats. We had khaffiyot yisraelit. We were ready to go. All we lacked was a dance partner.
Here is a lady being wanded, prior to entering the event. I've been to a lot of cultural fairs in my day. Let's just say that at the Scottish Games in Santa Rosa they don't wand you and search your bag when you come in. Same way they don't have security guards outside First Methodist on Christmas Day, but they do for Rosh Hashanah services. But I am grateful for our excellent security teams, because while needing them sucks, needing and not having would suck much more.
Anyway, our dance partners began to arrive...
BAWIB is always punctual, dreary, and carrying signs that are correctly spelled, although not always fact-checked.
They had great shopping malls in the Warsaw Ghetto, I remember reading about that. Or perhaps what we have here is sheer denial of reality, combined with the pathetic belief that invoking the Holocaust will make the actual situation on the ground irrelevant.
Meanwhile, things were going nicely on the other side of the barricades:
 |
| Happy Zionists with a banner |
Our waltz with BAWIB was coming to a close. As I've mentioned, BAWIB is quite punctual. If they say noon to one, they show up at noon and leave on the stroke of one. We were not going to be left without dance partners, however. The replacement shift was already getting ready across the plaza, and they were working on...something.
 What it was wasn't entirely clear. At this stage it consisted mostly of red and black balloons. They began to add green ones, but were having trouble controlling them. An occasional balloon drifted up to the sky. |
As BAWIB marched off into the distance, the first members of the replacement shift arrived. Younger. More excitable. Bearing flags and signs printed by International A.N.S.W.E.R.
Perhaps it's just as well they had the signs printed by A.N.S.W.E.R., since it turns out that they can't spell very well. One would almost think these people were members of the Tea Party.
I couldn't get a clear shot of this man's sign, but it reads "Israel: 63 Yrs. of Ethnic Cleansing & APATHEID". The all-caps was important, but apparently the evil West Bank settlers stole the R.
"Paletinian Ethnic Cleansing". What, is spellcheck a Zionist conspiracy? Don't they PROOFREAD these things? (BAWIB may be hateful, but their signs are always spelled correctly.)
Sadly, the third example of spelling issues that I wanted to post did not come out legibly in the photos. The young man below and one of his friends were both wearing jackets with photographs printed on the back, and a heading accusing "Isreal" of horrible crimes.
And then the piece de resistance showed up. You will recall the mysterious balloon item mentioned earlier? Well, this is what it looked like fully assembled.
In case you can't tell, I am pretty sure it was supposed to be a Palestinian flag. It didn't turn out perfectly, but heck, who am I to judge? My side didn't have any balloons at all. We were struck into silence by the sheer threatening force of all those balloons. For a couple of seconds. Then the Israeli guys behind me started screaming, "Balloons! Balloons! Ooooh, can I have a balloon? I want a balloon!"
More yelling. Several people gave us the finger. And then, as the SFPD became politely insistent, the group took their balloons and their signs and their whistle and bullhorns and moved across the street, ultimately leaving behind two young men who wanted to act out. They acted out. They chanted. One of them pulled up his sleeves to show us that he had the words "100% Palestinian" tattooed on his forearms.
It was as this point that the most wonderful thing I had seen all day, inflatable camels included, happened. A young woman detatched from the crew across the street, came back, and grabbed one of the young men (the one shown above), and pushed him in the right direction. The other guy wasn't moving, so she wrapped her ams under his, and hoisted him off his feet.
The cheering from our side (also the hooting) was deafening, and for a moment I thought the young woman was going to put him down and come back to the barricades to yell at us, but she gritted her teeth and carted him off, over the center divider, and across the street.
My inner camel felt good about the whole thing.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Nadia Izzat and the Dhimmitude of Jewish Voice for Peace
"Useful idiots" a phrase often attributed to Lenin "is a pejorative term for those who are seen to unwittingly support a malignant cause through their 'naive' attempts to be a force for good." We see this phenomenon quite often in the Red/Green Alliance, with people who call themselves "progressive" rountinely aligning themselves with some of the most homophobic, mysogynistic and repressive organizations on our planet.
This staggeringly brutal piece by Nahida Izzat, originally published at the Intifada website www.intifada-palestine.com/2011/06/jewish-voice-for-peace-really puts the useful idiots in their place. But there's a twist. Izzat want the leftists to get out of Palestinian movement- she resents their western values and refuses to allow the norms of, oh, lets say "Jewish Voice for Peace" or "Women in Black" to influence the Palestinians desire to liberate the land of Israel through the expulsion of the Jewish people. Instead she wants them to "infiltrate the nefarious Judeo-Zionist network in order to affect real change from within". Be our winged monkeys, our stooges, our tools or get out, she implies. Know your place, dhimmi.
She writes:
I would invite people to hear a Palestinian voice, here:
A strategy of liberation requires emancipation
* No decent human-being would demand to live on STOLEN land and still claims to have a fiber of morality.
