Palestine Awareness Week: Check Point at UCSC

Thats the most racist thing I've heard of since minsterel shows! Its offensive to dress up and "play" someone else's ethnicity, particularly for political gain.

Why is this racism excused?

Who is complaining here?

"Thats the most racist thing I've heard of since minsterel shows! Its offensive to dress up and "play" someone else's ethnicity, particularly for political gain. Why is this racism excused?"

Do you think that the people of Palestine are upset by this demonstration? I think they appreciate these attempts to educate people in the US about the brutal military occupation of Palestine.

This is why I am offended:

US Aid: The Lifeblood of Occupation
http://www.wrmea.com/html/usaidtoisrael0001.htm

Israel has maintained an illegal occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip (Palestinian territories) for (over) 35 years, entrenching an apartheid regime that looks remarkably like the former South African regime.

The Israeli military (IDF)—the third or forth most powerful army in the world—routinely uses tanks, Apache helicopter gunships, and F-16 fighter jets (all subsidized by the U.S.) against a population that has no military and none of the protective institutions of a modern state.

All of this, Israel tells its citizens and the international community, is for "Israeli security." The reality, not surprisingly, is that these policies have resulted in a drastic increase in attacks on Israel. These attacks are then used as a pretext for further Israeli incursions into Palestinian areas and more violations of Palestinian human rights which makes Israeli civilians more secure; all of which further entrenches Israel's colonial apartheid regime. Most Americans do not realize the extent to which this is all funded by U.S. aid, nor do they understand the specific economic relationship the U.S. has with Israel and how that differs from other countries.

Read on and see why Americans should be offended and taking actions to educate and end the apartheid.
http://www.wrmea.com/html/usaidtoisrael0001.htm

first of all, this is not racism!! and it is excused because this actually happens to palestenian civilians everyday. so before you go and assert your ridiculous comments, please learn the FACTS!!!

Racism is racism,even if you assert that something happens every day, if you further racist steotypes, make fun of people's foriegn accents, and act in an overall insensitive racist manner, then re-think your behavior. AJust because there are people that say the same things that Imus says EVERY day doesn't excuse Imus. Racism is defined by the recipient, not the one inflicting it.

The Checkpoints were set up after the second Intifada, in response to a large number of suicide bombers, as was the security fence etc. In essence, f the Palestinians chose to stop violence, as a good faith geture,then perhaps these security measures can be changed. Until the Palestinian violence stops, it would be foolish to ask Israel to dismantle their security measures.

Palestinian criminal gangs routinely stole Israeli cars, drove them to the West Bank where they were dismantled and sold for parts. The security barrier has stopped this.

Some of the Palestinian protesters are objecting to the barrier because its disrupted their car theft profits.

This is another issue the Committee for Justice in Palestine will never acknowledge.

If you steal my house, why be surprised if I steal your car?

Israel has had a 'theft' ring for over 50 years - it's called stealing people's land, bulldozing homes and olive trees, and attacking communities. Who cares about stolen cars?

Keep up the good work, CJP! If every American had to experience the humiliation that Palestinians face, the occupation would be over in no time!

I just want to say jazakum Allahu malyoon khair for hosting a palestine awareness week. We're having one at our college next week!!! wish us luck!!!

I am the woman mentioned in the article. Here is what is written about me:
"One woman, presumably a student at UC Santa Cruz, was almost at the point of tears when she witnessed the check point. She was not upset about the reality of check points in the daily lives of Palestinians, rather she was angry at the portrayal of the check point in the Baytree Plaza at UCSC. She tried to confront the Palestinians who were detained, but an organizer of the demonstration quickly intervened so that the Israeli soldiers could go on with their harassment and the Committee for Justice in Palestine organizer debated the situation of occupied Palestine."

The reporter did not tell me he was reporting on me.
Please allow me to clarify the various falsehoods he used to describe the incident.
I am a UCSC student- senior, Language Studies major (focus on French and Arabic), Education minor.
I was not "to the point of tears"-- I was crying. The man from the CJP who I spoke to was extremely hostile and rude to me. I acknowledged his views and even agreed with some of them, and politely offered my own. He rejected everything I said. I admitted that Israel, Israelis, and the IDF have made many mistakes. Anyone can see that. But I asked him to admit that maybe, once or twice, some Palestinians or Palestinians had maybe made a mistake or two... say, suicide bombings? He said that suicide bombings kill very few, but Israeli airstrikes into refugee camps kill way more. That statement was very hurtful, and I could no longer hold back my frustration. The fact that he wouldn't recognize a legitimate point that I was making was rude. The fact that he devalued the lives of Israelis is unacceptable.
And of course I was upset about "the reality of the checkpoints." I acknowledged his right to protest, and I acknowledged that checkpoints contribute to the misery Palestinians endure on a daily basis. That reporter was either not listening to anything I said, or is lying.
I support everyone's right to protest. I helped organize my first protest when I was 17. We had a die-in against the Iraq war. Whoever is reading this, chances are we agree on 90% of things. It's that tiny 10% that gets us heated.
When I saw the "checkpoint" in the plaza, I thought "Americans can protest Israel, Palestinians can protest Israel, and Israelis can protest Israel. Americans and Israelis can also protest Palestine. But Palestinians cannot protest against their own leaders." There is no free speech in Palestine, no women's rights, no gay rights. While Israel obviously is responsible for much of the suffering of Palestinians, other Arab governments and Palestinian leaders have screwed over their own people the most. Why don't we talk about that before we vilify Israel? So I brought up the issue of free speech and human rights to this CJP man, and he blamed everything on Israel, threw every issue at me. I asked "What about gay rights in Israel? Gay people get killed there!" He said-- and this is a direct quote-- "They don't have time to be gay, they're fighting for their lives!"
I tried to talk calmly with my "opponent." He was rude and hostile, and he made dehumanizing and homophobic comments. While I support Israel, I don't support everyone who supports it, or everything they do. Likewise, please consider carefully who/what you support. I don't agree with everyone who says they're on my side. You can (and should) support Palestine, but you don't have to do so blindly.