Just in Time for Tu B'Shevat: Buy Israeli Clementines at Costco!

The goofy "boycott Israel" folks are at it again. Code Pink, the goofiest of the lot recently took credit for Costco's decision to stop carrying their Christmas displays of Ahava skincare products from Israel. Code Pink didn't seem to think the fact that the holiday gift-giving season was over might have something to do with it. Instead, they credited their own ability to pester and annoy with this "victory"

Clearly the post-Christmas deshelving of Ahava products was no more a political statement than the post-Pesach deshelving of Holyland matzah. Because now, Costco is selling Israeli Clemantines, tiny sweet juicy seedless tangerines- great for lunchboxes or as healthy snacks.
And yes, the usual parties are going crazy....

The haters helpfully suggest we call 425-313-8100 and speak with Mark DeCosta in produce. Please do, and thank him for carrying Israeli produce.

Heavy Rains Cause Flooding in Gaza: Israel blamed

Have you seen the lie du jour floating around the web?

According to the Palestine Chronicle:

"Israel has opened the floodgates of one of its dams in the eastern part of the Gaza Strip, flooding Palestinian houses and causing severe damage.

The Israeli authorities opened the dam's floodgates without any prior warning or coordination with local authorities in Gaza, stunning the residents of the area, the Press TV correspondent in Gza reported late on Monday"

Strike you as odd, maybe? Dam? In the Desert? Huh?

Maybe the real story is found here, in the Palestinian paper Ma'an

A water reservoir in Baqa Ash-Sharqiya village overflowed and collapsed Wednesday, flooding the area north of Tulkarem and prompting Palestinian Civil Defense forces to declare the area around the flood a danger zone.

Heavy rainfall throughout Palestine caused floods in dozens of low-lying areas, with some municipalities reporting overflowing aquifers and several Gaza districts under evacuation orders as homes are covered in floodwater.

In a press statement, the Civil Defense forces said the reservoir was under watch on Tuesday night, and noted that it collapsed in the early hours of the morning, flooding the adjacent agricultural areas.

The area will be cordoned off until the rains subside.


*****

Those "peace activists" never miss an opportunity to blame Israel. In addition to controlling finance, government and the media, apparently we control the weather.
Dang, we're good!

Israel Aids Haiti; Arab Nations Ignore The Disaster

Cross-posted Here


The tragedy in Haiti is mind-boggling in its extent. Countries around the world are mobilizing to offer assistance. The Canadian Press just reviewed the list of those who are offering assistance: of course the wealthier developed countries such as the US and many EU countries as would be expected, but also India and China as well as regional countries such as Mexico and Venezuela. And, of course, Israel.

Israel, though there are almost no Jews in Haiti aside from tourists.
Israel, though Haiti routinely sides with the most one-sided anti-Israel resolutions at the UN.
Israel, though Haiti is far away from the Middle East.

This is not a new phenomenon. Israel sent aid after the devasting Asian tsunami in 2004 , after earthquakes in India and El Salvador in 2001 and Greece and Turkey in 1999. This isn't just Israelis contributing donations, but also mobilization of the Israel Defense Forces itself to provide direct assistance.

One might expect that the Arab states, many of them awash in oil revenue, would offer similar assistance. A Google search for "Arab earthquake aid Haiti" yields a few teasers on news sites that on further investigation are hits from unrelated stories on those sites, so the net result is pretty much what the Arab nations are providing: next to nothing. This should not surprise anyone, given their relatively miniscule contributions to UNRWA to assist the descendants of their fellow Arab refugees from the 1947-48 war-- a war which the Arab nations encouraged, supported, and bear responsibility for the resulting refugee population.

Several American organizations are raising funds which will be funneled through IsraAid, Israel's consortium of humanitarian aid groups. You can make contributions to IsraAid via B'nai B'rith International or via the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (select "Haiti Earthquake Relief" from the dropdown menu).

Haiti's government has more important things to worry about right now, but I can't help but wonder whether, when the next viciously anti-Israel resolution comes before the UN General Assembly, their representatives will remember that Israel (and the worldwide Jewish community) responded to their desperate situation with immediate and unconditional aid. And the Arab nations? Maybe they'll offer the Haitians discounted leases at the new Burj Khalifa tower in Dubai.

CATERPILLAR AND ISRAEL

Last month, Katherine Fuchs sent an e-mail to her inner circle advising them to purchase stock in Caterpillar, so that the forces of pro-Palestinian hatred could make a stink at the next shareholders meeting and force Caterpillar to divest and disassociate itself from Israel.


QUOTE: "...we're asking supporters of the Stop Caterkiller campaign to each purchase one share of Caterpillar stock before the end of the year.While it may seem odd for a group pushing for divestment to encourage purchasing Caterpillar stock, there is a method to our madness. The real point of shareholder divestment is to pressure the corporation to divest of it's activities in the area of concern"



Katherine M Fuchs is the National Organizer of the 'US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation', in case you were wondering.
Like most of the organizations on the extremist fringe, there is substantial overlap with any number of other organizations. So much so that the number of angry groups seems to precisely equal the number of gibbering individuals. But I digress.


Fellow blogger Infectious Asian recently took pains to point out some crucial mathematical verities concerning this weird stock plot.

She wrote:
"Even if every man, woman, and child, in the country bought one share, Katherine Fuchs dear, and assuming, just assuming, that ALL of those shares were turned towards your dastardly goal, your side still would not have enough stock to sway Caterpillar."

SOURCE:
http://infectiousasian.blogspot.com/2010/01/caterpillar-and-israel-it-cant-get.html

And further:
"Heck, whatever stock you dummies buy won't even get you one percent. You guys are pretty st00.000.000.000pid! Please notice that there are as many little round circle characters in how I spelled that word as there are in 300 billion dollars."


Infectious Asian finishes her cheerful ribbing of Katherine Fuchs and her bedmates by calling them a bunch of moronic weasels.
I couldn't have put it better myself.

UNADULTERATED EVIL

The following list of people have certain things in common.
[This 'constitutionally protected expression of an opinion' is cross-posted here: http://prolongedfeline.blogspot.com/2010/01/unadulterated-evil.html
As they say on South Park: "bite me!".]

