Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Thanks to Hillel Stavis for the following photos and video from what looks to have been a very successful rally/counter-protest.
First, from Andy W., one of the participants:
Score one for the good guys.
Just back from a very solid showing of 150 - 200 hearty souls braving the cold and standing strong for Israel before the consulate with Israel and American flags. "Hey Hey Ho Ho Hamas Has Go To Go", "No Terror. No Hamas" and "Stop Your Terror. Stop Your Bombs. There'll Be Peace When Hamas Is Gone" rang out from our crowd across the street to the 100 anti-Israel protesters. Not a lot of car traffic but many passing by were supportive of the good guys. I heard Fox News was out as well.
We concluded with Am Yisrael Chai, HaTikva, a wonderful American Star Spangled Banner (causing even more distress among our foes), and Oseh Shalom Bimromav. Just great ruach. And after 1.5 hours it was the other side exited stage left. They started this protest - We finished it. Hamas started this war - and the IDF will finish it (with more care than any other military in the world to prevent civilian losses)
Hats off to Ari and Nancy of JCRC for their hard work and official call to action. As well as other groups and activist making this a success -- Charles Jacobs early efforts, Rabbi Rodkin of Shaloh with some great signs, the "Goats" activists. I also saw Barry Shrage and the CJP email. I know David Project and CAMERA supporters were out as well. Of course y'shar koach to our locals that trekked in. And Boston's finest gets a nod for good ref-ing.
Very important to keep challenging the other side. It is still "Hammer Time" and I like the score since last night: Maccabees 2 : Plishtim 0
First, video of the Pro-Hamas side. Isn't it a little difficult to claim it's all about the "occupation" when you're chanting "From the river to the sea..."? I call this one, Legend of the Circling Moonbat:
Here's a link to the YouTube version.
Here's a series of clips of the good guys!:
Here's a link to the YouTube version.
Photos:
The other side. Lots of International ANSWER signage. This one's quite dark but the sign says "Globalize the Intifada":
Listed below are links to blogs that reference this entry: Photos and Video from Yesterday's Support Israel Rally: Pro-Israel, Pro-Hamas, Face-to-Face.
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During the past week, America -- and the world -- have seen raucous and occasionally violent street demonstrations over the ongoing Israel-Palestinian war. Almost always initiated by Muslim groups along with hard Left groups, these exercises in street ... Read More
I was there and I don't share your optimism. The atmosphere was like a football game. We shout and cheer for our side and sing our school song. They do the same. A few disinterested cab drivers passed between, but who did we really educate?
When the other side departed, they marched as a group, with what appeared to be a police escort. They may not have had a legal parade permit, but that was the de facto result. Wherever they went off to, they made a colorful and unified appearance and expanded the audience for their message, while we stood and talked to ourselves.
The only possible usefulness was that the press could not report simply that there was yet another anti-Israel protest, since they would have had to acknowledge that our numbers equaled theirs. As it was, however, I did not see any coverage at all on the eleven o'clock news on Channels 4,5, 6 (Fox), or 7. There was also nothing on any of their websites as of 11:30 pm.
A quick Google search of "Boston + support + Israel" still pulls up a vast majority of hits to anti-Israel sites and their boastful protestors.
I was also at the Coolidge Corner rally and will continue to lend my presence to any gathering that supports Israel. Via blogs like this our Israeli friends know we are with them, but there is a big difference between doing something and accomplishing something.
Shouting "Hey, Hey and Ho Ho" might make us feel better, and it could temporarily drown out the lies from the Israel-haters. To be really supportive of Israel, however, we need to put our energy into assuring that Israel has everything it needs financially, militarily, politically, as well as spiritually to prevail.
FYI, a radio debate between Ben Cohen of AJC and a CAIR representative, here at Z-Word. The debate begins at the 13:30 mark and ends appx. forty minutes later. A well tempered, well moderated debate with salient points brought home by Cohen and half-truths and flim flams by the CAIR rep; I do believe that's a fair characterization. Serves to summarize some critical aspects of the conflict and debate as a whole.
Also, in the JPost, by Tawfik Hamid, an Egyptian Muslim reformer and medical doctor, Gaza solution is in the hands of Palestinians, one telling excerpt:
"... I ask myself why the Arab street and its supporters in the West never show similarly strong response against Islamic terrorists who target innocents worldwide and explode markets full of predominantly Muslim civilians in Iraq, Pakistan, Sudan, Turkey, etc. When you consider that the Israeli attack killed some 400 mostly Hamas militant in the first four days, the passive attitude of the Muslim world against the terrorists represents extreme hypocrisy. If it truly cared for Muslims' lives, it should have demonstrated in the same numbers and with equal vehemence against the Islamists who murder hundreds of thousands of their fellow Muslims, not to mention the Hamas slaughter of rival Fatah members - women and children included."
What you fail you Israel supporters to understand and see is that you were raising signs against Hamas, but Israel has been killing Palestinian civilians of helpless children, women, and bystanders. You are punishing the whole population of Gaza for exercising their democratic decision to elect Hamas. You continue with your lies promising peace if Hamas is gone, but yesterday Hamas was not there and there was no peace. Why do not you tell the world the truth that Israel has no interest in peace and that you are part of a bigger and more dangerous conspiracy to continue the war between Israel and the Palestinians, in Iraq, in Afghanistan, and everywhere there is an opportunity for disaster capitalism? You forget and want others to forget that Palestinians have been shouting their grievances for the past sixty years to be given some justice even before Hamas and other warriors were born, but Israel never done anything about it. You continue to cling to the argument that Israel as a chosen nation by God of the Testaments has an exclusive right to the land, and Palestinians are to go to hell. This is your version of humanity, and you expect others to believe it. There is nothing more powerful than the truth, more powerful than all the politics you now have on your side. You must remember that politics change and tomorrow is not yours. Citizens of this country as well as the world have started to question your credibility and want to know the truth more. This is the tide of the future, are you ready for that? My advice to you if you accept advice from your foes is to return to the garden of humanity and stand up for the truth, justice, and real peace. That would save us all from the otherwise inevitable Armageddon. Most people I know of do not like wars, destruction, and blood shedding, and the voice for peace has a true chance, but peace that is just and equitable. Give The Palestinians their land and stop beating around the bush.
Please do not trash this comment and post it with grace on your website. Thanks.