Rabbi Michael Lerner's Home Attacked by Right Wing Zionists

According to a press release issued by Tikkun Magazine, Berkeley police have confirmed that an attack on Michael Rabbi Lerner's home is being investigated as a crime.

Posters attached to the rabbi's door and on his property attacked him personally. They also berated liberals and progressives as being supporters of terrorism and "Islamo-fascism." A bumper sticker affixed on the property read "fight terror--support Israel". On it was a caricature of Judge Goldstone, whose UN report on Israel's human rights violations in its attack on Gaza last year has been denounced as pro-terrorism by right wingers in Israel and the U.S.

According to Tikkun's press release, the vandalism followed on a week of hate mail directed at Rabbi Lerner and the Tikkun staff, and was apparently prompted by Tikkun's announcement that they will give an award to Judge Goldstone because of his courage in standing up for human rights in Israel/Palestine.

According to Tikkun, the announcement of the organization's support for Judge Goldstone "has intensified anger against Lerner and Tikkun among those who seek to perpetuate the Occupation, and great support among those who realize that the Occupation is really hurtful both to Israel and to the Jewish people world-wide."

Tikkun's statement went on to say that this attack has certain particularly worrisome elements. Law enforcement has told Tikkun that by seeking out the rabbi in a place he is vulnerable, his private home, the perpetrators are communicating that they do not want their threats ignored.

Also of deep concern to Tikkun is that "by linking Lerner to alleged terrorism, they provide for themselves and other extremists a 'right-wing justification' to use violence against Lerner, even though Lerner has been a prominent advocate of non-violence."

Rabbi Lerner regularly decries Palestinian acts of violence when they occur, including the shelling of Israeli towns by Hamas, as WELL as criticizing the violence of the Israeli Occupation. He is a critic of the US war in Iraq and Afghanistan, the occupation of Chechnya by Russia, the occupation of Tibet by China, and the human rights violations against their own people by the rulers of Iran. Amongst other statements in support of peace and humanity, Rabbi Lerner has been a critic of the genocide in Darfur and he decries violence against Jews that continues to this day in some parts of Europe.

http://www.tikkun.org/tikkundaily/2010/05/03/right-wing-zionist-threat/