* No decent human-being could claim that the perpetrator should have the same rights as the victim while claiming to be a humanist.
* Palestinians are under no obligation to hold back their march for freedom, to curtail their aims or to smother their rights for the sake of accommodating and not offending their Jewish supporters.
* Palestinians are always grateful and appreciative of the hard work and dedication of all their supporters whomever they are, however, Palestinians have NO obligation to adopt the aims and objectives of the anti-zionist Jewish supporters instead of their own.
* Dismissing the Palestinian voice as radical, reactionary, intolerant, or unreasonable, and requiring instead the Jewish-anti-zionist stamp of approval to have legitimacy to speak for Palestine, is preposterous and contradicts basic concepts of human rights and does not do justice to Palestinians.
* Palestinians have the ultimate right to choose their vision for their future, of a FREE and sovereign Palestine including the type of government, the writing of constitution, the construction and implementation of their legal and juristic system, which stems from and corresponds to their ethics and reflects and protects their culture.
* Palestinians have the ultimate right to make the final decision on who is allowed to stay in liberated Palestine and who is not, using the legal procedure of their own choice.
* The future of the Palestinian struggle and the aim of liberation of Palestine should not be designed to shield the occupier from paying the full price of his crimes; including the punishment of all those who participated in transgression, and the deportation of the illegitimate Ashkenazi Jewish immigrants who colonized Palestine forcefully and were engaged in acts of aggression against Palestinians including serving in the IOF.
* All refugee and their descendents have the unconditional right to come back home, they as the rightful indigenous owners are also entitled to the reinstatement of ALL confiscated (stolen) land and property, compensation for all their losses over the many years of exile and they are also entitled to Palestinian citizenship wherever they are.
* The aims and aspirations of most Palestinians are not confined to the change of zionist regime or the vacuous declaration of abandonment of zionism by the Jewish-zionist occupiers, but rather to the FULL Liberation of Palestine and the restoration of all their rights.
* It is the privilege of Palestinians to decide who should stay in their homeland and who not.
* After a century of terror, theft and crimes; had the Zionist shown any signs of remorse, respect or willingness to be decent guests, had they embraced with open arms the hospitable people of Palestine rather than destroying them with fire-arms; they might have had a chance to be accepted and forgiven. Not any more, as far as I am concerned. They have lost that opportunity…..
As a Palestinian, I see the role of any “Jewish voice for peace” who sincerely desire to contribute to the Liberation of Palestine and justice for Palestinians, and who desire to be identified through their contributions “as Jews”, then their role ought to be focused on cleaning their own house before sorting other people’s houses; i.e. that is to exclude any major role in influencing, leading or directing the Solidarity and/or Liberation Movement of Palestine.
**********
To all our "friends" at Jewish Voice for Peace or Women in Black. Ask yourselves: Is this an agenda you can stand behind? How can you continue to stand with those calling for "Intifada"? How can you continue to stand with those espousing terror? How long can you continue to remain "useful idiots"?
This staggeringly brutal piece by Nahida Izzat, originally published at the Intifada website www.intifada-palestine.com/2011/06/jewish-voice-for-peace-really puts the useful idiots in their place. But there's a twist. Izzat want the leftists to get out of Palestinian movement- she resents their western values and refuses to allow the norms of, oh, lets say "Jewish Voice for Peace" or "Women in Black" to influence the Palestinians desire to liberate the land of Israel through the expulsion of the Jewish people. Instead she wants them to "infiltrate the nefarious Judeo-Zionist network in order to affect real change from within". Be our winged monkeys, our stooges, our tools or get out, she implies. Know your place, dhimmi.
She writes:
I would invite people to hear a Palestinian voice, here:
A strategy of liberation requires emancipation
* No decent human-being would demand to live on STOLEN land and still claims to have a fiber of morality.
* No decent human-being could claim that the perpetrator should have the same rights as the victim while claiming to be a humanist.
* Palestinians are under no obligation to hold back their march for freedom, to curtail their aims or to smother their rights for the sake of accommodating and not offending their Jewish supporters.
* Palestinians are always grateful and appreciative of the hard work and dedication of all their supporters whomever they are, however, Palestinians have NO obligation to adopt the aims and objectives of the anti-zionist Jewish supporters instead of their own.
* Dismissing the Palestinian voice as radical, reactionary, intolerant, or unreasonable, and requiring instead the Jewish-anti-zionist stamp of approval to have legitimacy to speak for Palestine, is preposterous and contradicts basic concepts of human rights and does not do justice to Palestinians.
* Palestinians have the ultimate right to choose their vision for their future, of a FREE and sovereign Palestine including the type of government, the writing of constitution, the construction and implementation of their legal and juristic system, which stems from and corresponds to their ethics and reflects and protects their culture.
* Palestinians have the ultimate right to make the final decision on who is allowed to stay in liberated Palestine and who is not, using the legal procedure of their own choice.