Fatemeh Abdollahzadeh
Ervand Abrahamian
Ali Abunimah
Gilbert Achcar
Dirk Adriaensens
Amir Afrassiabi
Moji Agha
Michael Albert
Tariq Ali
Khadouri Al-Kaysi
Sima Aprahamian
Anthony Arnove
Hani Y. Awadallah
Barbara Aziz
Afshin Babazadeh
Nellie Hester Bailey
Brian Barraza
David Barrows
Medea Benjamin
Tony Benn
Sharon Black
Hamid Bonyadi
Jean Bricmont
John Catalinotto
Ed Childs
Noam Chomsky
Ramsey Clark
Jeremiah Cohen
Michel Collon
Gerry Condon
Heather Cottin
Tiphaine Dickson
Kelly Dougherty
LeiLani Dowell
Jack Edmonson
Gregory Elich
Nawal El-Saadawi
Eve Ensler
Jodie Evans
Elena Everett
Leslie Feinberg
Lenora Foerstel
John Bellamy Foster
Eduardo Galeano
George Galloway
Peter Gilbert
Steve Gillis
Jim Goodnow
Thomas Gumbleton
Teresa Gutierrez
Samia Halaby
Denis J. Halliday
Bagher R. Harand
Klaus Hartmann
Jesse Lokahi Heiwa
Imani Henry
Sherif Hetata
Connie Hogarth
Larry Holmes
Eric Hooglund
William Hughes
Berta Joubert-Ceci
Charlotte Kates
Judith Kelly
Nada Khader
Rashid Khalidi
Dal LaMagna
Beth Lamont
Dustin Langley
Camilo Mejía
Robert Merrill
Polly Miller
Monica Moorehead
Gael Murphy
Milan Neuberg
Sara Nichols
Erik-Anders Nilsson
Michael Parenti
John Parker
Pam Parker
Harold Pinter
Rostam Pourzal
Ralph Poynter
Minnie B. Pratt
Anne Pruden
David N. Rahni
Milos Raickovich
Sami Ramadani
Arundhati Roy
Gloria Rubac
Bonnie Rubenstein
Nader Sadeghi
Roudabeh Shafie
Andy Shallal
Cindy Sheehan
Reza Shirazi
David Sole
Nana Soul
Joan Stallard
Johnnie Stevens
Lynne Stewart
Brenda Stokely
David Swanson
Mark L. Taylor
Filipe C. Teixeira
Nadje Tesich
Tony Van Der Meer
Saeed Vaseghi
Paul H Verduin
Michael Viers
Dave Welsh
Walter Williams
Howard Zinn

Some of them are members of academia, some are of the cloth, a few are writers.
They come from diverse backgrounds, and represent differing fields of endeavor.
All of them, however, share one significant and thoroughly repulsive passion.

Becoming sexy for Palestine!

I am in receipt of rather amusing e-mail which originated with a group of Jew-haters in Marin County, forwarded by someone who does not realize that he and I disagree over certain key issues.

[Begin cite]

Dear Friends,

A group in California has come up with a creative way to raise money for If Americans Knew and a number of other organizations. It is not to late to join in their efforts! (Naturally, adjust step number 1 to fit your time and location.)

You are cordially invited to donate a pound or two of your flesh to Palestine by taking part in our Sponsored Diet in aid of various organizations including: **14 Friends of Palestine** **Keep Hope Alive** ** Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions** **If Americans Knew** **Jewish Voice for Peace** ** US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation**

The Rules

• Weigh in at a private home in San Rafael on Sunday Jan 3rd 2010
• Get sponsors (suggest $1 per pound, or more)
• Eat less or differently
• Exercise more, on your own, or join our weekly hikes
• Weigh-out Sunday March 21st, after 11 weeks
• Collect money from sponsors
• Give in all money to organizer by Saturday May 1st 2010
• Stop exercising and eat lots so we can do it all again next year?

Please note that while your actual weight will remain confidential, your weight loss (or gain!) will be broadcast for the merriment of others.
If you want to join, please email 14friendsofpalestine@gmail.com
Long distance dieters from elsewhere in America are welcome to join us.
Penalty clause: Anyone who gains weight pays a fine of $10 per pound (we could raise quite a lot of money this way)
Automatic disqualification for:
Rocks in pockets at weigh-in
Use of helium balloons at weigh-out
Limb amputation
Child birth

Good luck! And may we all end up with a figure of a twelfth grader.
Please note that while your actual weight will remain confidential, your weight loss (or gain!) will be broadcast for the merriment of others.
If you want to join, please email 14friendsofpalestine@gmail.com
Long distance dieters from elsewhere in America are welcome to join us.
[End cite]

COMMENT BY THE FORWARDER TO HIS OWN E-MAIL LIST: "This will show those Shylocks what a pound of flesh is really about! I urge all of you to join up now and loose weight, so that the masonic izzy plan to starve Gaza gets flummoxed. Forward this to everyone you know, ESPEcAilly anyone who lost their job because of the neocon economy! Stop sucking blood and gusts out of Palastine!" [CUT]

HATEFILLED STOMACHS

I actually do not know which I find more amusing - the idea of anti-Semites starving themselves and the attendant potential for medical problems, or the absurd off the wall addition by the gentleman who forwarded the e-mail from the fourteen haters of Israel.

There are times when I enjoy the conversational surrealism of the other side. Many of them are not soundly based in objective reality, quite a few live in strange parallel universes (such as Berkeley). Some are just nuts.

"...And may we all end up with a figure of a twelfth grader. "

There's a sexism in this wish that is actually quite appalling.
Seriously, I have to wonder how many Israel-haters have Humbert Humbert tendencies. Do they really wish that they looked like a high-school student again? Does the heart of a sexiliscious Lolita beat within the withered breasts of Marin County 'activists', or does some overwhelmed and overweight earth-mother deeply resent her present undesirability so much that she would starve herself in spite?

In addition to the suggestion of perversion, there is something deeply mediaeval about this self-imposed penance. Not only does it express a sense of white guilt, but it reflects an egomaniac attitude of centrality, in which the dieter believes his or her own mortification capable of altering the universe.
As well as a feeling of repulsiveness which may be alleviated by 'punishment'.
That latter is probably justified.

Jewish Voice for Peace and AFSC Formally Admit It-- They Are Opposed to the Existence of Israel

Originally posted here Thanks to drmike

At a pro-Hamas demonstration in San Francisco last week, Jewish Voice for Peace and the American Friends Service Committee finally dropped all pretense about their position on Israel. While both of these groups had been vigorously involved in anti-Israel activities for years (and joined together to co-present the now-notorious showing of "Rachel" last summer at the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival), each had maintained the pretense that they didn't oppose the existence of a Jewish state per se. They have now decided to admit what we knew all along-- that they are fully and completely aligned with groups that openly call for the elimination of Israel, and that they share the agenda of groups such as al-Awda, International ANSWER, and, in the end, Hamas.

This flyer was handed out at the event; the sponsoring organizations listed include JVP and the Pacific Mountain Region of the American Friends Service Committee. The website of the Bay Area Campaign to End Israeli Apartheid not only endorses the Palestinian BDS movement (which calls for the elimination of Jewish statehood through the so-called "right" of return), but in case anyone misses the subtlety, it also states "We are opposed to imperialism, sectarianism, and Zionism."

Extremist groups such as al-Awda and ANSWER have at least been straightforward about their position-- opposition to any Jewish state while supporting terrorism as "legitimate resistance". JVP and AFSC have been trying for years to claim that they can stand with those groups in public and not pick up their foul stench. They have now given up that charade. JVP should simply complete the task and merge with the so-called "Jewish Anti-Zionist Network", since their positions are now indistinguishable. Perhaps their membership already is.

