Diverse group of protesters greets guests at AIPAC dinner

the Jews don't count. that much is very clear.

thanks for rounding out the picture for us!

There were Jews on both sides.

The conversation I had during the protest with a middle eastern man from the anti-Israel side:

ME: "Are your aware that the mufti of Jerusalem, al-Husseini, was a friend of Adolf Hitler."

MAN: "Yes, they were both exceptional people

ME: "Uh..what..are you sure what you just said: Hitler was a good man???"

MAN "Hitler was a good man....a good Christian"

ME: (shocked, I ask a Jewish anti-Israel protestor to come over and hear this for herself)

ME to MAN: "Excuse me sir, would you please repeat what you said to me, that Hitler was a good man."

MAN: "I didnt say anything. You must have been hearing things!"

it's bound to be said, because it has effect in a war of nerves. doesn't make it right, on the other hand, that's exactly why Israel exists-- so it never happens again. so relax a bit, be gracious in victory.....

Demonizing Palesuinians because of the actions of the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem is racist. Why choose the Palestinians for demonization rather than the Germans?

I have heard some argue that somehow the present day Palestinians are to blame more because thise havnt changed government, but the Mufti of Jerusalem only allied with Hitler and didnt either openly support Hitlers actions against Jews (which were not even well known to many Germans). This doesnt make his support for the Nazis justified but to take a third world leader opposed to colonizers who were fighting the Nazis and use that out of context is very misleading (many in India sided with the Nazis too and in that case it had nothing to do with what was happening in Germany and everything to do with Britains crackdown on the emerging proDemocracy movement in India)

Lets assume that the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem were truely evil and had supported the Nazis out of antiSemitism rather than due to hatred for the British. Would it matter today? During the breakup of Yugoslavia the Croats were openly honoring proNazi former leaders yet most of the world failed to notice. When Israel invaded Lebanon is supported a Maronite militia (the Phalange) that was openly fascist and was created in the 1930s out of inspiration from the Nazis. Berlusconi rose to power by forming an alliance with the former fascists (now neofascists) and when he was first elected his supporters chanted proMusolini style chants in the streets. The RSS in India (which was closely tied to the former ruling BJP) were a Nazi inspired party. The former Emporer of Japan Hirohito was honored by world leaders when he died in 1989 despite the fact that he personally was allied with Hitler and wasnt completly powerless when Tojo was comitting attrocities. So why are the modern day Palestinians singled out as being tarnished by some Nazi tie to the Grand Mufti when Hirohito, the Phalange, the RSS, and others are let off the hook? The answer is opportunism but also one of racism (where POC are seen as irrational subhumans who can be condemned as a group whereras Germans or Italians are rational individuals who can only be condemned for their own actions)

There is a strong element of racism (And assigning collective guilt) when the Grand Mufti is brought up to demonize the Palestinians. What does the Grand Mufti have to do with someone growing up in the West Bank with no real hope for the future and not voting rights in the state that rules over them? Does demonization of Palestinians as a group make the killing of Palestinians by Israelis more justified? (even if you can come up with an excuse for each Israeli incursion, assasination etc.. why would you fall back on assigning collective guilt to the Palestinians for justification unless you somehow felt a need to demonize them as a group)

>>>"but the Mufti of Jerusalem only allied with Hitler and didnt either openly support Hitlers actions against Jews (which were not even well known to many Germans). "<<<

Are you really that much misinformed to make such a historically false contention?! Al-Husseni very avidly supported Hitler openly and was so zealous about his pro-Nazism that he organized Muslim SS units in the Balkans that helped exterminate Jews; he made plans to set up extermination camps in the Land of Israel and and provided strong encouragement for the Nazis to transfer all Jews within the territory in north Africa the Nazis treaded to Europe for extermination. There's even more.
Your ignorance on some topics makes me wonder sometimes what's the real intention behind the way you try to narrate history.

>>>"Why choose the Palestinians for demonization rather than the Germans? "<<<

Whether it's demonization or assigning blame for specific crimes, no one is letting the Germans off the hook. But don't forget it's the violence by Palestinians Israel has to deal with at present in the Mideast. The havoc wrought by German Nazism belongs to the past for almost all intents and purposes.

>>>"This doesnt make his support for the Nazis justified but to take a third world leader opposed to colonizers who were fighting the Nazis and uset hat out of context is ver misleading (many in India sided with the Nazis too and oin that case it had nothing to do with what was happening in Gremany and everything to do with Britiains crackdown on the emerging proDemocracy movement in India)"<<<

Who took his support for Nazis out of context? You seem to be trying to force a conclusion that "since the Nazis were fighting the British who were occupying Palestine, it is at least understandable that he allied himself with a force fighting the British". The problem is that this alliance was forged with supreme evil and it can't wash morally.