* The future of the Palestinian struggle and the aim of liberation of Palestine should not be designed to shield the occupier from paying the full price of his crimes; including the punishment of all those who participated in transgression, and the deportation of the illegitimate Ashkenazi Jewish immigrants who colonized Palestine forcefully and were engaged in acts of aggression against Palestinians including serving in the IOF.
* All refugee and their descendents have the unconditional right to come back home, they as the rightful indigenous owners are also entitled to the reinstatement of ALL confiscated (stolen) land and property, compensation for all their losses over the many years of exile and they are also entitled to Palestinian citizenship wherever they are.
* The aims and aspirations of most Palestinians are not confined to the change of zionist regime or the vacuous declaration of abandonment of zionism by the Jewish-zionist occupiers, but rather to the FULL Liberation of Palestine and the restoration of all their rights.
* It is the privilege of Palestinians to decide who should stay in their homeland and who not.
* After a century of terror, theft and crimes; had the Zionist shown any signs of remorse, respect or willingness to be decent guests, had they embraced with open arms the hospitable people of Palestine rather than destroying them with fire-arms; they might have had a chance to be accepted and forgiven. Not any more, as far as I am concerned. They have lost that opportunity…..
As a Palestinian, I see the role of any “Jewish voice for peace” who sincerely desire to contribute to the Liberation of Palestine and justice for Palestinians, and who desire to be identified through their contributions “as Jews”, then their role ought to be focused on cleaning their own house before sorting other people’s houses; i.e. that is to exclude any major role in influencing, leading or directing the Solidarity and/or Liberation Movement of Palestine.
**********
To all our "friends" at Jewish Voice for Peace or Women in Black. Ask yourselves: Is this an agenda you can stand behind? How can you continue to stand with those calling for "Intifada"? How can you continue to stand with those espousing terror? How long can you continue to remain "useful idiots"?
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
UC Irvine Chabad Rabbi's home vandalized
UC Irvine has long been identified as a hub of anti-Semitism. Todays despicable incident- an attack on the home of a beloved Chabad Rabbi- is just one incident in a pattern of attacks on Jewish students and Jewish interests regionally.
Official Statement from Chabad at UCI:
On Tuesday, May 31st at around 1:30pm a potted plant was thrown at the front window of the Chabad House at UCI. The home also serves as the residence of Rabbi and Mrs. Zevi Tenenbaum.
The object broke a glass panel of the front window. Thank G-d no one was hurt. The housekeeper was the only one home at the time. A police report was filed with the Irvine Police Department.
Rabbi Zevi and Miriam Tenenbaum regularly host UCI Students for Shabbat and Holiday Dinners at this location. There is a Menorah on display in the front patio.
At this point in time there are no leads as to who may have been the perpetrator.
--
Rabbi Zevi Tenenbaum
Chabad at UC Irvine
Official Statement from Chabad at UCI:
On Tuesday, May 31st at around 1:30pm a potted plant was thrown at the front window of the Chabad House at UCI. The home also serves as the residence of Rabbi and Mrs. Zevi Tenenbaum.
The object broke a glass panel of the front window. Thank G-d no one was hurt. The housekeeper was the only one home at the time. A police report was filed with the Irvine Police Department.
Rabbi Zevi and Miriam Tenenbaum regularly host UCI Students for Shabbat and Holiday Dinners at this location. There is a Menorah on display in the front patio.
At this point in time there are no leads as to who may have been the perpetrator.
--
Rabbi Zevi Tenenbaum
Chabad at UC Irvine
"Activists" on the Mavi Marmara were armed
As the latest in , (what is it- eight flotillas, now? )limps through its planning stage, photographs from the last flotilla have finally been released showed the "Peace activists" with weapons.
From the IMRA facebook page
According to a variety of reports, the flotilla du jur is running into problems.
From YNET:
The flotilla's organizers, it is believed, are finding it hard to meet their goal in regards to the number of ships partaking in the sail. "They want to breach the blockade and think that the more ships they have, the higher their chances of succeeding," a source told Ynet.
The IHH, which organized the first Gaza flotilla, is heavily involved in the second sail, alongside the "Free Gaza" Movement" and the "European Campaign." These three are joined by several smaller groups, which are trying to stage a united international front.
Based on statements made by the organizers, as well and independent intelligence, Israel believes the ships taking part in the flotilla will set sail from several ports before forming a convoy in the east waters of the Mediterranean, and heading to Gaza.
From the IMRA facebook page
According to a variety of reports, the flotilla du jur is running into problems.
From YNET:
The flotilla's organizers, it is believed, are finding it hard to meet their goal in regards to the number of ships partaking in the sail. "They want to breach the blockade and think that the more ships they have, the higher their chances of succeeding," a source told Ynet.
The IHH, which organized the first Gaza flotilla, is heavily involved in the second sail, alongside the "Free Gaza" Movement" and the "European Campaign." These three are joined by several smaller groups, which are trying to stage a united international front.