ZIONIST PLOT KEEPS BENJAMIN AND GALLOWAY OUT OF LIME LIGHT

There has been almost no mention of the Gaza Freedom March in the American and International media. Nor is there any outrage over the Egyptian sabotage and inhospitality that has prevented them from tootling into Gaza.
This is both distressing and a cause for grave concern, according to the organizers, who demand to know why no one is paying any attention to them.

They have a theory.

The reason why that farce in Egypt ('the Gaza Freedom March') is not being reported ad-nauseum by the press is that 'the "counter-revolutionary forces" of Zionism and US Foreign Policy have given orders to the slave-media not to speak of it.'

This per several people associated with Medea Benjamin of CodePink and famous British explorer George Galloway, who are furious over this interference by the imperialist hegemonists.
And rightly so.



THE SIEGE OF GAZA AND CODEPINK

CodePink, as well as the other organizers of this (piffling and self-indulgent armchair revolutionary) event, are of the firm belief that Israel has no legal or moral right to defend itself, and that any attempt to control the materiel entering Gaza for Hamas' ongoing struggle against the Jews naturally qualifies as an intolerable imposition, a veritable offense against humanity, and an illegitimate Jewish conspiracy.
Such things must stop.
They (and they alone) will break the "siege" of Gaza.

They are not concerned with the thousands of rockets that Hamas fired onto Israeli civilians that preceded this "siege" - these attempts to harm Israelis were minor matters, fully justified in any case.

Nor are they disturbed by Hamas' iron control on popular expression, or the execution by Hamas soldiers of Christians, Fatah members, or members of other Muslim groups -subsequently shown to be the necessary, and for the common good!

The seizure for limited and internal re-distribution by Hamas of humanitarian supplies trucked in over the years is also no great matter. Like other governments in the Arab world Hamas was chosen by the people, for the people - and the people should above all accept that their choices once made cannot be undone.

[Exemplei gratia: Assad Père et Fils in Syria, the late S. Hussein, Sheikh Nasrallah in Lebanon, etcetera.]

This reflects the sober opinion of people associated with Medea Benjamin of CodePink, who are furious over any contradiction of the verities they hold sacred by the imperialist hegemonists.
And rightly so.



INTOLERABLE FURY

George Galloway and Medea Benjamin likewise are furious. Furious. Furious. Furious. Furious. Furious. Furious. Furious. Furious. Furious. Furious.
Very very furious.

NOTE 1: Medea Benjamin (real name: Susan Benjamin - born September 10, 1952) is an American revolutionist who co-founded the anti-government group Code Pink ("CodePink").
She ran for the United States Senate in 2000 and lost. In 2009 she helped organize a march intended to traverse a few hundred yards of sand towards the Erez crossing. Fellow travelers include several people both notorious and formerly famous, as well as activists from movements perpetually at odds with United States foreign policy or intent on subverting democracy.
She is a fan of Hugo Chavez, a very manly man.

NOTE 2.George Galloway (real name: Saruman - born 16 August, 1954) is a relatively well-known Englishman who was expelled from the Labour Party in October 2003.
Currently he represents the most sub-literate electorate in Britain, that being a depressed area of London. Perpetually at odds with British foreign policy and intent on undermining the English system of government, George Galloway (Saruman) is an ally and firm friend of both Hezbollah and Hamas (which are recognized democratic movements).



INTERNATIONAL JUSTICE

Very well then.
Let this post serve to alert the world to CodePink's righteous agenda, which they share with people such as Dries van Agt, Dick Becker, Harry van Bommel, Alima Boumediene-Thiery, Jimmy Carter, Noam Chomsky, Gretta Duisenberg, Katherine M. Fuchs, Ronnie Kasrils, Cynthia McKinney, Anja Meulenbelt, Cindy Sheehan, Starhawk, Louie Vitale, Alice Walker, Roger Waters, and Ann Wright.

They fully support Hamas using the tunnels that run from Gaza into Egypt for stockpiling anti-aircraft missiles, longer-range rockets, heavy weapons, and explosives, instead of importing food and medicinal supplies. They wish Hamas to have a fully modern and up-to-date arsenal - and that is why they have taken it upon themselves to alleviate Hamas' burden by providing "civilian" aid and international support.
When this yields renewed Hamas attacks against Israel, they shall demand that Israel rely on the international community for a just solution to the problem, rather than (inevitably) deciding to defend itself militarily.

A balance of power between Zionist and Islamist forces, is, in their honest opinions, equitable, and it is time that the world guarantees that it should come to pass; give peace a chance.

This is all they ask. Surely the media should not censor their voice?

So, on their behalf, I request that AFP, AP, the ANP, the BBC, CNN, Fox, Pravda, Reuters, and other news organizations disseminate this peaceloving message, so that humanity may finally understand the motives of Dries van Agt, Dick Becker, Medea (Susan) Benjamin, Harry van Bommel, Alima Boumediene-Thiery, Jimmy Carter, Noam Chomsky, Gretta Duisenberg, Katherine M. Fuchs, George Galloway, Ronnie Kasrils, Cynthia McKinney, Anja Meulenbelt, Cindy Sheehan, Starhawk, Louie Vitale, Alice Walker, Roger Waters, and Ann Wright.

Fun and Games With Hamasniks

On Sunday, having thoroughly rested up, I headed to Union Square, to be a counterprotester against the pro-Hamas demo happening there.

Specifically, it was supposed to be candelight memorial service, to mourn those killed during Operation Cast Lead, and you sort of feel bad counterprotesting a memorial service. Until you show up, and notice the vile anti-Semitic signage, and the chants of "From the river to the sea", and QUIT standing happily out with their banner, and the paper-mache puppets, and you realize that this isn't a memorial service, this is another dang Hamas rally.

The opposition had the steps leading into Union Square, corner closest to the Powell Street BART, so we lined up on the opposite side of the street, streaming past Max Azria, Victoria's Secret, and the Westin St. Francis, which happened that day to be flying the flag of Saudi Arabia, just to make everything completely deranged.

A fairly low-key evening, really. Cold. Me clutching a sign with a message about gay Palestinians in one hand, and one with the faces of children killed in Sderot in the other, singing "Oseh Shalom" and stamping my feet. Assorted Japanese tourists took pictures--I suspect that we have ended up in many a photo album, as an example of real American protestors. We wound up around six o'clock.

One thing I have not entirely worked out is how to deal with the people who drive by in the stalled traffic in SUVs, waving Palestinian flags and screaming at you, when they roll down the back windows and encourage their small ones to do likewise. I am torn, between stony-faced "Am Yisrael Chai!" yelling, and smiling and waving at the children. Hard to do both, especially when both hands are full.

Meanwhile, Code Pink is still stalled in Cairo, although apparently a group of them are to be let through.

CODE PINK CAUSES MINOR BLIP AT AIPAC DINNER

Here's a report from the perpetually-out-of-touch side about a very minor disruption of the AIPAC dinner in San Francisco two weeks ago. It is lifted directly from the code pink blog at:
http://codepink4peace.org/blog/2009/12/sf-activists-arrested-at-aipac-dinner/


Be forewarned: the dear ladies of the slightly-less-than-clued-in-ilk are in boast-mode here, so there is far less in the text than meets the eye.

