Not Silent. Sgt. Benjamin Anthony [IDF] at Hampshire (2/3/11)

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CHECK OUT OUR TEMPORARY BLOG to read a more detailed description of what happened at this event, or to download a printable file of the pamphlet we distributed there, here: http://tinyurl.com/6j4yea2

==== OUR SOLDIERS SPEAK RACIST LIES ===

Israel's current PR campaign diverts attention from the numerous human rights violations Israel commits against the Palestinian people and obscures Palestinian civil society's 2005 Boycott Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) call. [1]

Sgt. Anthony has repeatedly stressed the "non-political" nature of his talks. We would like to ask: how can bringing a soldier from the 4th largest army in the world to speak be anything other than a political act? In fact, there has been a concerted campaign over the last few years to whitewash Israel's crimes against the Palestinians with PR campaigns such as this event.

Anthony has said that IDF soldiers "never fire on civilians". But since 2000 alone, between 3,535 - 4,226 civilians have been killed by the Israeli military, 1,452 of which were children.

Could a U.S. soldier speak about their experiences in Iraq or Afghanistan non-politically? What would be the purpose of lying about these statistics unless Sgt. Anthony and this event's sponsors had a political stake in the situation?


= ABOUT THE SPONSORS OF THIS EVENT =

The events that sponsored this event at Hampshire College were: The David Project, Hasbara Fellowships, and Stand With Us. The express purpose of these organizations is to train people to become advocates of Israeli policy by providing them with resources and trips to Israel.


THE DAVID PROJECT:

The David Project first got its start in Boston in 2004, attempting to stop the construction of an Islamic cultural center by spreading Islamophobic fear. Without any evidence, the David Project insisted that the center "had received foreign funding from "the Wahhabi movement in Saudi Arabia or... the Moslem Brotherhood." They also made a film called "Columbia Unbecoming," which targeted Palestinian professor Joseph Massad and attempted to get him fired because he taught his students about the Occupation. [5]

CHARLES JACOBS, the founder of the david project, has said that these groups are some the "enemies of Israel: The American Friends Service Committee; Democracy Now; The Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC); The Tides Foundation; Media Matters; The New Israel Fund; Brit Tzedek v'Shalom; Physicians for Social Responsibility; The Workmen's Circle; and Amnesty International. [6]


HASBARA FELLOWSHIPS:

Hasbara Fellowships started in 2011 in conjunction with Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and is spearheaded by the international arm of Aish HaTorah. [7] Aish HaTorah is an extremist settler group in Israel that has gone so far as to erect a one-ton model of the "Third Temple" close to the Western Wall in Jerusalem as a warning of 'what's to come' for Muslims living in the city. [8]

Through the CLARION FUND, Hasbara Fellowships has helped promote Islamophobic films like Obsession & Third Jihad, which portray Islam as a death cult. [9]


STAND WITH US

Stand With Us has a similar objective to the two above mentioned organizations, but has recently adopted LBGT rhetoric to defend Israel. As a coalition of Palestinian queer organizations wrote, "Stand With Us... has no connection with the LGBT movement in the Middle East apart from ties to Zionist Israeli LGBT organizations... we condemn its attempt to use us, our struggles, our lives, and our experiences as a platform for pro-Israeli propaganda." [10] Members of StandWithUs have also pepper sprayed Palestine solidarity activists during a meeting. [11]


= TO SUM IT UP =

All of these groups are intimately connected: they share membership and collectively consult with the Israeli Foreign Ministry in a targeted campaign to portray Israel as a victim in its ongoing colonization of Palestinian lands.



1 http://tinyurl.com/63hvnog
2 http://tinyurl.com/69xzbue
3 http://tinyurl.com/6bmhjev
4 http://tinyurl.com/668cbve & http://tinyurl.com/5uc8qat
5 http://tinyurl.com/62d8wwr
6 http://tinyurl.com/6yd7qle
7 http://tinyurl.com/4ga3yyl & http://tinyurl.com/4fyovdw
8 http://tinyurl.com/lc9n5n
9 http://tinyurl.com/3vwmsl
10 http://tinyurl.com/4jeul7p
11 http://tinyurl.com/33z7ddk

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• Palestine
• Israel
• Hampshire College
• Protest
• BDS
• Zionism
• IDF
• Muzzlewatch
• JVP
• anti-Zionism
• Judaism
• Solidarity
• Hasbara
• Love

[roadmap999]

it is so sad there are self hating Jews who are so naive that they actually believe that Palestinians want peace..

Hamas is the sworn enemy of Israel and I would challenge any Jewish Left wing Peacenik to step into Gaza and proclaim they are Jewish.

It would take only moments for their bodies to be lynched and their heads sliced off.

Shame on you scum.

[drknessin2light]

The reason why the IDF stands for the Isreali Defense Forces is because it defends, protects it's citizens - not attacks. That's the job of the people who gave the army its job. I remember a family. Wife and children were stabbed to death by palestinians. the father alone was left to tell the tale. He was at work that day...he never saw his family again. why are there countless similar stories?? that's not to say all palistians are animals.but they are not the "victims" u portray in this video

[EyEddieWhatsHappenin]

idiots

[lkash0108]

Someone feed her a cupcake

[TheImpromptuChef]

Disgusting Leftist losers.

[dlrice]

God Bless Israel.

Moos slums are the scourge of the planet.

The Left does not want duologue.

The Progressive argument is always just "Shut Up!"

[koshaboycortez]

What a dumb Jew that can't state last week's Torah portion.lol.

[Odedisra]

@steute2011 My dear friend! As far as I heard, executions are usually done by a group of soldiers who are shooting at some handcuffed&blindfolded guy - I never heard of a case where executed guys are allowed to run free in large groups and to pound the executioners with iron bars; stab them with knives; And even shoot a couple of them with guns..;)

Even the term "excessive force" is a bit dubious in such case - and apologizing for that would be a harsh enough punishment for Bibi the baboon..;)

[Odedisra]

@steute2011 LOL! I was talking about Bibi and Barak acting like apes - All muscle and no brain...

(I'm not sure how much Google translate made of it - but thanks for the compliments... I really have to go now, but I'll be back in about 14 hours if all goes well - so have a good night till then).

לילה טוב!:)

[Odedisra]

@steute2011 Is this the impression I gave - of someone who is dogmatic, refrained from self-criticism, and is satisfied by comforting himself in the face of external criticism?

I really hope I'm not - and I don't think I am..

I live here in the reality of my country and the ME, I can see what is happening here - and I also can see what you see from there (I watch CNN, Sky, BBC etc, and I even read shit in the Guardian). I don't blame people like you for criticizing - you just don't know enough..

[steute2011]

@Odedisra Here you lend credence to the old cliche I just described, as you were able to discredit 2 out of 5. So am I to believe that the other 3 are bias as well? You are way too smart for this tactic.