Based on statements made by the organizers, as well and independent intelligence, Israel believes the ships taking part in the flotilla will set sail from several ports before forming a convoy in the east waters of the Mediterranean, and heading to Gaza.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Celebrating Israel Across America June 5, 2011
In New York City, a beautiful, multigenerational group of over 30,000 marched in a sea of blue and white, to celebrate Israel. Hundreds of thousands lined the parade route, to show their support for the only democracy in the Middle East, and America's only real ally in the region
3,000 miles away, a very different scene unfolded in San Francisco, at the annual "Israel in the Gardens" festival. Rare June rain and threatening skies keep the number of participants down. Those that attended were met at the entrance to the park by Jihadis calling for intifada ,appropriately enough kept in the gutter, by the local police.
As part of the so called "progressive" movement, the anti-Israel forces are surprisingly atavistic, resorting to misogynist and sexist taunts directed towards those who stand against them. The showdown at yesterday's Jewish Community celebration highlighted this perfectly.
To those who characterize the Israel supporters as "Old and ugly" may I remind you that while beauty is only skin deep, ugly goes down to the bone. We present to you, our local activists:
Their activists:
Our activists:
Their activists:
Our activists:
Their activists:
Our activists:
Their activists:
Our activists:
Enough said!
UPDATE
Thanks to "Younger Of Zion", We have a videotape of the protest at Israel in the Gardens. Watch it until the end, please, when the last little jihadi is carried away by Mom
We had a special request from anti-Israel activist "Tom Vee" for more footage from Israel in the gardens. This one's for you, Tom. Did you happen to catch the flash mob at Israel in the Gardens?
3,000 miles away, a very different scene unfolded in San Francisco, at the annual "Israel in the Gardens" festival. Rare June rain and threatening skies keep the number of participants down. Those that attended were met at the entrance to the park by Jihadis calling for intifada ,appropriately enough kept in the gutter, by the local police.
As part of the so called "progressive" movement, the anti-Israel forces are surprisingly atavistic, resorting to misogynist and sexist taunts directed towards those who stand against them. The showdown at yesterday's Jewish Community celebration highlighted this perfectly.
To those who characterize the Israel supporters as "Old and ugly" may I remind you that while beauty is only skin deep, ugly goes down to the bone. We present to you, our local activists:
Their activists:
Our activists:
Their activists:
Our activists:
Their activists:
Our activists:
Their activists:
Our activists:
Enough said!
UPDATE
Thanks to "Younger Of Zion", We have a videotape of the protest at Israel in the Gardens. Watch it until the end, please, when the last little jihadi is carried away by Mom
We had a special request from anti-Israel activist "Tom Vee" for more footage from Israel in the gardens. This one's for you, Tom. Did you happen to catch the flash mob at Israel in the Gardens?
Ah, They're Just Afraid of Getting Their Behinds Kicked, As In 1967
At YNet: Israelis Banned From Turkish Race
Now, this is not QUITE as drastic as it sounds. My first guess was that if you were an Israeli citizen they were officially banning you from being a Turk. Not quite. It's a bicycle race.
A group of Israeli cyclists was banned last weekend from the 2011 Cycling Tour of Isparta in Turkey, after the Syrian and Iraqi teams threatened to withdraw from the competition.
The Turkish cycling association is organizing this year a series of international tours to promote its cyclists in Europe and win a ticket to the Olympic Games.
Israel participated in the first tour, the Cycling Tour of Turkey, but the Syrian team avoided facing the Israelis and the Iraqi team withdrew after the first stage, after learning of the Israeli participation.
Some people might have said that if Syria and Iraq wanted to take their bikes and go home, it would have been reasonable to let them, rather than ban the team that wanted to compete, and were willing to ride with people of all nations. But that would just be silly.
Saturday, June 4, 2011
"Peace Loving People" Like these?
Bay Area activists are laughing about this recent mailing from Bay Area Women in Black, who have joined with "Jewish" Voice for Peace, Al Awda, the Middle east Childrens Alliance, the Arab Resource Organizing center and other anti-Israel groups in planning a disruption of a local Jewish community fair, scheduled for tomorrow.
"This is a reminder that, barring a heavy downpour, BAWiB will join with JVP-Bay Area and other peace-loving people tomorrow, to remind the celebrants at Israel in the Gardens that their party coincides with the end of the 1967 war and the beginning of escalated occupation of Palestine. "
Peace Loving? Bay Area Women in Black is describing groups that have chanted:
“Itbach al Yahud” (slaughter the Jews)
“Falastin balad’na w’al Yahud qalab’na” Palestine is our land and the Jews are our dogs
“ba ruh, ba dam, nafdeek ya Falastin” (with our soul, with our blood, we will cleanse you oh Palestine),
“al mawt al Yahud” (death to the Jews),
“Khaybar Khaybar ya Yahud, jaish-Muhammad saya’ud” (Khaybar Khaybar oh Jews, the army of Muhammad will return).
Peace loving people like these, who cornered 5 pro-Israel activists in San Francisco and attacked them across the police barricade?
