More information and perspective on the peace-in-Gaza rallies happening around the globe from David’s Tent:
Anti-Semitic riots and demonstrations are spreading across the Islamic world and Western Europe. Here is a partial list of events in the past three days:
Israel –
ü Hebron (1,000 people)
ü Nazareth (3,000)
ü Baqa al-Gharbiya (10,000)
Islamic world –
ü Amman (2,000)
ü Beirut (2,500)
ü Nabatiya, Lebanon (20,000)
ü Jakarta (20,000)
ü Alexandria (50,000)
Western Europe –
ü Berlin (8,500)
ü Duisberg (10,000)
ü London (12,000)
ü Paris, Brussels and Barcelona (30,000 each)
ü Madrid and Seville (100,000 total)
In London 2,000 violent demonstrators were stopped by police before they attacked the Israeli embassy, with 15 arrests. Outside of Paris 2 Molotov cocktails were thrown at a Jewish synagogue Sunday night at Seine-Saint-Denis, while a Toulouse synagogue was rammed by a flaming car last week. In Brussels violent mobs overturned cars and broke shop windows.
In Milan white sheets with bloody handprints, and swastikas turning into bloody Stars of David were paraded. An impromptu Islamic prayer service was carried out in the main square across from Milan’s Cathedral a week ago, and on Saturday another call to prayer was carried out across from the main train station. Italy’s Defense Minister Ignazio La Russa said, “I say enough of the provocations of Islamists in Milan. In Milan, a legitimate demonstration ended in a deliberately provocative mosque under the open sky. What would have happened if a group of Christians gathered together to pray with a rosary before Mecca? They probably would have been stoned”.
In Duisburg Germany 10,000 people marched with placards reading “Down with the murdering of children”, while in Barcelona blood-stained blankets and mock dead babies were carried by demonstrators,
America also witnessed crass anti-Semitic displays. In New York‘s Times Square, anti-Israel marchers carried placards reading “Israel: the Fourth Reich”, Stop Israel’s Holocaust”, “Stop the Zionist Genocide in Gaza”, and “Holocaust by Holocaust Survivors”.
On December 30 the Israel Consulate in Los Angeles was picketed with signs including “Every Israeli committing the genocide in Gaza is a ‘Hitler'” and the swastika/Star of David morph above the words “Upgrade to Holocaust Version 2.0”.
Tampa had demonstrators on the same day who carried placards reading “Zionism is Cancer; Radiate it” and showing an Israeli flag with the word “Nazi” written on it. Calls were made by Tampa Muslims in hijabs, “Jews go back to the ovens” (a reference to Nazi crematoria).
Chicago has seen four synagogues attacked in the past three days with anti-Jewish spray-paintings, bricks and death threats. These include Lincolnwood Jewish Congregation; Young Israel of Roger’s Park; Congregation Anshe Motele; and the Lubavitch Mesivta. Earlier, on December 29 Temple Shalom in Lakeview IL had a Molotov cocktail thrown at the building.
These very serious events show an explosion of anti-Semitic words and deeds. The Director of the Yad Vashem Libraries Dr. Robert Rozett, commented, “By accusing us of being Nazi-like, Europeans alleviate some of their own feelings of guilt and responsibility for the Holocaust … Moreover, by saying that the Jews are acting like Nazis, they are delegitimizing the very existence of the State of Israel”.
The National Director of B’nai Brith’s Anti-Defamation League (ADL) Araham H. Foxman, added, “Anti-Semitism in Europe was never really rooted out, just contained”.
Though this may partially explain European manifestations of anti-Jewish hatred, there are roots darker and deeper still that have also infected Islamic and American societies.
The following video was taken at a January 10th San Francisco protest of Israel’s Gaza invasion. It depicts part of the crowd burning an Israeli flag: [Link to Video]
My gosh. I hadn’t realised any of this. I’ve been a bit sheltered from the news recently.
If someone in Germany marched with a sign with a Swastika on it, they’d be liable to be arrested and fined or face a short prison sentence. Naturally, Germans are a little bit sensitive of the word Nazi.
Interestingly enough though, the word Nazi is a shortened form of the name of a political party, ‘National Sozialistischen Arbeiter Partei Deutschlands.’ On that account, it is impossible to be a nazi unless you belong to that party. The difficulty for anyone wishing to become a member of that particular party is that it doesn’t exist anymore.
This is not a great shame though, as I’m sure most everyone will agree.
Also, it’s not as black and white for either side. This is not simply a government gaining power and persecuting it’s own people. It’s one country fighting another country. Some questions to be asked (And I can’t give any answer to them) are: 1) What is the motive behind the bombing? 2) Could it be resolved peacefully? 3) Is it government versus government or Israelis versus Palestinians?
Interesting stuff.
Marc
Sorry, I’ve just realised the name of the party was actually, Der Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei.
I’ve been writing an essay on the GDR recently, and I get the word order of the party names mixed up. Oh well!
Marc,
Are you not seeing the Swastikas and Nazi references in the German peace-in-Gaza protests?
I haven’t seen any myself. Do you know if they’re using it? If so, I’m VERY surprised that it’s being allowed. Generally there’s a bad reaction when someone displays a Swastika.
Marc
Interesting images from the holy land:
http://www.wakeupfromyourslumber.com/node/10156
I haven’t seen swastikas in the German rallies thus far.
If any other entity moved into a state and began the systematic takeover of a people and their country without even giving them the basic rights of governing themselves, the whole world would be in an uproar. Yet we put blinders on when it comes to the attrocities that Israel has caused in the last 50 years. We are not listening to the people who are being dominated by them, but ignoring them as well. Why is that?
I also got to wonder: why do all of Israel’s enemies call them a racist people? Why must there be a divider in their country? Is Israel having a problem dwelling with other people?
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This article has quite a bit of misinformation. PLEASE don’t mistake anti-zionist or humanistic individuals as being “anti-semites”.
Now some of these rallies were likely anti-Jewish, that is a given, but to blend protesters that are critical of Israel/Judaism in one single group, now that’s a huge mistake. Half of these protests are pro-peace/pro-two state solution/anti-Israeli apartheid, while the others want to eradicate every Jew from the Earth, and erase Israel with them. This article is embarrassing, and the creator should be ashamed.