Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Storm Troopers at San Francisco Jewish Film Festival

Cross-posted by Gary Fouse
fousesquawk


On July 23, I posted an article on the upcoming San Francisco Jewish Film Festival, in which the film "Rachel" was to be shown. To repeat, Rachel Corrie was a young Jewish American activist and member of the International Solidarity Committee (ISM), a group devoted to the destruction of the Jewish state. She went to Gaza in 2003 and was accidentally struck and killed as she sat in front of a bulldozer in the process of taking down a house connected with a terrorist tunnel used to transport weapons to be used against Israel. Her parents have since become anti-Israel activists and travel around giving speeches, associating themselves with some pretty radical and vile groups and individuals both in the Middle East and here in the US.

The Corries meeting with that great man of peace, Yassir Arafat


The presentation of the film about Rachel Corrie and a scheduled speech by her mother, Cindy Corrie had led to many objections from Jews, not only in the San Francisco area, but world-wide. On July 25, the film was shown, and Mrs Corrie gave her speech. The crowd was mostly composed of members of the Jewish Voice for Peace (another anti-Israel group) and the International Solidarity Movement as well as the American Friends Service Committee, all leftist groups opposed to Israel. Two of the principle figures are Donna and Darlene Wallach of the ISM, two Bay Area Jewish activists who have traveled to Gaza and met with Hamas officials.





The usual riff-raff (Top: Donna and Darlene Wallach of the International Solidarity Movement), second from top: Darlene Wallach applauding) -Photos by SFJFF Watch

After Corrie's speech, only three questions were allowed. The one critical questioner was greeted with jeers and catcalls from the loons in the audience.

Prior to the film, Dr Mike Harris, a pro-Israel speaker was given the podium and spoke for 10 minutes presenting his case against the film. The video is below. Listen and hear the catcalls, insults and disruptions from this crowd of storm troopers wearing Palestinian kaffiyas (head scarves with the black and white doo-dads). In spite of the jeering and attempts to shut him down, Mr Harris courageously goes through his speech and makes his points.


Keep in mind that these three groups who were involved in this event claim they are for peace-though they will never condemn Palestinian rockets and suicide bombers against Israelis. Some laughed when the names of Jewish victims of Palestinian terrorism in Israel were mentioned. Ar one point, someone cried "Sieg heil". And when Mr Harris pointed out the fact that the ISM had put on a dinner for Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad during his visit to the US, the audience cheered.

Another interesting fact should be mentioned; funding for the event was provided by the Jewish Federation of San Francisco, which bills itself as a Jewish advocacy group. I really wonder just what it is this organization does. If they are like the Jewish Federation of Orange County, they are pretty questionable in my humble view. (The director of the Orange County chapter feels-he told me himself-that there is no anti-Semitic problem going on at UC-Irvine in regards to the annual hate-fests put on by the local Muslim Student Union. Enough said about them.)

What I find especially troubling is that while many Jews are active in speaking out against anti-Semitism (and yes, defending Israel), so many other Jews either turn a blind eye-or completely go over to the other side and align themselves with those who would destroy not only Israel, but Jews world-wide if they could. In the case of the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival, while I am not in favor of censorship, I wonder what is the purpose of having a Jewish film festival if you are going to feature speakers, films and events which defend those who would murder Jews.

There is a term that many Jews use to describe these types; "self-hating Jews". Since I am not Jewish, myself, I have chosen not to make this judgement about others. But sometimes, I really wonder.

It is so perplexing.

4 comments:

  1. Come on Gary, just because you don't build watches, you can tell a piece of crap watch from a quality piece. Call em as you see them.

    Here's the thing. Jews have had a blindness for the right path for most of their history. Leaving Christ and that episode out, there have always been Jews that were more than happy to work against the needs of their nation.

    Do I understand it? Yeah I do. For instance look at our own nation. We are a Constitutional Republic. Supposedly, we are supposed to be ruled by our constitution. The same Constitution that set up the States as sovereign in their internal doings and SEVERELY limited the Federal Government's powers.

    Look at us now. For the better part of the last hundred years, our own elected representatives and the liberal elite on both costs have worked tirelessly to remove all the safeguards and protections the states and people have enjoyed.

    All powers that were supposed to reside within the States, now resides firmly in the hands of the Federal Government.

    We are no better than those God forsaken Jews in that meeting. Like them we eat ourselves from the inside out.

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  2. Greywolfe,

    I'm not sure what your point is. You make a reference to Jews working against the best interests of their nation, which as far as I am concerned, is a canard. Then you list a couple of things that are wrong here in the US, like the Feds taking power from the states. Are you implying that is the fault of the Jews? What is the connection?

    My point is that the enemies of the Jews are also our enemies. (Islamic terrorists and radical leftists) Anti-Semitism is on the rise world-wide largely due to the Israel-Palestinian conflict. We cannot let that rise go unchallenged. It is unfortunate that some Jews don't see the danger.

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  3. My point was that just like idiots that eat away at our own nation, Israel has the same problems. Just because you aren't a Jewish person doesn't mean that you can't call a spade a spade.

    I'm refering to your last paragraph. I'm positive, though I haven't checked, that you have no problem pointing out the stupidity and destructive actions by the political left. Do the same with these idiots. They are indeed Self-haters. Just as most of the political left in this nation are America-haters.

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  4. Greywolfe,

    Is it your position that I should go ahead and call them, "self-hating Jews"? Well, perhaps.

    Aside from that, however, I think my criticism of them was pretty clear.

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