Peace loving people like the ones who posted this, along with the home addresses of pro-Israeli activists throughout the Internet, following the mysterious death of Dr. Dan Kliman?
"It was such a shame to hear about that "accidental" (wink wink) demise of Mr. Dan "Slimen" Kliman. Fortunately the peace movement will never have to deal with that piece of trash again. Someone up there (or out there...?) is apparently watching the actions of such people and rendering appropriate justice. That would make me worry if I were doing anything like he did...
;-)"?
Peace Loving people like this young man?
These are videos and Photos from Rallies in the San Francisco bay Area. These were taken at events endorsed by Bay Area Women in Black and "Jewish" Voice for peace. These so called "peace groups" in reality serve as shields and enablers for the the most anti-Semitic Jew-haters in the Bay Area. Tomorrow at Israeli in the Gardens promises to be no exception.
"This is a reminder that, barring a heavy downpour, BAWiB will join with JVP-Bay Area and other peace-loving people tomorrow, to remind the celebrants at Israel in the Gardens that their party coincides with the end of the 1967 war and the beginning of escalated occupation of Palestine. "
Peace Loving? Bay Area Women in Black is describing groups that have chanted:
“Itbach al Yahud” (slaughter the Jews)
“Falastin balad’na w’al Yahud qalab’na” Palestine is our land and the Jews are our dogs
“ba ruh, ba dam, nafdeek ya Falastin” (with our soul, with our blood, we will cleanse you oh Palestine),
“al mawt al Yahud” (death to the Jews),
“Khaybar Khaybar ya Yahud, jaish-Muhammad saya’ud” (Khaybar Khaybar oh Jews, the army of Muhammad will return).
Peace loving people like these, who cornered 5 pro-Israel activists in San Francisco and attacked them across the police barricade?
Peace loving people like the ones who posted this, along with the home addresses of pro-Israeli activists throughout the Internet, following the mysterious death of Dr. Dan Kliman?
"It was such a shame to hear about that "accidental" (wink wink) demise of Mr. Dan "Slimen" Kliman. Fortunately the peace movement will never have to deal with that piece of trash again. Someone up there (or out there...?) is apparently watching the actions of such people and rendering appropriate justice. That would make me worry if I were doing anything like he did...
;-)"?
Peace Loving people like this young man?
These are videos and Photos from Rallies in the San Francisco bay Area. These were taken at events endorsed by Bay Area Women in Black and "Jewish" Voice for peace. These so called "peace groups" in reality serve as shields and enablers for the the most anti-Semitic Jew-haters in the Bay Area. Tomorrow at Israeli in the Gardens promises to be no exception.
Stanford student discusses the divisiveness of BDS on campus
"We don’t know how our actions on campus will affect a faraway conflict in the Middle East, but we do know what our actions will do to this community. Therefore, the best solution is for the people with different political views to come together and find creative solutions to those disagreements that will help achieve a real and lasting peace for the Middle East and for all of the communities on this campus"
Yascher Koach to Justin Hefter on his op-ed in the Stanford Daily
"When I came to Stanford as a freshman in the fall of 2007, I was shocked to see the condition of the interfaith community. Fragmented and scared, students would whisper about the events of the previous year. Divestment, Muslims against Jews, Jews against Jews. The anti-Israel divestment campaign of the previous year had rocked the Stanford community. It drove people away from wanting to learn about or discuss Israel, drove Jewish students from wanting to befriend Muslim students and even drove Jews away from the Jewish community as a whole.
I was able to witness firsthand the devastating effects of the 2006-07 divestment campaign, because I was the only freshman to join the Stanford Israel Alliance. I joined because, after facing anti-Semitic abuse during high school, I found Israel was the one place where I knew I could be safe as a Jew, and I wanted a place like that to exist for all people. That’s why I wanted to try to improve the condition between Jews and Muslims on campus. I wanted to make things friendlier, so that people did not have to be afraid to express themselves, so that the discussion could be more positive. When I discussed co-sponsoring a charity drive for children in Israel and Gaza with the Muslim Students Awareness Network my freshman year, some of the Jewish/pro-Israel students looked at me like I was crazy.
Eventually we overcame the emotional scars of divestment, and the charity drive to send gift baskets to children in Israel and Gaza went forward. It was a major success because it was a positive way to deal with the conflict. Since then, the number of Jewish and Muslim interfaith events has increased. Political disagreements surrounding Israel have been handled in a more positive light. We repeated the charity drive my sophomore year and launched an even more successful microfinance campaign the year after. The past few years have been a huge step forward, but I fear that we are on the verge of taking two steps back.
This spring saw the initiation of a renewed divestment campaign. Divestment calls to the University not to do business with companies that do business in Israel. While the campaign purports to be about a few specific companies, in reality it is a campaign to delegitimize Israel, using literature from international movements that try to convince countries to boycott and sanction the Jewish state. This campaign is divisive because it places the blame for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a conflict that takes into account centuries of nuance, squarely on Israel’s shoulders. That’s not fair; both sides share responsibility.