BEGIN CITE:

"SF activists arrested at AIPAC dinner "
[CUT]
"Activists with the women’s peace group CODEPINK took their message of no war and occupation to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) gala dinner at the Hilton Towers Hotel in San Francisco on December 15th. "

"As the AIPAC Executive Director, Howard Kohr, gave a national briefing, he had indicated that AIPAC is ready to come to the negotiating table with the Palestinians. Nancy Mancias and Victoria Quevedo rose up out of their seats and said “How can the Palestinians come to table if they live under constant oppression and occupation.” "

"While chanting “No War, No Occupation, Free Palestine” private security immediately lifted Mancias and Quevedo up from beneath their arms and ejected them from the ballroom. The two were handed over to the San Francisco Police who then handcuffed, searched, arrested and transferred them to the Tenderloin Police station where they were cited and released."

[Editorial note: Both deranged individuals will appear in court in early 2009.]


FURTHER QUOTE:
"While AIPAC claims to represent the U.S. Jewish community, its wholesale support of the Israel government goes against the majority opinions of the Jewish Americans. According to a recent survey by the Jewish lobby group J Street, 76 percent of American Jews support a two-state solution, 69 percent support negotiating with a Fatah-Hamas unity government, and 59 percent felt the Gaza invasion did not improve Israel’s security. "
END QUOTE


As may be seen from the text above, Nancy Mancias and Victoria Quevedo are unaware of several pertinent facts, and quite capable of obscuring or obfuscating when their verkrampte ideology demands it. The allegedly Jewish Lobbying group J Street does not represent the majority opinions of the Jewish Americans, and in fact works hand in glove with such declared enemies of Jews, Judaism, the United States, and Israel, as the Palestinian lobby, Saudi stooges, and people like Jimmy Carter (a peanut farmer of note).

This blog fervently hopes that authorities throw the book at Ms. Mancias and Ms. Quevedo.
The antics of the Medea-Benjaminites have ceased to entertain, having long since passed beyond the edge of relevance.
Undemocratic actions by extremists, no matter how zany, should have no place in American discourse.

CODE PINK THRILLED!

Pursuant the activists of Code Pink staging a two hour per day hunger strike outside the Egyptian consulate for three consecutive days, in solidarity with their companions touring Egypt, a correspondent sends the following letter:


"MORE HUMMUS, LESS HAMAS"

"This afternoon with Code pink was delightful! They were thrilled to see us when we pulled up. Loved our table, chairs and cheery pink table cloth. Looked really, really confused when we started pulling out food. Turned ashen grey when we festooned them with Israeli flags. Had a lovely Egyptian boy translate the Arabic pages from Palestine today for Code Pink. Code Pink (nevertheless) insists all that food came in through the tunnels. "

[Please note: letter slightly modified for 'clarity'.]


The Code Pink activists involved in this jolly adventure are Nancy Mancias and Leslie Angeline.
[Steffy mentions them on her blog here: Code Pink, in other news.]

They intend to DELIBERATELY. NOT. EAT. while in the public view for two hours. Yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Two hours. Three days. Two hours of non-eating per day.
It will be hard. They want you to come witness their suffering.


SOLIDARITY

Apparently the Egyptians are treating their visitors brutally, harassing and intimidating them with sumptuous buffets and air-conditioned tourist-class hotels, as well as the lovely sights and smells of Cairo. There are lots of picturesque spots suitable for snapshots and romantic moments in the bazaars and parks of MisrAlQahira (don't forget to visit the old city, fi wast al balad), as well as a lovely promenade in Alexandria ('Al Eskenderiyya') for quiet moments. The pyramids and the sphinx need no mention, of course, but you really should visit the Cairo Museum. Finish your day at one of the hundreds of exciting nightspots for which this Paris-on-the-Nile is justly famous!
It will be a trip that no revolutionary-pretendeur will ever forget.

Oooops, errrm, I mean, a number of the "activists" stuck in Egypt seem determined to starve themselves until the Egyptian government gets tired of them.
They don't like melookhia anyway!


NOTE: One of the tourists currently holding her own self hostage in Egypt is Hedy Epstein, who labels herself a holocaust survivor, despite having spent the war comfortably in England. She is well-known to many people, having been a professional pro-Arab speaker on behalf of the International Solidarity Movement, which functions as the collaborationist clearinghouse for Hamas, Hezbollah, and reportedly sometimes Iran


 Enjoy the photos from the Code Pink "hunger strike" at the Egyptian Consulate in San Francisco:

Pro Hamas Rally San Francisco Union Square Dec 27 2009

A small selection of snapshots taken at the recent pro-Hamas rally in Union Square. Feel free to print them out and use them as postcards.



One of the tried and true tactics used by ideologues is to involve children as an element in the discourse to castigate the side that they oppose. Remarkably, that never works both ways - the Middle East Children's Alliance (MECA) standardly refuses to accept that Israelis have children ("those are all occupiers!), and is unconcerned entirely about children brutalized by Hamas.
Like many political "charities", MECA serves primarily as a vehicle of employment for its activists and founders.

If this woman's sign were true, there would now be eight hundred thousand dead children.

This sign is an instant classic.

Not only is the soldier an anti-Semitic stereotype - so is his victim! By which we can see that the artist's attitude is not 'pro-Palestinian' but anti-Semitic in the broadest possible sense.
A more cliché and subhuman depiction of both sides is hard to imagine. The artist has no sympathy for either.

Using an electric drill to torture one's captives is a favorite tactic not only of Hamas, but also several other revolutionary groups in the Middle-East. It has been used to great effect by warlords and drugdealers in Lebanon as well as Hezbollah, by the Ba'ath governments of Syria and Iraq, and by various Arab intelligence services.

Odd Job Rob Kanter of Emeryville, a man remarkable for his inability to criticize any politically correct bigots.

I particularly remember the time he tried to justify chants by Arab-American activists that called Jews dogs ("al Yahud kalabna") and demanded that they be slaughtered ("itbach al Yahud"). He has (seemingly) never had a problem standing side by side with anyone who demonizes Israel, Jews, or the United States.

He is a member of the Anti-Zionist Jews ("IJAN") as well as Bay Area Women in Black.

To the best of my knowledge he is NOT a member of San Francisco chapter of Women in Black, as they do not permit men in their ranks, and are frequently nauseated by the presence of males (even once objecting that a nearby dog was of incorrect gender).

It is also unlikely that he is a member of Code Pink - Medea Benjamin prefers uncomplicated people. But like her, he supports Cuba, Venezuela, and Iran, and likes campfires and barbecues, holding hands, long walks on the beach, and practicing native American chants and spirituality.

At least, we presume so.

Hamas rally in San Francisco Sunday December 27

Yesterday the pro-Palestinians came together to celebrate Hamas' glorious victory exactly one year ago today.
By which I mean that they congregated for the purpose of screaming threats and reciting names, in order to make Israel seem evil after the people of Gaza fired off over six thousand rockets in three years and thus precipitated a war.
Which they lost on the ground.

