5 ISRAELIS (the moving guys) WHO WERE DETAINED AFTER 9/11 TO SUE NEW JERSEY POET

imra ^ | November 25, 2002

[dennisw]

Contact: (US) 212-591-0073, (Israel) 011-972-8-973-3336

FIVE ISRAELIS DETAINED AFTER 9/11 TO SUE NEW JERSEY POET AND STATE OVER "BLOOD LIBEL" POEM

Israeli attorney Nitsana Darshan-Leitner has written to New Jersey Governor James E. McGreevey demanding that he fire the State's poet laureate, Amiri Bakara, or she will initiate legal proceedings against his office. The Tel-Aviv lawyer, who heads Shurat HaDin - Israel Law Center, represents five young Israelis who were detained by Federal authorities for visa violations after the 9/11 attack. The five allege that the New Jersey poet's controversial poem, "Somebody Blew Up America" implies that they knew in advance that the World Trade Center would be attacked and has grievously defamed their reputation.

Attorney Darshan-Leitner has written that she is preparing to bring a civil action in the amount of $25 million against both Baraka and the State of New Jersey over the poem. She contends that the State is liable, as Baraka was a New Jersey official who was acting within the scope of his employment when he libeled her clients.

Baraka's poem recently sparked off condemnations and drew allegations of anti-Semitism from Jewish groups who believe the piece blames the 9/11 attack on Jews. The poem implies that Israel carried out the Twin Tower tragedy to cast blame on the Arabs. This conspiracy theory has become prevalent in the media of many Middle Eastern nations and has been widely circulated by opponents of Israel on the internet.

Baraka's poem includes a stanza which specifically refers to the five Israelis and, when read in the context of the earlier verses, implies that they played a role in the terror attack: "Who know why Five Israelis was filming the explosion, And cracking they sides at the notion." Courts will look to the innuendo created by a written work in determining whether plaintiffs have been defamed.

"Baraka's poem is nothing less than a vicious blood libel against my clients and every other Israeli," stated attorney Darshan-Leitner, "It implies that Israel perpetrated the 9/11 terror attack in order to frame the Muslims and that my clients were in the know. I am demanding that Baraka and his employer, the State of New Jersey, pay my clients $25 million for the serious harm he has caused to their reputations."

She is calling upon the Governor McGreevey and the State legislature to immediately terminate Baraka's employment "before his racist utterances make New Jersey taxpayers liable for additional financial damages."

 

[dennisw]

ping

[FreedomPoster]

Cut the "poet laureate" loose. From this:

"Who know why Five Israelis was filming the explosion,
And cracking they sides at the notion."

it appears that the "poet laureate" is a proponent of ebonics. That alone is reason to fire, let alone a $25 million lawsuit.

[bobi]

"Baraka's poem is nothing less than a vicious blood libel against my clients and every other Israeli," stated attorney Darshan-Leitner, "It implies that Israel perpetrated the 9/11 terror attack in order to frame the Muslims and that my clients were in the know. I am demanding that Baraka and his employer, the State of New Jersey, pay my clients $25 million for the serious harm he has caused to their reputations."

That is $5 million a person alibi.

Oh well she will be fired .....

[montag813]

It's a pity that Christian "Law" doesn't have the concept of a "fatwa". How simple would it be to just have the Cardinal of Trenton issue a fatwa against Amiri Bakara, and let a bunch of Irish or Hispanic construction workers take care of him. End of story.

[Diogenesis]

HATE CRIME IS THE STANDARD IN NEW JERSEY

In New Jersey, Hate crimes are endorsed at the highest levels.
Amiri Baraka, New Jersey's poet laureate, defends his nonsensical claim that Israel knew in advance of the 911 Atrocities.

New Jersey remains beholden to Islamic terrorists' fabrications.

[dennisw]

Fatwas work only if you have a thug religion like Islam where any ol' Muslim can be motivated enough to enforce the edict. Then attempts to kill the target of fatwah. Catholicism just doesn't qualify.

[Revolting cat!]

Excellent! These are no just some parlor games. Ideas do have consequences. Let them pay!

[dennisw]

It would be so amusing if a lawsuit from Israel is what get's Leroy Jones fired from his post as New Jeresey's poet laureate.

[Diogenesis]

He will probably go the New Jersey Supreme Court
who have already lowered themselves to "grease the skids"
for their party's Bosses.
They surely will endorse HATE CRIME rather than the law, as is their way.

[sheik yerbouty]

I agree. Amiri Baraka is a jihadist stooge.

[Revolting cat!]

I'd be curious to hear what the FR legal minds have to say about this case. We know that in England such suits have been found to have merit and that some of them succeed (see under Oscar Wilde, for the most famous example,) but here?

[exit82]

Amiri Baraka is no poet. And he don't know it.

[knarf]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but ... the two guys in the back on the right ... they sure look like twins, 'cept, the one on the far right (certainly no pun intended), seems to missing an eye or just winking at the cameraman/public.

Just an observation.

Carry on.

[AnAmericanMother]

I was just thinking the same thing.

I think he's missing an eye. Looks like the lid is lying flat. Wonder why he doesn't wear a patch like the Hathaway Shirt man.

But we need to sic the Fashion Police on that lady in the middle. A PLAID, OPEN-NECKED blouse that hangs out of her judicial robes? What WAS she thinking when she got dressed for the Official Portrait? And the lady in the back with one side of her collar poking up to her ear. Did she get dressed in the dark?

I mean, sheesh, in my job I don't have much contact with the public and I don't wear a suit to work as a general rule. But when there's a big meeting or court session scheduled, or if somebody wants to take an official picture, I'd make sure I was nicely dressed and my hair was at least combed. I don't think these people take their job very seriously, as demonstrated both by this portrait and their decision in the Lout'n'barf case.

[per loin]

I'm no legal mind, but it seems to me that the rants of Leroi stand within the bounds of speech protected by the constitution. The money spent on the lawyer might be better spent on a large billboard denouncing Jones as a gutter-talking racist swine.

[Revolting cat!]

I think the issue will be whether or not the plaintiffs are public persons. You can say more about public persons than about private ones. But even then, recall the lawsuits won by celebrities against the tabloids. I suspect these guys have a good case.

[FreedomPoster]

Good enough to use as an excuse to boot this swine from the public trough, that's for sure.

[monkeyshine]

No fatwas will be issued against him. No thousands of Jews or Christians are going to rampage in the cities and murder 200 Muslims with machetes over his remarks.