Divestment aims to injure Israel economically, without actually directly helping the Palestinians. This should be upsetting to anyone who cares about Israel and also anyone who cares about the Palestinians. We should work toward change that helps both sides of the conflict, not simply injure one side or the other.
Regardless of our politics, the campaign of divisiveness that is in the process of being put forth can only have destructive outcomes. We don’t know how our actions on campus will affect a faraway conflict in the Middle East, but we do know what our actions will do to this community. Therefore, the best solution is for the people with different political views to come together and find creative solutions to those disagreements that will help achieve a real and lasting peace for the Middle East and for all of the communities on this campus. We do not need to replicate the animosity in the Middle East in order to make productive change. I have faith that if anywhere in the world there is a place where Muslims, Jews and people of all religious and political dispositions can come together to find constructive solutions to the Middle East conflict, it is Stanford University. I implore you, Stanford University, do not let this campus go back to the way things were. We have changed, and we are so much better than divestment."
Yascher Koach to Justin Hefter on his op-ed in the Stanford Daily
"When I came to Stanford as a freshman in the fall of 2007, I was shocked to see the condition of the interfaith community. Fragmented and scared, students would whisper about the events of the previous year. Divestment, Muslims against Jews, Jews against Jews. The anti-Israel divestment campaign of the previous year had rocked the Stanford community. It drove people away from wanting to learn about or discuss Israel, drove Jewish students from wanting to befriend Muslim students and even drove Jews away from the Jewish community as a whole.
I was able to witness firsthand the devastating effects of the 2006-07 divestment campaign, because I was the only freshman to join the Stanford Israel Alliance. I joined because, after facing anti-Semitic abuse during high school, I found Israel was the one place where I knew I could be safe as a Jew, and I wanted a place like that to exist for all people. That’s why I wanted to try to improve the condition between Jews and Muslims on campus. I wanted to make things friendlier, so that people did not have to be afraid to express themselves, so that the discussion could be more positive. When I discussed co-sponsoring a charity drive for children in Israel and Gaza with the Muslim Students Awareness Network my freshman year, some of the Jewish/pro-Israel students looked at me like I was crazy.
Eventually we overcame the emotional scars of divestment, and the charity drive to send gift baskets to children in Israel and Gaza went forward. It was a major success because it was a positive way to deal with the conflict. Since then, the number of Jewish and Muslim interfaith events has increased. Political disagreements surrounding Israel have been handled in a more positive light. We repeated the charity drive my sophomore year and launched an even more successful microfinance campaign the year after. The past few years have been a huge step forward, but I fear that we are on the verge of taking two steps back.
This spring saw the initiation of a renewed divestment campaign. Divestment calls to the University not to do business with companies that do business in Israel. While the campaign purports to be about a few specific companies, in reality it is a campaign to delegitimize Israel, using literature from international movements that try to convince countries to boycott and sanction the Jewish state. This campaign is divisive because it places the blame for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a conflict that takes into account centuries of nuance, squarely on Israel’s shoulders. That’s not fair; both sides share responsibility.
Divestment aims to injure Israel economically, without actually directly helping the Palestinians. This should be upsetting to anyone who cares about Israel and also anyone who cares about the Palestinians. We should work toward change that helps both sides of the conflict, not simply injure one side or the other.
Regardless of our politics, the campaign of divisiveness that is in the process of being put forth can only have destructive outcomes. We don’t know how our actions on campus will affect a faraway conflict in the Middle East, but we do know what our actions will do to this community. Therefore, the best solution is for the people with different political views to come together and find creative solutions to those disagreements that will help achieve a real and lasting peace for the Middle East and for all of the communities on this campus. We do not need to replicate the animosity in the Middle East in order to make productive change. I have faith that if anywhere in the world there is a place where Muslims, Jews and people of all religious and political dispositions can come together to find constructive solutions to the Middle East conflict, it is Stanford University. I implore you, Stanford University, do not let this campus go back to the way things were. We have changed, and we are so much better than divestment."
Thursday, June 2, 2011
The "New Egypt" Looks A Lot Like The Old Egypt
After years of hostility, it looks as though the new Egyptian government may finally simply not allow Jewish worshippers into Egypt for a hilula at the grave of Rabbi Yisrael Abuhatzeira.
"After the January 25 revolution, which toppled over the Hosni Mubarak regime, the Jews will not be allowed to enter Demito any more and endanger the public morals and hurt the feelings of its 5,000 residents," Moustafa Rasslan, a lawyer, said.
He called on the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), which has been ruling the country since February 11, to enforce a 2001 court ruling that compelled the Culture Ministry, responsible for the site where the annual gathering takes place in late December and early January, to cancel the Abu Hasira celebrations all together.
"If the SCAF does not enforce the ruling, Damito residents will not allow the Jews come to their village to attend the week-long Abu Hasira Mulid (festival), where they used to behave in a way that contradicts Islamic traditions and public morals under the very nose of security officials of the ousted regime," he said.