But in cyber space, where Israel is ALWAYS the bad guy, Hamas won the war. Largely due to such willing collaborators as the Wallach sisters, Rob Kanter, and Paul Larudee (just to name a few locals).
And the falsehoods that they are not averse to spreading.



THE SIDE OF DARKNESS

The event was at Union Square, from four to six. On the Hamas side, several local activists including the Queers United against Israeli Terror (who find Islamic repression of different sexualities not a problem - all Arab gays and lesbians should hurry back into the closet), Jewish Voice for Peace (clueless), Rob Kanter (class by himself - selfasserted anti-Israel Jew who associates with known anti-Semites and racists), ISM, BAWIB, several members of International ANSWER, and several dozen badly behaved Arab-American brats.

The Arab-American brats dominated the Hamas side.

Pro-Hamas people: about one hundred.



THE SIDE OF LIGHT

On the pro-Israel side, members of Stand With US / San Francisco Voice for Israel, plus sympathisers from Berkeley, Palo Alto, San Jose, and elsewhere. Several energetic young people of college age, several resolute middle-aged persons, and a number of resilient retirees.

Pro-Israel people: slightly over one hundred.

It was not a very noisy manifestation, mostly, as the pro-Hamas side couldn't get their sound system to work (it doesn't go straight up into the air). A few of the sons of liquor store owners screamed invective, one or two waved flags till their little arms drooped.

At one point their performance was so boring I went into the Victoria's Secret Store to browse. I wasn't the only teenager there, but I had no luck. I do not wear thongs. And the least slut-like garb Vicky sells is big as a bucket.

When I came out again, the Arab children were chanting "Palestine will be free from the river to the sea".
Which is code for promising to exterminate several million Jews.


"PALESTINE WILL BE FREE FROM THE RIVER TO THE SEA ('AND WE'LL KILL ALL THE JEWS WE HAVE TO, TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN')"


It's as peace-loving a chant as I've ever heard from Arabs and their willing idiots.
Their middle-class white baby sitters said nothing. They're okay with that.

The Wallach sisters are okay with that.
Medea Benjamin, Cindy Sheehan, Toby Blome, and Kate Bender Raphael are okay with that.
Hassan Fouda and Marilyn Fouda are okay with that.
Anisa Abd el Fattah, Jamal Bashir, Noura, Gamel, Afifa, Naeema, Alai, Hanan, and Lilly Haskell are all okay with that.
Dick Becker and his worker-bee Forrest are okay with that.
Jim Harris is okay with that.
Heck, the entire city of Berkeley is okay with that.
Ethnic cleansing is just dandy when Arabs do it.

[All of the above named, with the possible exception of the entire city of Berkeley, have stood side by side with hate-filled thugs and troglodytes yelling that threat. As well as several other slogans - ba rooh, ba dam, nafdeek ya falasteen, falasteen baladna wal yahood kalabna, al mawt al yahood, itbakh al yahood, etcetera. The entire city of Berkeley may have been agreement with these slogans, but has not actually said so en masse - at least not that I can prove. But they probably will soon. Berkeley always sympathises with third-world thugs. It's the revolutionary thing to do. Makes them feel special.]



GAZA FACTS

Key Statistics

• 1 million: Israeli civilians under threat from Hamas rocket fire.
• 15: Seconds Israelis have to get to a bomb shelter once a warning siren has sounded.
• 2 million: Leaflets the Israel Air Force dropped on Gaza during Operation Cast Lead, warning civilians to stay clear of Hamas fighters.
• 200,000: Phone calls made by the Israeli army to civilians in Gaza warning of an impending strike near their residences.
• 8: Years Israel has endured rocket, missile and mortar fire from Gaza.
• 1: Israeli left in Gaza – Staff Sgt. Gilad Shalit,] kidnapped by Hamas from Israel on June 25, 2006.
• 3,200+: Rockets and mortar fired from Gaza in 2008.
• 6,500+: Rockets and mortars fired from Gaza since Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005.
• 10,389: Rockets and mortars fired from Gaza 2001-2008.
• 1,000+: People in Israel injured from rockets and mortars fired from Gaza since 2001.
• 27: Number of people killed by Palestinian rocket and mortar attacks since 2001.
• 242: Rockets, missiles and mortars fired at Israel from Gaza since the end of Operation Cast Lead.


Hamas Terrorism

• 727: Rockets and mortars fired from Gaza, January – September 2009.
• 17: Attacks on Gaza goods crossings by Palestinian terrorist groups in 2008.
• 80: Percent of mosques in Gaza which Hamas reportedly controls, some of which are used for weapons storage, command and communications headquarters.
• 37 mi (60km): Range of Hamas rockets in Gaza acquired after Operation Cast Lead.
• 2.5 mi (4 km): Range of Hamas’s anti-tank missiles, smuggled into Gaza since the end of Operation Cast Lead.
• 1,500: Number of smuggling tunnels between Gaza and Egypt (estimate).
• 59 ft (18 m)/6.8 mi (11 km): Length and depth of metal fence Egypt is building on Sinai-Gaza border to prevent tunnel smuggling operations.
• 22 mi (35 km): Distance between Gaza and Yavneh - the northernmost Israeli city hit by Gaza rockets on Dec. 28, 2009.
• 900: Hamas operatives trained by Iran.
• $20 million - $30 million: Funding Iran provides annually to Hamas. Iran gave Hamas another $50 million following Hamas’s victory in the 2006 Palestinian elections.


Israel’s Aid to Gaza

• 900: Percent increase in humanitarian aid delivered to Gaza in 2009, compared to 2008.
• 630,253: Tons of humanitarian aid delivered to the Gaza Strip, Jan. 19 – Dec. 13, 2009.
• 24.5 million gallons (92.7 million liters): Heavy-duty diesel fuel delivered to the Gaza Strip, Jan. 19 – Oct. 31, 2009.
• 10,346: Gaza residents who entered Israel for medical and humanitarian reasons, Jan.19 – Nov. 7, 2009.
• 57,295 tons: Monthly average of humanitarian aid entering Gaza since Operation Cast Lead, Jan. 19 – Dec. 5, 2009.
• 11,508: Monthly average (in tons) of humanitarian aid entering Gaza from February – June 2008, a period of intense rocket fire.
• 34,253 tons: Monthly average of humanitarian aid entering Gaza during period of calm, July - December 2008.
• 18,500: Permits Israel issued to Gaza residents to enter Israel or travel overseas in 2009.
• 28,400: Flowers from Gaza scheduled for export to Europe on Dec. 10, 2009.
• 250,000: Flowers from Gaza scheduled for export beginning Dec. 13, 2009.


[SOURCE: The Israel Project: http://www.theisraelproject.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=hsJPK0PIJpH&b=689705&ct=6478505 ]


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END

At around six fifteen, the pro-Israel pro-peace side got tired of the tantrums from the spoiled children of liquor store owners, and decided to head out to dinner, leaving misbehaved delinquents and high-school drop-outs to shout into an empty street.
I hope they all caught cold. We have too many liquor stores in San Francisco.

