Aug 12 Palestine/Lebanon Rally

Its hard to get a cohesive message from a group of protest warriors, Christian Zionists, Jewish zionists, Republicans, and bafflingly enough anarcho-syndicalists (what was that about?) The only coherent message that I saw was support for Israel. The other messages were secondary

Mostly righ twing useful idiots, organized by a rabid, frothing at the mouth extremeist named Lee Kaplan--a true nutjob:
http://www.sfweekly.com/Issues/2006-08-09/news/feature.html

Lee Kaplan is not now nor has he ever been a member of San Francisco Voice for Israel.

The message of the "pro-Israel" crowd was a cohesive message of master race hate directed at anyone not supportive of the zionist entity.

After looking through these pictures of the pro-Israel protestors, I spotted one of my daughter's teachers she will be having this fall.

I will be pulling her out and homeschooling her. I refuse to have my child taught by someone who supports the killing of innocent children.

The overiding message of the pro-Israel group was love, support and tolerance. Pro-Israel, pro-peace. It was a beautiful, diverse, multigenerational group- rainbow flags, children, blacks, whites and Asians- Christian, Jew and Hindu alike. I spoke to many people who said that had never come to a protest before- but they've learned they can't take the existence of Israel for granted anymore. Many pointed out the mass produced signs and banners on the other side of the street- who is paying for that, they asked me? I don't know , I replied Contrasting the commercially produced ANSWER signs with the hand painted messages on recycled cardboard on the pro-peace, pro-Israel side was interesting- it was clear which side was really grasroots.

"their main tactic seemed to be unsuccesful attempts to drown out speakers on the main stage."

A guitarist strolled through the pro-Israel side, singing songs of peace. Oseh Shalo Bimromav...may s/he who creates peace in the heavens, create peace for Israel and the entire world.
It wa beauiful and very moving

Channel 7 estimated 1,ooo pro-Israel supporters.

Here are pictures
http://indybay.org/newsitems/2006/08/12/18296586.php
"Nuke Iran", "Destroy Islam", "Mecca in Opposite Dirction, America is a Judeo-Christian", "Israel's Enemies Are God's Enemies"....
This doesnt look like group interested in peace

You've exactly cherry picked those folks that were asked to leave by the SF Voice for Israel for being racist. Did ANSWER ask anyone at all to leave because they were racist? Of course not!

Sure ya asked them to leave, because SF Voice for Israel is "progressive" right?
LMFAO!
Here's some "prgressive" pro-israel supporters--and this is reflective of the many US and Israeli flag waving jingos that sympathize with this crowd:
Here are pictures
http://indybay.org/newsitems/2006/08/12/18296586.php
"Nuke Iran", "Destroy Islam", "Israel's Enemies Are God's Enemies".... This doesnt look like a group interested in peace
I have seen signs saying "Smash the Israeli State" at a few protests and it is offensive but "Smash Islam" is much more similar to a "Smash Judaism" sign and Ive never seen anything overtly anti-Semiitc like tht at any anti-war protest (and a "Smash the Israeli State' sign can be taken to mean the curent government while "Nuke Iran" is petty clear in its desire for genocide)

We take a look at a new recently established group called Christians United for Israel - an evangelical organization that believes supporting expansionist policies of the Israeli government is: "a biblical imperative." We speak with investigative journalist Max Blumenthal who reports they lobbied the Bush administration to adopt a confrontational posture toward Iran, refuse aid to the Palestinians and give Israel a free hand in its attack on Lebanon.
In March of this year, a study on the role of the Israel lobby in US foreign policy caused an uproar in the academic community and in the media. The paper's authors, Professor Stephen Walt of Harvard University and John Mearsheimer of the University of Chicago, argued the pro-Israel lobby has unduly influenced the United States to set aside its own security in order to advance the interests of Israel. The study emphasized the activities of the pro-Israel lobby group the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC.

Well, there's another side of the pro-Israel lobby that's drawing increasing attention -- and some say its far more influential. A new group was recently established called Christians United for Israel - CUFI. They're an evangelical organization that believes supporting expansionist policies of the Israeli government is: "a biblical imperative." In a new article for The Nation, journalist Max Blumenthal reports group members have held several meetings with White House officials to talk about US policy in the Middle East. They've apparently lobbied the administration to adopt a confrontational posture toward Iran, refuse aid to the Palestinians and give Israel a free hand in its attack on Lebanon.

We're going to speak with Max Blumenthal in a moment but first, we hear from Christians United for Israel. Their inaugural event was held last month in Washington, DC. More than 3,000 people were in attendance to hear speeches from Israeli and American dignitaries. Among the speakers was Kansas Republican Senator Sam Brownback.

* Sam Brownback (R - Kansas), speaking at a Christians United for Israel summit in July 2006. [Click for mp3 of full address]

The group's founder, Texas television evangelist John Hagee, also spoke.

* John Hagee, speaking at a Christians United for Israel summit in July 2006. [Click for mp3 of full address].

We speak with Max Blumenthal. He writes about Christians United for Israel in a new piece for the Nation titled "Birth Pangs of a New Christian Zionism."

* Max Blumenthal, Puffin Foundation writing fellow at the Nation Institute. His work has appeared in The Nation, Salon, The American Prospect and the Washington Monthly. His blog is http://MaxBlumenthal.Blogspot.com.

LISTEN ONLINE:
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/08/15/1326256

No Shelters, Sirens for Israel's Arab Citizens *

While hundreds of thousands of Israelis have taken refuge in bomb shelters,
many Arab Israelis say they've had no such protection. They say they've been
left on their own, thereby exposing some of Israel's worst inequalities. We
go to Haifa to speak with the director of an Advocacy Center for Arab
Citizens and to a Jewish Israeli who lives in an Arab town in Northern
Israel and wrote a book about her journey across the Jewish-Arab divide.

Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/08/14/1358258