Yeah, those guys up there look like a pretty raunchy bunch. Terrifying, really.
A few days after Mubarak went down, a young man yelled at me (as a representative Zionist) on the Berkeley campus that now that Egyptians were free, they were 'free to hate you'. He was, of course, quite correct. Foolish of me, I suppose, to hope that for once a people might gain freedom without attacking the Jews first thing.
JVP and friends protesting a Jewish cultural fair. Again
Imagine 20,000 visitors, exhilarating music, yummy food and children dancing in a festival that highlights the Bay area Jewish community. Israel in the Gardens celebrates the diversity and beauty of our unique community, featuring Circus School Acrobats , African Drumming Circle and Dancing, and a day school Rap band. There is a serious side, as well. The festival proudly features "Be a Match"- a bone marrow registry. Chabad is there. Synagogues, day schools and non-profit all have booths. Its this Sunday, June 5, 2011 11:00am - 5:00pm , Yerba Buena Gardens in San Francisco. If you are in the neighborhood, come on by. Even if you aren't in the neighborhood, its worth a special trip. Its that much fun
Faced with such a joyous celebration of communal Jewish life, whats a hater to do? Why, protest it, of course. A tag team of miscreants- Jewish Voice for Peace, Women in Black, Al Awda and the Arab Resource Organizing Center are planning on blocking the entrance and harassing attendees. They do it every year.
Both JVP and Women in Black have consistently refused to take a stand against Palestinian terrorism while they sponsor speakers who call for the destruction of Israel. Both endorse the so called Palestinian "right" of return- the call for the demographic destruction of Israel. Both advocate and endorse the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions tactic meant to isolate the worlds only Jewish State. Jewish Voice for Peace has turned the temper tantrum into a political statement, repeatedly interupting Jewish Community speakers they disagree with, while whimpering softly "We're the victim".
And once again, the few, the angry and the ugly will try and spoil the day for the rest of the community. But when they put down their signs and sneak into the festival to listen to the music and grab a bite (and they always do!), they'll see what 20,000 Zionists look like. And they'll know just how irrelevant they are.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
A Palestinian in Deutschland
A Palestinian in Deutschland.
No, not that one.
Mazin Qumsiyeh has been following in the footsteps of his inspiration, the Grand Mufti al Husseni, visiting Germany and plotting against the Jewish, er "Zionist" people.
Mazin: The vision of a Jewish state freed from its original non-Jewish inhabitants was articulated so clearly in those early writings and protocols of the World Zionist Congress. "Der Judenstaat" by Theodor Herzl remains a classic.
Note the use of the word "protocols". Mazin can barely subdue his anti-Semitism. Even in public.
Incidentally, in Herzl's book, incidently he outlines his reasoning for the need to reestablish the historic Jewish State.
"The idea I have developed in this pamphlet is an ancient one: It is the restoration of the Jewish State. . .Palestine is our unforgettable historic homeland. . ."Let me repeat once more my opening words: The Jews who will it shall achieve their State. We shall live at last as free men on our own soil, and in our own homes peacefully die. The world will be liberated by our freedom, enriched by our wealth, magnified by our greatness. And whatever we attempt there for our own benefit will redound mightily and beneficially to the good of all mankind."
Mazin: Here is a modern democratic country where free speech and historical examination is open but it is forbidden and punishable to examine the historical record of the Jewish holocaust. Here where the economy is booming and the country beautiful but the government seems content to obey whatever is dictated by the US State Department (itself obeying orders from Tel Aviv).
Here Mazin engages in two expressions of anti-Semitism- he endorsing Holocaust denial, and spreads the classic Jews, er "zionist" control the world canard.
Mazin: Even here in Germany and despite a guilt complex, facts seem to
trump the Zionist perfidy. It is not even possible anymore to hide the
Nazi-Zionist collaboration of the 1930s and early 1940s let alone to hide
what they did to 12 million Palestinian natives.
Where do we even begin , Mazin? The collaboration of your mentor, the Grand Mufti Haj Amin al-Husseini and Adolf Hitler is well documented.
In 1941, Haj Amin al-Husseini fled to Germany and met with Adolf Hitler, Heinrich Himmler, and other Nazi leaders, in an effort to persuade them to extend the Nazis’ anti-Jewish program to the Arab world. In November 1941, the Mufti met with Hitler, who told him the Jews were his foremost enemy. The Mufti offered Hitler his “thanks for the sympathy which he had always shown for the Arab and especially Palestinian cause, and to which he had given clear expression in his public speeches....The Arabs were Germany's natural friends because they had the same enemies as had Germany, namely....the Jews....”