What do these people have in common?

Here is a list of people who have crippled moral and ethical sensibilities.

What ELSE do they have in common?

Adam Keller
Anat Biletski
Anat Matar
Beate Zilversmidt
Cynthia McKinney
David Theo Goldberg
Hava Kelleradam
Howard Zinn
John Berger
Katherine M. Fuchs
Leslie Feinberg
Luisa Morgantini
Mairead Maguire
Mustafa Barghouti
Noam Chomsky, MIT
Norman Finklestein
Phyllis Bennis
Rashid Khalidi
Roger Waters
Ronnie Kasrils
Sut Jhally
Tarun J. Tejpal


No, it isn't membership in a socialist sex-cult. That would be relatively harmless.

Hint: it is illegal in the US, but NOT in the Arab world. Where, like the sexual exploitation, abuse and murder of religious minorities, gays, and women, it is pandemic.

Women in Black celebrating the birth of Jesus

Due to the nativity of their lord, Berkeley Women in Black will NOT be holding their usual mute vigil today. Instead, they will be giving toy kalashnikovs and little checkered scarves to their grand-children, and singing reworked carols that specifically include mention of the remarkable machismatic similarities between imprisoned Palestinian activists and the young radical Jesus.

We wish them a merry, politically correct, sufferingly meaningful, and Berkeleyite in every way Christmas. Even the Methodists among them.
Enjoy your roast tofu and wheat-germ, girls, you deserve it!

We'll see you again on the thirty first. Bring booze this time.

Overcoming Speechlessness

I notice that Alice Walker has reposted to her blog an essay entitled "Overcoming Speechlessness: a Poet Encounters "the horror" in Rwanda, Eastern Congo, and Palestine/Israel". I had thought to write something about this essay when I first read it, but I put it aside. Other matters were pressing, and, well, I didn't know where to begin. But now it's back, and rather than grinding my teeth, I'm overcoming my own speechlessness and saying something, hardly everything there is to say, about it.

Beginning:

It's hard to know how to begin to tackle this enormous, sprawling, hateful and clueless essay. Maybe at the top, where there is a picture of Walker posing with "Hamas Sister, Huda Naim, Member of Parliament, and Mother of five children". Maybe just a piece at a time, picking out a piece or two that got my Irish up.

Walker begins the essay with an account of meetings and travels in Africa. She begins with the stories of women in Rwanda and Congo who have survived things that make you want to scream to think of them. And then, she brings us to her understanding of Israel:

Like most people on the planet, I have been aware of the Palestinian-Israel conflict almost my whole life. I was four years old in 1948 when, after being
subjected to unspeakable cruelty by the Germans, after a "holocaust" so many future disasters would resemble, thousands of European Jews were resettled in Palestine. They settled in a land that belonged to people already living there, which did not seem to bother the British who, as in India, had occupied Palestine and then, on leaving it, helped put in place a partitioning of the land they thought would work fine for the people, strangers, Palestinians and European Jews, now forced to live together.

Does the willful ignorance take away your breath yet? The "holocaust" in quotes, which doesn't reflect past treatment of Jews but 'future' disasters, the European Jews who passively "were settled" there? The ignorance of the history of Zionism, of the thriving communities of Jews already living in the land, working and living on land they owned? The communities of Jews living in what is now Israel, since Ottoman times or before? The people who came during the ninteenth century, and the first half of the twentieth, to build a country? The non-European Jews who came after the war--oh, Alice, tell me why you think they came from countries they had lived in since the Babylonian Empire was a going political power, lands like Iraq and Egypt? That's not to even bring up the Jewish people's connection to and presence on this land going back to the Bronze Age, which I'm sure Alice doesn't take into account at all.

So this woman knows nothing, nothing at all, about Israeli history, and yet she is going to write an essay about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. From the heart, one supposes.

So many Jews.

Alice wants you to know about all the Jews, seeking justice, who went to Gaza with her. This includes:

A woman in her late fifties or early sixties stood at the front of the bus, as we passed donkey carts and Mercedes Benzes, and spoke of traveling to Palestine without her husband, a Jewish man who was born in Palestine. Several times they had come back to Palestine, renamed Israel, to see family. To attend graduations, weddings, and funerals. Each time they were held for hours at the airport as her husband was stripped, searched, interrogated, and threatened when he spoke up for himself. In short, because his passport was stamped with the place of his birth, Palestine, he was treated like a Palestinian. This Jewish husband sent his best wishes, but he could no longer endure travel in so painful a part of the world.

A Jewish man who was born in Palestine? How could that be, Alice? I thought they were resettled after the war by the Brits. Oh, never mind. I am supposed to believe that Israeli customs officials have never seen a passport issued to someone born in British Palestine before, and treat him like an enemy, because he is 'Palestinian'? Alice, sorry, but this is BS. Your ignorance of the country you see as the stronghold of racism and discrimination is leading you to swallow bubbemeisehs.

Let me tell you another story, and ask why you think this man's wife was not on the bus with you. The grandfather of a woman I know used to go every year, by train, to British Palestine, to pray at the Tomb of the Patriarch. It's a long train ride from Baghdad to Hebron, but he went every year, and then he prayed, not at the Tomb itself, because Jews were not allowed inside, but from the outside, as close as he was permitted to the shrine itself. His children and grandchildren now live in Israel and the United States, because within a decade of the founding of the State of Israel, Iraq was no longer a safe place to live as a Jew. Alice, did your guides introduce you to anyone who could tell you a story like this? Why do you think this man's wife, or his daughter, were not on your bus to tell their stories?

Rubble.

And she describes Gaza, and she asks: If children are not safe playing in their schoolyards, where are they safe?

And I think of pictures of children dead in Sderot, and I wonder at this woman's inability to see more than one snapshot of a conflict.

May God Protect You From The Jews

Alice encounters an old woman in Gaza:

I gave her a gift I had brought, and she thanked me. Looking into my eyes she said: May God protect you from the Jews. When the young Palestinian interpreter told me what she’d said, I responded: It’s too late, I already married one.

What a moment of solidarity, between the Palestinian woman and the leftist American novelist. A racial slur. Beautiful. But of course, Alice has a reason:

I said this partly because, like so many Jews in America, my former husband could not tolerate criticism of Israel’s behavior toward the Palestinians. Our very different positions on what is happening now in Palestine/Israel and what has been happening for over fifty years, has been perhaps our most severe disagreement. It is a subject we have never been able to rationally discuss. He does not see the racist treatment of Palestinians as the same racist treatment of blacks and some Jews that he fought against so nobly in Mississippi.

I wonder, Alice, if that might be because you've never bothered to learn the true history and the more complicated stories, and when you hear that from him, you turn off your ears and close your heart. But, no, clearly the ethnic slurs are justified.

I'm being mocking here because I don't know how else to respond. The sheer, stupid, self-justifying ugliness in this passage stopped my heart for a moment.

