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San Francisco | Anti-WarJewish Anti-War Protesters Met With Right Wing Hate Groups Claiming to be ProIsrael
There are many progressive Jewish groups in the Bay Area and most of them are opposed to Israel's occupation of Gaza and the West Bank. At the June 5th Anti-War protest in San Francisco, Women in Black had a sizable contingent. Unfortunately calls for peace were drowned out by rightwing groups waving American and Israeli flags and carrying signs denigrating Palestinians, the "Left" and even the United Nations.  1_women_in_black2.jpg The international movement of Women in Black began in Jerusalem in January 1988, one month after the first Palestinian intifada broke out, with a small group of Israeli women who carried out a simple form of protest: Once a week at the same hour and in the same location - a major traffic intersection - they donned black clothing and raised a black sign in the shape of a hand with white lettering that read "Stop the Occupation".
The idea spread quickly and spontaneously to other places in Israel. It was a simple form of protest that women could do easily. We didn't have to get to the big city, we could bring our children, there was no chanting or marching, and the medium was the message. Within months, vigils sprang up throughout Israel. Several months after the first Women in Black vigil in Israel, "solidarity vigils" began in other countries: Initial reports came from the United States and Canada, and these later spread to Europe and Australia. Some vigils were primarily Jewish, while in other cities, the groups were mixed Jewish and Palestinian. http://www.adot.com/green/peace/wib.html Read More About Women In Black http://www.commondreams.org/views01/1209-05.htm
Women In Black
 2_women_in_black.jpg Bay Area Women in Black, a group of Jewish feminists and allies, stand in solidarity with Israeli Women in Black who have held silent vigils weekly for fourteen years to protest the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem, and to mourn the Israeli and Palestinian lives that have been lost. We also stand with Women in Black around the world against war, militarization and violence.
Along with our primary focus to bring about a negotiated settlement to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, we take a stand against the impending US war on Iraq. We also stand against the rapid curtailing of our civil liberties and right to dissent in the name of combating terrorism. We stand with Women in Black in Israel who as Arabs and Jews insist, "We refuse to be enemies" We stand with the Jewish people from whose sacred texts come the words, "Choose Life, that you and your children many live." We stand for an end to the Israeli occupation and the evacuation of the Jewish settlements on Palestinian land. We call for Israeli and Palestinian women to be represented in all negotiations leading toward a cease-fire and peace settlement. http://www.womeninblack.org/worldwide/vigil.asp?orgID=11
Women In Black
 3_women_in_black3.jpg Other Progressive Jewish Groups:
http://www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org/ http://www.tikkun.org/ http://www.peacenow.org.il/English.asp http://www.eccmei.net/j/articles.html
A Right-Wing Hate Group That Shows Up At Many Protests
 4_protest_warrior.jpg http://www.protestwarrior.com/
Note from their signs and content on their website that they are not just proIsrael but also espouse many other views of the US far right. Its interesting that even right-wing Jewish groups put up with these guys since while they may support Sharon's actions against Arabs most believe that all Jews will end up in hell for not believing in Jesus. Protest Warrior is closely associated with http://www.freerepublic.com/
Does the right really believe this?
 5_kill_the_jews.jpg
Sign calling for ethnic cleansing in Israel
 6_racist.jpg Arab Israelis are under attack
see http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/FED27702-1D56-4699-8BC1-3415D354D3B6.htm and
Another sign accusing anti-war protesters of being terrorists
 7_terrorists_go_blow_your...
Use of Nazi Comparisons
 8_nazi_comparisons.jpg Rightwing Jewish groups dont seem to mind the use of hyperbolic language comparing protesters to Nazis. Its interesting how upset the same people get when anyone even hints at hyperbolic use of Nazi comparisons when it comes to the Israeli givernment (see http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A49787-2004May23.html )
Another Sign
 9_leftist_garbage.jpg
More Use Of Nazi Imagry
 10_nazi_images.jpg
Sign Attacking The UN
 11_anti_un.jpg
The groups behind the disruptive counterprotest
 12_groups_behind_prowar_a... While http://www.sfvoiceforisrael.org trys to make it sound like the counter-protest was about progressives who have issues with anti-Semitism among anti-war protesters, the real purpose of the counterprotest was an attempt to equate Jewish indentity with conservatism and support for Bush and his other social policies. A secondary purpose could perhaps be to provoke a response by leftists and perhaps slowly build up antiSemitism so it can be used as a rallying cry to get Jewish Americans to vote Repubolican (right now a majority of Jewish Americans vote Democrat and oppose the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, but a rise in anti-Semitism among leftists could change that)
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