Protesting NE Celebrates Israel - June 1, 2008

16 photos - credits  |  recap   below  

photos:  PF Soto

[note to rule19 visitors: each of our activists speak for themselves; this is a free speech zone for anti-zionists, since our voices are disallowed in much of the gatekeeper P&J Industry] 

Recap, by David Rolde

The 60th anniversary of the Nakba catastrophe in Palestine is nothing to celebrate.

From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!

Twenty Anti-Zionist, Pro-Palestinian and Anti-Imperialist activists protested against CJP's "New England Celebrates Israel @ 60" event in Waltham on Sunday June 1.

Members of Boston Anti-Zionist Action and other Boston-area pro-Palestine activists were joined by Anti-Zionist Orthodox Jews from Neturei Karta International.

We protested outside the Gann Academy where hundreds of Zionists were "celebrating" the 60th anniversary of their unilateral declaration of Jewish-supremacist rule in Palestine. We told the Zionists that Zionism is racism, Zionism is terrorism, Zionism is genocide, and that they should not be celebrating genocide. "Israel" has no right to rule over any part of Palestine.

At the same time in New York City there was a demonstration against the "Salute to Israel" parade. See this page at nyc.indymedia.

There was also a protest that day against a similar zionist "celebration" in Washington DC.

Below is the announcement that I sent out on behalf of Boston Anti-Zionist Action in advance of the protest. 

All anti-zionists, anti-imperialists, people in solidarity with the Palestinian cause, anti-war activists and decent human beings in general please come
PROTEST against "New England Celebrates Israel"
Sunday June 1, starting at 12 Noon, on the sidewalk outside 
the Gann Academy, 333 Forest St, Waltham, MA

We will probably be protesting for several hours.

On Sunday June 1 2008, "New England Celebrates Israel", one of the biggest most offensive Zionist events of the year in the Boston area, will be happening in Waltham. This event is sponsored by CJP / JCRC (Combined Jewish Philanthropies / Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston), a Zionist pro-war racist anti-Muslim hate group that lobbies and propagandizes with a multi-million dollar annual budget provided by billionaires such as Patriots owners Bob & Myra Kraft. In addition to supporting Jewish-supremacist rule in Palestine and genocide against the Palestinians, CJP/JCRC also has been loudly advocating for war against Sudan, Iran and Lebanon.

This year the "celebration" is going to be an outdoor festival with camel and pony rides, jugglers & magicians, "Israeli" military exhibits and martial arts lessons, an interactive map of Palestine (which they call "Israel") to walk around on, Palestinian food that the Zionists call "Israeli food", etc.

The "celebration" is being held at the Gann Academy, a private Jewish high school on many acres of land next to Bentley college in Waltham. The mission statement of the school includes "The creation of the State of Israel is one of the seminal events in Jewish history. Recognizing the significance of the State and its national institutions, we seek to instill in our students an attachment to the State of Israel and its people as well as a sense of responsibility for their welfare.". In front of the main building they have 50-foot-tall flagpoles with large "Israeli" and "American" flags.

This year the Zionists are celebrating 60 years of brutality, genocide and war. It was 60 years ago that Zionist colonists and Zionist terrorist groups in Palestine drove nearly a million Muslim and Christian Palestinians from their homes and then declared the Zionist European-Jewish-supremacist colony in Palestine to be a "state" on 80% of the land of Palestine. The Zionists did this in defiance of even the United Nations. The UN had proposed that Palestine be partitioned with 56% of Palestine becoming a Jewish state and without any transfer of populations. The proposal was not implemented. Even the UN proposal would have been unfair as it would have instituted continuing colonial rule over the indigenous Palestinian Arabs in most of Palestine. However the Zionists used violent terrorism and aggression to go beyond the UN proposal to remove most of the Palestinians from their homes and lands and to steal 80% of Palestine. To the Palestinians these events were the Nakba, the Catastrophy, the ethnic cleansing and theft of their country.

The catastrophy against the Palestinians is continuing to this day, and is also being perpetrated by the Zionists against the people of other nearby countries. In 1967 the Zionists occupied the remaining 20% of Palestine, and are treating the Palestinians there with great brutality and repression. The Zionists prevent Palestinian refugees in 1967-occupied Palestine, in neighboring countries, and around the world from returning to their homes. Meanwhile Jews anywhere in the world who have no connection with Palestine are allowed and encouraged to settle in Palestine. Even within 1948-occupied Palestine, Palestinian Arabs are denied rights that Jews have. Much land is reserved for Jews only.

Over the past 60 years the Zionist regime in Palestine has militarily attacked neighboring countries such as Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon many times. The Zionists occupied a large part of Lebanon for decades and continue to occupy parts of Lebanon and Syria. The Zionists have also had some influence on "US" government decisions and plans to militarily attack Iraq, Afghanistan, Sudan, Iran, Somalia and Pakistan.

Please come protest against this evil "celebration" of racism and war on Sunday. Bring signs and banners and Palestinian flags.

FROM THE RIVER TO THE SEA, PALESTINE WILL BE FREE!
PALESTINE IS ARAB LAND!
VICTORY TO THE PALESTINIAN RESISTANCE!
ALL PALESTINIAN ARAB REFUGEES MUST BE ALLOWED TO RETURN TO THEIR HOMES!
STOP THE GENOCIDE IN THE GAZA GHETTO!
ZIONISM IS RACISM! ZIONISM IS ANTISEMITISM! ZIONISM IS TERRORISM!
"USA" & "ISRAEL" ARE THE REAL TERRORISTS!
"USA" & "ISRAEL" ARE RACIST GENOCIDAL PROJECTS THAT MUST BE SHUT DOWN!
NO MORE WARS FOR "ISRAEL"
END THE OCCUPATIONS OF IRAQ, AFGHANISTAN, SOMALIA and ALL OF PALESTINE!
STOP THE US/ZIONIST WARS AGAINST SUDAN, IRAN & LEBANON!
STOP THE US/UN INVASION OF DARFUR SUDAN!
ZIONISTS/US/UN GET OUT OF AFRICA!
VICTORY TO HIZBALLAH! VICTORY TO HAMAS & THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE! VICTORY TO THE IRAQI RESISTANCE!
STOP RACIST LIES AGAINST MUSLIMS, ARABS and AFRICANS!
STOP RACIST IMPERIALIST DEMONIZATION AGAINST SUDAN, IRAN, CHINA, MYANMAR and PAKISTAN!
DIVEST FROM "ISRAEL", NOT FROM SUDAN, NOT FROM IRAN!
STOP ALL FUNDING TO "ISRAEL"!
PUT BUSH, CHENEY, POWELL, etc., ON TRIAL FOR GENOCIDE IN IRAQ!
9/11 WAS A ZIONIST/AMERICAN FALSE FLAG OPERATION TO JUSTIFY WAR!
McCAIN, OBAMA, CLINTON ARE ALL THE SAME! BOYCOTT THE ELECTION!

I included a speech that Rabbi Yisroel Dovid Weiss of Neturei Karta gave at a Nakba commemoration event a few years ago; see this page at nkusa. Note that Neturei Karta want to be clear that they were not protesting against the "United States" but only against "Israel". They pray for the peaceful speedy dismantlement of "Israel" as Neturei Karta's position is that Jews should not rule over Palestine or any other country.

I also included the contents of an email from Mazin Qumsiyeh that also explains "why we do not celebrate Israel", has some more detalis about Zionist apartheid and ethnic cleansing in Palestine, and that calls for protests against the "New England Celebrates Israel" event. It'ss here in it's entirety at Palestinian Times: May Day and a draft Nakba Fact Sheet to use in actions

~ David