It's the pretension of awareness that gets to me. The self-anointing as struggler in a cause seen out of context, seen with no historical understanding, or knowledge of the broader world. The photographs with the Hamas 'Sister', with no understanding of what Hamas is, what they have done, who they are. The justifications for everything. The unwavering willingness to be the latest poor dumb American to come along and not look for any hidden truth or moral ambiguities.

May I never have to overcome speechlessness when it comes to lies and ignorance like this.

MIDDLE EAST GANGSTER REGIMES

Treppenwitz has a cogent posting today with which I cannot but agree. So, as has happened before, he is guest-posting here.

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Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Double standard? What double standard?!

As the late Mr. Roger's used to sing, "Who are the people in your neighborhood, in your neighborhood, in your nei-bor-hood...?" Let's take a peek, shall we?

Jordan...a country and monarchy invented out of whole cloth by the British (in direct violation of their Mandate) which everyone loves to think of as the most enlightened, democratic member of the Arab world.
Well, guess what?
'King' Abdullah just dissolved the legislature and pushed off elections indefinitely.
Outrage? Anyone... anyone? Oh yeah, I forgot. We have to respect their unique culture.

Lebanon... Another 'enlightened' Arab state. 'Paris of the Mediterranean' they like to call it. A cafe culture so close to our own that misguided lefty Israeli journalists are compelled to do a Jane Fonda-esque cameo from Beirut within hours of a shameful end to a war... a war that was started by these peace-loving, latte-sipping Lebanese! These same Lebanese now count Hezbollah - a terrorist militia that was supposed to be disarmed under the terms of U.N. Resolution 1701 - as part of their government. For context, that would be like the KKK holding a veto-wielding majority in the U.S. Congress, and also being given the right to raise and command their own army.

Syria... Another country made up out of whole cloth... this time by the French. Funny how Europeans who love to toss the word 'Colonial Power'' at Israel conveniently forget that it was Israel's neighbors that were created in the last gasp of the colonial era, while Israel was voted into being by a recognized legal world body. But don't tell that to any of the religious or ethnic minorities in the Arab world... it might stir them from their satisfied slumber. Syria's constitution requires that all positions of power remain in the hands of the Ba'ath party... and even though there is a national referendum for president every seven years, the Syrian people are essentially required to appoint the head of the Ba'ath Party as President. Thus this bastion of democracy is essentially saddled forever with a dynastic ethnic minority (Alawite) leader who also happens to head a minority political party.

Iran... Do we really need to do this exercise? They call themselves an Islamic Republic yet ironically consider Israel's self definition as a Jewish state to be racist. And as to the 'republic' part, any country where the highest office - called 'The Supreme Leader' - is a religious leader and not subject to election... well, I don't think you'll find that one in Wikipedia under 'Republic'. And as to their elections... I think we can pretty much agree that the outcome of these farces are set and approved by the Supreme leader well before anyone goes near a ballot box.

Iraq... Okay, since the U.S. kinda pushed the 'reset' button on the Iraqi government and all instruments of power when they invaded, it will be some time before we know what the political face of this country will look like long-term. But the likelihood that anybody will be playing nice with anyone else once the U.S. leaves the sandbox is not very high.

Saudi Arabia... Pshah! Another theocracy (see Iran, above) in a region where only Israel is castigated for religious 'offences'. The Saudis cut off the hands and feet of petty criminals and behead drug dealers. The Royal family is a dysfunctional nightmare from the dark ages, and less than 5% of Saudi women are allowed to work (the lowest percentage in the world). Heck, Saudi women aren't even allowed to drive! And if you wants to talk about freedom of speech... well you'd better not be in Saudi Arabia because it doesn't exist. There are actual laws against criticizing the government or anyone in the royal family.

Yemen... Another so-called 'republic'... this country is a model of a modern democracy, if you don't count the rampant corruption, torture, inhumane treatment of political prisoners and even extra-judicial executions. But on the feminist front there seems to be some progress (not!). They have recently abolished the rule whereby the onset of puberty marked the minimum age for a girl's marriage.
Apparently those romantic Yemenis couldn't wait that long to bed their child brides. Again, outrage anyone?

Gaza... Puleeze, can anyone say failed proto-state? If anyone were to faithfully document the situation in Gaza and make it into a movie, the American Muslim Anti Discrimination Committee would protest the absurd depiction of the adherents to 'the religion of peace' as sub-human terrorists.

Egypt... Okay, this one is really scary in much the same way as watching a car crash in slow motion. We have an aging autocrat hanging on to power by the skin of his teeth while the Muslim Brotherhood is already passing out portfolios in anticipation of their inevitable rise to power. Even though in theory the executive power is split between the President and Prime Minister, in reality all of the power rests with the president. Mubarak has even changed the election laws, raising the threshold for potential opposing candidates so high that he is virtually assured to remain in power for however much time remains of his life.

So it was beyond laughable when the current Israeli government was being formed, that much of the world (including our closest allies) bemoaned the end of Israeli democracy because Netanyahu's choice for Foreign Minister had some, let's just say 'controversial' opinions. And the two countries from the list of thugocracies above that are actually on speaking terms with us (Jordan and Egypt) had the gall to announce that they wouldn't meet with our FM. Nice.

Seriously, when are we going to simply announce to the world that we will play by whatever rules they want... but only if everyone will be bound by the same rules? How's that for a controversial opinion?!


SOURCE:
http://bogieworks.blogs.com/treppenwitz/
This post:
http://www.treppenwitz.com/2009/12/double-standard-what-double-standard.html


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In point of fact, while Israel may not be perfect, as so many members of the ultra-enlightened fringe always take pains to point out, it is the only modern and civilized country in the Middle-East. The rest are little more than thug-bucket tyrannies, whose people still have a long way to go. And they aren't going to get there anytime soon. Not while they and the despots that rule them adhere to feudal mores and barbaric values.


"We have to respect their unique culture"


Actually, I respect their food. Their cultures do not particularly impress me.
Yes, back in the dark ages, they had algebra and medicine. That early promise has not manifested itself more significantly since then.
They also had slavery, repression, and tyranny.
Which, more or less, is remarkably similar to their present state.

There are indeed enlightened Arabs - many enlightened Arabs. They are constantly threatened by their own regimes, and often brutally slaughtered. Do not expect them to speak out on their own behalf - doing so would be committing suicide.

The only ones who can speak out for them are the 'ultra-enlightened' members of Western Societies. Who, alas, seem more concerned with "respecting their unique culture".

It is the unique cowardice and hypocrisy of the European socialists and the American leftwing which keeps Arabs from ever realizing their potential.
A hot-house culture of Colourful Ethnics is so much easier to deal with.

Egypt Says No to the Gaza Freedom March

Egypt has made the decision that it doesn't want to be responsible for 1000 Code pinkers wandering through its territory. And so the email deluge begins. Did you all get this whining little missive from "Jewish Peace News"? :

We are determined to break the siege. We all will continue to do whatever we can to make it happen

Using the pretext of escalating tensions on the Gaza-Egypt border, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry informed us yesterday that the Rafah border will be closed over the coming weeks, into January. We responded that there is always tension at the border because of the siege, that we do not feel threatened, and that if there are any risks, they are risks we are willing to take. We also said that it was too late for over 1,300 delegates coming from over 42 countries to change their plans now. We both agreed to continue our exchanges.

