Demon Israel

What a brilliant piece of work by the anti-Israel PR machine,

demonize Israel and the media loves it.

As I watched the AP (they used to be press associated with news, now views)

report on the “Palestinian Freedom Riders” tweeted around the world.

I could only think of the talk by Professor Robert Wistrich,

Head of the Vidal Sassoon International Center for the Study of Antisemitism

at Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

The claim that Israel is “stealing of indigenous people’s land

by the colonial whites” is becoming respectable.

The liberal center and moderate left in Britain find it

  “legitimate to be anti-Israel” using this narrative.

What could be better than a comparison to the Old South in the US

and the non-violent resistance of black public bus passengers.

One photo of the ‘orchestrated arrest’ was used by Newsday for an item,

“Gaza Militants fire rockets after Israeli threat,”

so much for a balanced report of

 a Gazan missile hit on an Israeli kindergarten building.

One of the best views of the Old City

and Jerusalem is from the Tayalet.

On the tayalet, by the Sherover Promenade, at the Haas Promenade

at the time “Freedom Riders” were starting out,

two Muslim men were praying,

facing to Mecca with their back sides to the Old City and Jerusalem.

So many photographers were occupied “capturing” the bus publicity stunt,

they once again missed seeing

what is really happening on the Jerusalem streets.

5 thoughts on “Demon Israel

  • November 20, 2011 at 11:33 am
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    Respose to the article “Palestinian ‘Freedom Riders’ arrested on bus to Jerusalem” By Joel Greenberg, Published: November 15

    Photo of an Israeli soldier checking the identity card of a Palestinian activist aboard a bus at Hizma checkpoint on the edge of Jerusalem.
    As an ex-South African, I remember the very uncomfortable feeling that white policemen in South Africa would check the “pass” of blacks, and not check mine, as I am a white female.

    The Palestinian activists said they were demanding the right to travel freely to Jerusalem, to which access from the West Bank is restricted by Israel, and protesting against bus companies running lines serving Jewish settlements. Israel tightened restrictions on entry of Palestinians to Jerusalem after a string of suicide bombings in the city during a violent uprising that erupted in 2000.

    In my view, Palestinians still have to convince Israelis that they desire to live with us in peace so that they CAN travel in vehicles servicing all peoples of this land, pray at their Holy places and “allow” Jews to worship at Holy sites in the West Bank and Gaza. If Palestinians demand the right to travel into Israel, so Israelis have the right to travel into West Bank and Gaza without the fear of being beaten, or worse still, being lynched or shot to death.

    “We are using civil disobedience to disrupt the status quo,” Fadi Quran, one of the activists, said before boarding a bus operated by the Israeli Egged company at a stop serving settlements several miles north of Jerusalem. An Arab headscarf on his shoulders, Quran wore a T-shirt that said: “We shall overcome.”

    Fadi Quran and your activists are welcome into Israel, but first make peace – you do not need to use civil disobediance, you need to open your minds to change for peace. You do not need to struggle for freedom, justice and dignity, it is here in your hands. Talk to us and make peace. You demand the ability to travel freely on our (yours and mine) roads, on our own land (yours and mine), and you are welcome to come to the City of Peace – with peace in your hearts.

    At the Hizma checkpoint on Jerusalem’s northern outskirts, Israeli police boarded the bus for identity checks and asked one of the Palestinians, Badia Dweik of Hebron, whether he had a permit to enter Jerusalem.“Why don’t you ask the settlers for a permit?” Dweik replied, after being asked to present his identity”

    The settlers do not pose a security threat to Jerusalem. Not one settler has EVER dressed up in a suicide belt and threatened the security of innocent people. The building and the fact of settlements are a separate issue which has to be discussed in peace talks.

    Nadim Sharabati from Hebron, sitting next to Dweik, was also told to get off. “Do you demand permits from settlers who come to our area?” he asked. A policeman replied, “Those are the laws.” “Those are racist laws,” Sharabati said. “Tell me, isn’t this racist discrimination between me and the settlers?”

    The racist laws exist in West Bank and Gaza. It has been stated ferociously many times that the West Bank and Gaza would always be “Jew Free” – what is the difference here? Jews cannot travel to West Bank and Gaza because of PALESTINIAN violence, and Palestinians cannot travel to Jerusalem because of PALESTINIAN violence.

    The bus protest, which organizers said would be followed by more.

    Why more? Just talk and make peace and you are welcome. The key is Peace, peace and more peace.

    Esther Cohen (in the bus) said, “When we can ride in an ordinary bus, then they can get on as well.”

    Well said Esther. When Palestinians “allow” Israelis to ride in a bus without bullet-proof windows and protected vehicles, we may all travel in peace and security to all corners of this land without fear.

    You are challanged to talk, make peace with us, and you can have all the freedom, justice and dignity craved for on both sides. And ……. Peace can be achieved without blood and suffering.

    Reply
    • November 20, 2011 at 12:02 pm
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      Avril are these your words in this comment? Brillant! Agree, agree, agree!

      Never in South Africa under apartheid, but growing up in US with Civil Rights active, I found this bus stunt especially offensive,
      as the main stream media lapped it up and ran with the lies and distortions so eagerly.

      I did like the fact that in some photos the Israeli policeman was not “a white colonial occupier”, but his skin color was black.

      Reply
  • November 21, 2011 at 11:36 am
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    I “pulled” the actual article from internet – it was posted by Joel Greenberg and the headline was “Palestinian ‘Freedom Riders’ arrested on bus to Jerusalem”
    The comments are mine – I am just so mad at the one-sided views of apparently intelligent people, One of the so-called peace activists on the last flotilla which was apprehended by our navy was asked why a peace ship was not organized to sail to Syria to help the Syrians. The answer was “the Syrians did not ask for help and there is no blockade on their port”. Over 4,000 people killed by their own brothers!!! and the world is obsessed with the Palestinian issue.

    Reply
    • November 21, 2011 at 11:59 am
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      More are being killed everyday in Syria and now again in Egypt, but these “intelligent people” are against Israel. Did they every inquire how many strawberries Israel helped Gazans export to Europe, they would be shocked at the huge number, if they would ever believe it….

      Reply
  • November 21, 2011 at 1:07 pm
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    I checked out Gaza Strawberries and will be sending it to friends and foes in my address book. We have to make “them” believe ……

    Reply

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