Posted on 08/19/2002 5:19:27 PM PDT by RCW2001
NEW HAVEN Demonstrators gathered outside the Anti-Defamation League's Whitney Avenue offices Wednesday, alleging the group seeks to censor public criticism of Israeli policy by painting it as anti-Semitic. |
Some of the roughly 30 protesters, among them several Jews, waved signs and American flags, some wearing strips of tape over their mouths bearing the letters "ADL." Organizer Stanley Heller, a Jewish member of the city-based Middle East Crisis Committee, addressed the throng with a bullhorn. "The ADL started long ago with good intentions to defend Jews from anti-Semitism. But it has changed its mission. It is so devoted to defending Israel and (Israeli Prime Minister Ariel) Sharon from criticism, that is its only activity," Heller said. David Waren, director of the state's ADL office, and two members of its executive committee, Chairman Gary Jones and Rabbi Eric Polokoff, all called the protesters' arguments misleading and grossly oversimplified. Waren said the ADL's mission over 89 years has centered on civil rights, The demonstration was a response to four incidents in the state this year in which protesters allege the ADL opposed or interfered with artistic or academic events it viewed as anti-Israeli. One complaint was the criticism of an April lecture at Manchester Community College, which included two speakers reportedly described by the ADL as "virulent anti-Israeli activists." In June, protesters alleged the ADL sought "review" of a seminar at Tunxis Community College in Farmington when a speaker was expected to relate personal accounts from Israeli-occupied territories. Here in May, the ADL took issue with the International Festival of Arts & Ideas' presentation of a Palestinian theater group's play about life under Israeli occupation. The ADL requested Arts & Ideas New Haven augment the festival's programming to provide social and political "context" for the play, which it did, Waren said. A flier distributed by the protesters also listed a July teacher-training seminar at Central Connecticut State University, alleging the ADL "demands" a "pro-Israel speaker." "The ADL is trying to keep them from being heard," said protester Meredith Kalman of New Haven, a student at Southern Connecticut State University. Waren pointed to a copy of the letter he and others sent to CCSU President Richard Judd requesting a meeting and action "respectful of the free speech rights and academic freedoms of others, to ensure that CCSU students benefit from a true marketplace of ideas." Waren and Polokoff said the ADL never speaks out about an individual's views or remarks, only when ideas are presented in an institutional or publicly funded forum. "The idea is to be candid and fair, and have academic integrity," Polokoff said. The protest shifted several feet down Whitney Avenue after police discovered an unattended backpack by a shrub in front of the building. Officer Raymond Crowley brought the police department's bomb dog, which sniffed the bag and detected nothing sinister. Crowley carried it off and the protest continued. |
*Some wearing strips of tape over their mouths.
Damn, I'd like to have seen that.
These anti-Jews are surely crafty devils
Or what? Another Project Meggido?
The Middle East Crisis Committee is a group of activists that organized in 1982 in New Haven, CT during Israel's invasion of Lebanon.Our Chairperson is Stanley Heller
Our Secretary-Treasurer is Patrick Kearney. Over the years we've picketed creeps like Clinton, Bush, Reagan, Ariel Sharon, Yitzhak Shamir, Lebanese President Gemayel, Rabbi Eliezer Waldman, Rabbi Meyer Kahane, Members of Congress Chris Dodd, Joe Lieberman, and Rosa DeLauro
Since 1984 we have published the journal, "The Struggle".
We are members of the Al-Awda (The Return) and are active on the Al-Awda Jewish-Arab Unity newsgroup
Yet I've not seen anyone allowed to make that distinction. As soon as questions arise, that stamp comes out, signed, sealed & delivered...anti-Semite.
Did I say anything against the Jews mentioned in this article, who were protesting? Have I said 'all Jews', or even just 'Jews', in any of my previous posts? To my way of thinking, 'Israel' means those in charge of the gov't. & policy. Even our media speak of the 'right-wing settlers' in Israel (isn't it kind of funny that those are the ones on the further-most outposts?), and of hardcore right-wing factions within the gov't.
I think some of you need to re-appraise your too-quick dismissal of others based on what you think they mean.
They sound nutty as a fruitcake.
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