Although we consider this as a setback, it is something we've encountered -and overcome- before. No delegation, large or small, that entered Gaza over the past 12 months has ever received a final OK before arriving at the Rafah border. Most delegations were discouraged from even heading out of Cairo to Rafah. Some had their buses stopped on the way. Some have been told outright that they could not go into Gaza. But after public and political pressure, the Egyptian government changed its position and let them pass.

Our efforts and plans will not be altered at this point. We have set out to break the siege of Gaza and march on December 31 against the Israeli blockade. We are continuing in the same direction.

Egyptian embassies and missions all over the world must hear from us and our supporters (by phone, fax and email)** over the coming crucial days, with a clear message: Let the international delegation enter Gaza and let the Gaza Freedom March proceed.

Contact your local consulate here: http://www.mfa. gov.eg/MFA_ Portal/en- GB/mfa_websits/

Contact the Palestine Division in Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Cairo
Ahmed Azzam, tel +202-25749682 Email: ahmed.azzam@ mfa.gov.eg

In the U.S., contact the Egyptian Embassy, 202-895-5400 and ask for Omar Youssef or email omaryoussef@ hotmail.com

Tell them there is no "Siege". Tell them just this month
* The amount of merchandise entering the Gaza Strip increased - over 64,000 tons (89% from the private sector and only 11% from the international community) of food, medicines, hygiene products, clothing, agricultural supplies, and cement.
* Fuel: Almost 10 million liters of diesel fuel for the power station and over 1,100 tons of cooking gas were delivered to the Gaza Strip.
* 7,000 heads of cattle were imported for the Eid al-Adha holiday.
* 1,862 Palestinians crossed from the Gaza Strip into Israel, the West Bank and the Allenby Bridge crossing.
* 848 International staff members entered the Gaza Strip.
* 83 Israelis entered the G.S for humanitarian reasons.
* The Erez Terminal renovations are almost complete on the Palestinian side. All that is needed is the installation of the electrical wiring in order to complete the project. This should be accomplished in December.
* The Power Plant in Gaza received 12 new transformers as well as other electrical equipment.
* The North Gaza Wastewater facility was discussed at several meetings between World Bank officials and members of the Palestinian and Israeli infrastructure teams.
* Communications equipment was delivered to the Palestinian Water Authority.


And tell the Code Pinkers the pyramids of Giza are much more educational than the Gaza strip

Aipac protests in San Francisco

The subheading of this post should be: "In the words of Eric Cartman, 'I hate you guys, I hate you guys so very very much!'."


Wednesday 12/15/2009, San Francisco: Last night AIPAC came to town. As every year, that attracted the Israel haters and psychopaths. Which includes the following short list


• AlAwda.
• ANSWER.
• Code Pink (represented by Toby and someone of indeterminate gender).
• International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network (saboteurs, the sexually frustrated, damaged psyches, and mister Kanter).
• International Solidarity Movement, (Paul Larudee and assorted fans of Hamas and Hezbollah).
• Jim Harris (a simple soul, who just can NOT keep his mouth shut, bless him).
• Joe Webb (an old-style anti-Semite with clothing that advertises insanity).
• Middle East Children's Alliance (only Arab children are children, all others are occupiers).
• Queers Undermining Israeli Terrorism ('Turkeys for Thanksgiving').
• San Francisco State students.
• Stop AIPAC -Bay Area.
• The Bay Area Campaign to End Israeli Apartheid.


There were the usual tantrums from middle-aged Berkeleyites, virulent hate-spews from SFState students and children of liquor store owners, plus anemic chanting and idiotic talking points from the ideologically autistic (yes, Dick Becker, that means you - although Jim Harris did try to steal your thunder).
It was a veritable feast of instability, fantasy, and delusional signage.

Hassan Fouda and his lovely wife Marilyn also showed up, both well-known for justifying violent acts against 'the occupier', and for channeling a unique brand of Jew-hatred - just ask folks in California, Connecticut, and Utah about them, though at least one individual in Maryland begs to differ.
They're pathological, they can't help it.
Thank heavens they found each other.
Theirs is a unique love.

The poltroons from the NLG were under deep cover, possibly as a result of their blatant instigation and agitation at the last manifestation of Jew-hatred. Bad PR, even in San Francisco.
That's okay, we love you girls - say hi to Lily Haskell, I didn't see her last night.

Several members of the anti-Israel crowd were dressed eccentrically: an Uncle Sam, a yogi, Flower Child, Evil Santa, SS Stripper, Raggedy Man, and a teenager with a keffiyeh around his face who does not want his dad to find out that he was jeopardizing his family's stay in the United States (don't worry, we won't tell).


Again, most of the crowd of hate-filled zealots was comprised of self-righteous middle-aged ladies from Berkeley, a few of whom are Jewish, though there are also many Methodists, Presbyterians, Unitarians, and Wiccans among their ranks.
This year no obvious infiltrators from Lily Haskell's little clique - again, we didn't see her or her handler - and far-fewer of the potentially violent teenagers that Dick Becker so likes; ANSWER has waned to such an extent that worry is evident on Dick Becker's wan face.
Also missing from the fray was Becker's chief flunky (Forrest Chump), maybe he's finally found gainful employment? If so, kudos.

I was very surprised to see Paul Larudee - after that ridiculous stuttering talk he gave in Oakland on Monday night, I though he had had enough of us.
You know Paul, two years ago you were saying that the Palestinians were descendants of the ancient Philistines, now you're claiming that they are Jews who first converted to Christianity, then converted to Islam. Can you at least be consistent? Or will you keep making it up as you go along, you wily devil?
Even Kate Bender Rafael is more reliable than you, she's dumb as an ox ALL the time.
Of course, you're still better than Rob Kanter.
You may be more ethical, too.
No actual record.

About forty pro-Israel activists, no more than a hundred anti-Israel individuals. Quite the worst turn-out for the radical pro-Palestinians in years. Pathetic.

Zionism- controlling the media, finance and impeding evolution

Every Friday for years, Berkeley Women in Black has made a practice of harassing students at UC Berkeley. Students at the University call this phenomenon "Black Friday". According to one blogger,
"The only thing more Berkeley than having an inflammatory opinion is gathering together a cadre of similarly-minded people and staging an unimpressive display to annoy passers-by."

Berkeley Women in Black have accused Israel and the Jewish people of controlling the media, government, and the banking industry for years. However on Friday Dec 4, Berkeley Women in Black (now including people of indeterminate gender) added a new accusation to the repertoire of dastardly Zionist deeds. Apparently the tag team of great Satan and little Satan is now "impeding evolution".

Berkeley Women in Black- bringing a bit of dreariness and surrealism into Berkeley, each and every Friday.