Equally baffling is Mazins assertion of 12 million Palestinian "natives". According to the Mid east Web, the nature of the data does not permit precise conclusions about the Arab population of Palestine in Ottoman and British times. Nonetheless, "The census of 1893 gives a total of 414,648 Arab Palestinians....Bachi claimed there were 489,000, McCarthy estimated 553,000, and Rupin estimated about 600,000 all for approximately the same year. Moving on to the 1931 census (the last year for which we have census data). The census figures are reported differently in different sources, but the variations are minor. They are in fair agreement with British Mandatory report data listed in the 1937 Report of the Mandatory for 1931. The Report of the mandatory listed about 753,000 Muslims for 1931, while the census figures are quoted as giving 759,000 or 761,000. Where did the figure 12 million "natives" come from, Mazin?
Mazin: It is not possible to hide the fact that Zionists and Jew-haters share the same goal of attributing to Jews what Zionists and their racist apartheid state is doing. Hence Zionists insist on using Jewish symbols on their racist state.
Mazin's irrational hate spewing (Can you just visualize him frothing at the mouth as he pounds this out on this keyboard?) is not just ignorant, it is vile and hateful. Zionism is the belief that the Jewish people have the right to self determination in their ancient homeland.
Rather ironic that Mazin resents the use of Jewish symbols to represent the Jewish State. His beloved Hamas uses the symbol of the Kalishnikov to represent their people
No, not that one.
Mazin Qumsiyeh has been following in the footsteps of his inspiration, the Grand Mufti al Husseni, visiting Germany and plotting against the Jewish, er "Zionist" people.
Mazin: The vision of a Jewish state freed from its original non-Jewish inhabitants was articulated so clearly in those early writings and protocols of the World Zionist Congress. "Der Judenstaat" by Theodor Herzl remains a classic.
Note the use of the word "protocols". Mazin can barely subdue his anti-Semitism. Even in public.
Incidentally, in Herzl's book, incidently he outlines his reasoning for the need to reestablish the historic Jewish State.
"The idea I have developed in this pamphlet is an ancient one: It is the restoration of the Jewish State. . .Palestine is our unforgettable historic homeland. . ."Let me repeat once more my opening words: The Jews who will it shall achieve their State. We shall live at last as free men on our own soil, and in our own homes peacefully die. The world will be liberated by our freedom, enriched by our wealth, magnified by our greatness. And whatever we attempt there for our own benefit will redound mightily and beneficially to the good of all mankind."
Mazin: Here is a modern democratic country where free speech and historical examination is open but it is forbidden and punishable to examine the historical record of the Jewish holocaust. Here where the economy is booming and the country beautiful but the government seems content to obey whatever is dictated by the US State Department (itself obeying orders from Tel Aviv).
Here Mazin engages in two expressions of anti-Semitism- he endorsing Holocaust denial, and spreads the classic Jews, er "zionist" control the world canard.
Mazin: Even here in Germany and despite a guilt complex, facts seem to
trump the Zionist perfidy. It is not even possible anymore to hide the
Nazi-Zionist collaboration of the 1930s and early 1940s let alone to hide
what they did to 12 million Palestinian natives.
Where do we even begin , Mazin? The collaboration of your mentor, the Grand Mufti Haj Amin al-Husseini and Adolf Hitler is well documented.
In 1941, Haj Amin al-Husseini fled to Germany and met with Adolf Hitler, Heinrich Himmler, and other Nazi leaders, in an effort to persuade them to extend the Nazis’ anti-Jewish program to the Arab world. In November 1941, the Mufti met with Hitler, who told him the Jews were his foremost enemy. The Mufti offered Hitler his “thanks for the sympathy which he had always shown for the Arab and especially Palestinian cause, and to which he had given clear expression in his public speeches....The Arabs were Germany's natural friends because they had the same enemies as had Germany, namely....the Jews....”
Equally baffling is Mazins assertion of 12 million Palestinian "natives". According to the Mid east Web, the nature of the data does not permit precise conclusions about the Arab population of Palestine in Ottoman and British times. Nonetheless, "The census of 1893 gives a total of 414,648 Arab Palestinians....Bachi claimed there were 489,000, McCarthy estimated 553,000, and Rupin estimated about 600,000 all for approximately the same year. Moving on to the 1931 census (the last year for which we have census data). The census figures are reported differently in different sources, but the variations are minor. They are in fair agreement with British Mandatory report data listed in the 1937 Report of the Mandatory for 1931. The Report of the mandatory listed about 753,000 Muslims for 1931, while the census figures are quoted as giving 759,000 or 761,000. Where did the figure 12 million "natives" come from, Mazin?
Mazin: It is not possible to hide the fact that Zionists and Jew-haters share the same goal of attributing to Jews what Zionists and their racist apartheid state is doing. Hence Zionists insist on using Jewish symbols on their racist state.
Mazin's irrational hate spewing (Can you just visualize him frothing at the mouth as he pounds this out on this keyboard?) is not just ignorant, it is vile and hateful. Zionism is the belief that the Jewish people have the right to self determination in their ancient homeland.
Rather ironic that Mazin resents the use of Jewish symbols to represent the Jewish State. His beloved Hamas uses the symbol of the Kalishnikov to represent their people
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