>>>"Lets assume that the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem were truely evil and had supported the Nazis out of antiSemitism rather than due to hatred for the British."<<<

There's no reason to assume anything, as he surely was truely evil and forged an allegiance with the Nazis out of deeply ingraned fanatic anti-Semitism.

>>>"So why are the modern day Palestinians singled out as being tarnished by some Nazi tie to the Grand Mufti when Hirohito, the Phalange, the RSS, and others are let off the hook? The answer is opportunism but also one of racism (where POC are seen as irrational subhumans who can be condemned as a group whreras Germans or Italians are rational individuals who can only be condemned for their own actions)"<<<

It's not so much that they're let off the hook like they aren't pertinent to the history of the Arab-Israeli dispute within the Land of Israel. That's why all those protagonists aren't discussed in such a context.

>>>"There is a strong element of racism (And assigning collective guilt) when the Grand Mufti is brought up to demonize the Palestinians."<<<

One can make the same claim when Jabotinsky or B.G. is brought up to demonize Zionists or Israelis. But one should ask whether every criticism equals demonization.

>>>" What does the Grand Mufti have to do with someone growing up in the West Bank with no real hope for the future, not voting rights in the state that rules over them? "<<<

If there's a connection, it has to do with al-Husseini conceived indoctination many young Palestinians have received against the Jews.

It is true the other site mentioned 60 - 70, in what i would call a very poor report on sf.indymedia, and not only because he got the number way off. The person "reporting" said nothing except that a person/protester was assualted by a supporter of AIPAC...this much is true, except that much more was going on, and he or she completely missed it. First, there were protesters not only along the front of the hotel, but also along the sides of the hotel (near the garage), across the street on two different corners. There was a small group of counter-protesters, and i would say they were about a dozen or so.

More than the numbers was the diversity of the protest, organized in a very short time. In included Jewish Voice for Peace, Justice in Palestine Coalition, United for Peace and Justice- Bay Area (a coalition of mainstream groups, from Peace Action to Grey Panthers and hundreds of others), Tikkun. (and how, please tell me, cannot it be implied that I do not think everyone counts?). The diversity of this group spells disaster for those who support unconditional aid to Israeli military.

It is no wonder that supporters of AIPAC resort to bringing up the personality of a long deceased religious leader, because there is no defense for the current policy of AIPAC. And then quoting imaginary conversations.

There was a very offensive individual there, Joe Webb, but he speaks only for himself, and all the endorsing organizations oppose all forms of racism, including the racism he espouses, and that embraced by AIPAC (which, when you think about it, are really quite similar views, but more on that another time).

AIPAC supporters need to be clear why Oakland taxpayers need their federal taxes used to demolish the homes of Palestinians. The funding of the destruction of Olive Orchards. The killing of schoolchildren. The use of helicopter gunships to attack unarmed protesters in Gaza.

Looking forward to next year, when we will be organizing this for months instead of just 2 weeks.

AIPAC protests, soon to become a new Bay Area holiday tradition.

Notice how this Zionist tried to divert your attention from the undeniable fact: Zionists have been caught red handed working for Nazis.

These side issues are obscuring the point:

The Jews of Palestine (now Israel) agreed to partition the Land of Israel with the Arabs in 1937 (Peel Commission report which the Arabs rejected), 1947 (UN partition plan which the Arabs rejected in favor of war), 1967 (Israel's offer after the Six Day War to return all territory in exchange for peace, rejected by the Arabs in favor of continuing hostilities), 2000 (Camp David proposal by Barak, rejected by Arafat in favor of terrorism).
The problem isn't that the Grand Mufti was a Nazi (though indeed he was); the problem is that until recently the Palestinians followed the leadership of his grand-nephew and spiritual heir, Arafat.
Israel has been the one offering peace and withdrawal from the territories; the Palestinians have been the ones responding with terrorism, preferring to try to destroy Israel, or failing that, kill as many Israelis as possible. Israel is the only country in the region threatened overtly with destruction; it's also the only democracy.
Interesting how supposed "human rights" activists choose to support racist, sexist, anti-democratic, anti-gay, religiously intolerant regimes over a democratic country with actual civil rights and freedoms.....

No wonder people like nessie can't trust what they read here. The editors can't be bothered to remove his lies.