Saturday, June 24, 2006
A little over a week ago, I mentioned that the Green-Rainbow Party of Massachusetts was endorsing an anti-Israel protest to be held in opposition to the Talk, Walk and Rock for Israel family-day at City Hall Plaza, called by the notoriously anti-Israeli, anti-Semitic and anti-American New England Committee to Defend Palestine. If you think that's over-stating it, just have a look around their web site, and at the pictures of the event itself.
It seems, however, that not everyone with a Green Party membership was so thrilled as their Administrative Committee was. In fact, they lost a couple of people over it (and the Greens don't have many to lose). Good for those few:
As a Political Party I want us to be taken seriously, we need to set our standards higher. I believe there has to be accountability on all sides. The blood of innocents has been spilling for generations on all sides.
I would never know there is any kind of Peace Movement ongoing in the State of Isarel from the leaflet we are asked to support. Many in Israel have taken risk to support the rights of the People of Palestine...
While the Green Party platform is congruent with my own values and beliefs, I cannot continue to support an organization that seems to justify the suicide bombings and attacks of the Palestinians while condemning the violence of the Israelis. Why isn't the party taking a stand against ALL violence in the middle east?
The anti-Semitic overtones of the protest notice are alarming, and have resulted in my feeling that there is no place in this party for moderate Jews like myself...
Do we really want to align ourselves with such an organization? This isn't the first time I have brought this issue up to GRP leadership. I honestly believe that we (Greens, the left in general) have a real problem recognizing the anti-semitism in our midst.
How can we follow the 10 Key Values while supporting terrorism against innocent people? If terrorism is wrong its ALWAYS wrong for EVERYONE. If innocent civilians are not legitimate targets in war then they are NEVER legitimate targets ANYWHERE by ANYONE.
I would like someone to clarify exactly what the GRP position is on the Palestinian/Israeli conflict?
There is a response from the committe that does, in part, recognize that there may be some issues:
Additionally, we continue to not say enough about the violence that the Palestinians are directly responsible for, which is often misconstrued or justified on our side as "self-defense." Many Green-Rainbows do not see a distinction between "resistance violence" and terrorism. Violence is violence to most Greens and we are supposed to be explicitly non-violent...
Those poor, deluded fools...thinking that violence is violence and not recognizing the difference between "resistance violence" and terror. Off to the re-education camps with them!
Andover High's Ron Francis reponds as a typical Stalinist (yes), or extremist if you prefer. Now that he's in control of the board, the rest of the Party can hit the pavement for all he cares:
Also we are not in this to win a popularity contest. If we are principled then we need to take positions consistent with our core values regardless of public opinion.
He's right in a way, of course, but there is a fine line (and in this case, not so fine) between taking a principled stand and behaving as a zealot. Also note that anyone who may have a more nuanced view is denounced immediately as being "pro-apartheid" or "racist" -- in the extremist's eyes it's always the other who's behaving irrationally.
Responding to the idea that it's only a couple of inactive members who quit, and that they're simply ignorant anyway, and besides, one new guy showed up at a meeting because of the endorsement, there is another response from "I have been following the debate," above, who happens to be one of the party's founders:
I don't know how things are being run these days but if this party is ever to regain any of its hard won (and lost) influence we need to start thinking and acting like a political party. You don't do that by dismissing concerned members. For every one person who takes the time to write 5 or 10 just wont bother anymore. So 1 person showed up at a meeting. Big friggin deal.
DO you understand how our little endorsement is perceived? How we hand the mainstream media a club to beat us over the head with? And we use the WORST language possible! And why...dear god WHY do we align ourselves with anti-Semitic fringe groups????
Why, indeed. This could go on and on, but parties interested in digging deeper and seeing where this heads can just go on in and take a look at the message archives themselves. Readers will find the denial of GRP's alignment to any sort of "anti-Semitic fringe" remarkable, especially those who are familiar with some of the characters mentioned (like Amer Jubran and Aimee Smith -- what, them? Anti-Semitic extremists? Never!).
This issue is of great interest in the big-picture senses of showing the ways in which the far-Left and the Islamist agenda coincide, as well how extremists can tend to take control, radicalize and render irrelevant movements that probably took a great deal of energy to build.
It should also serve as a warning to those who see "Green-Rainbow Party" and think it's all about feel-good issues like whales, penguins and clean drinking-water. It should be, but it's not. It much more, much much worse than that.
Greens looking to take back their party may want to look into contacting Gary Acheatel's (who, somewhere on that list, is referred to as a "racist") group, Advocates for Israel, which is trying to change the Green Party from within.
Great post. Ron Francis continues to value his anti-Semitic agenda above all else, including the good of the Green-Rainbow party. This won't end well for the Greens...
Eric Danis
Since I was quoted in this article above, and the meaning of my message was twisted due to the perspective of the poster of his blog, I'd like to clear up my message here.
"Many Green-Rainbows do not see a distinction between "resistance violence" and terrorism."
When I wrote that, I was not suggesting that we should re-educate people or send them to re-education camps as the author so sarcastically suggested. I was pointing out to the Administrative Committee that we have real concerns within our party that our stance is too one-sided or simplistic.
Please, if you're going to quote ME, please don't twist my words. As a disclaimer, I am not a spokesperson for the party, so my views do not represent the official views of the party.
Sincerely,
Colby Peterson, Communications Director
Green-Rainbow Party
A communications director is not an official spokesperson? Really? What title does your offical spokeperson have? I don't suppose it has anything to do with communications.
Maybe a better interpretation of "I would say that this is due to lack of education" would be "I am ever so much better informed and far brighter than you, and of course you would realize my opinion is the only completely correct one, if you only had a few more decades to study the issue." Better?
Thank you for your clarification, Colby. You're right as far as it goes. The trouble is that you're clearly indicating that there *are* people, influential people, in your group who do hold those views, so the snarky point I made still really holds. (note: I didn't name you in the post, instead forcing people to read the full message for full context if they want it) Also, as Mitch points out, your comment about education muddies the waters, since it could be construed that with further education on the issues, membership *would* do things like recognizing the difference between violence and "resistence violence," for instance.
In his original post to the Green-Party, Colby wrote, "If we are to keep up the rhetoric, we better start educating people on what is happening over there."
I find it interesting that he calls the anti-Semitic propaganda of Francis and others "rhetoric."
Also, I'm interested in any ideas he may have for "educating" people that two peoples (the Israelis and Palestinians) that have been warring for more than 100 years should live in one state together. The Jews would be a minority in that State, so I'd like some education on how the Jews would feel safe under a Hamas/Islamic Jihad/Fatah umbrella of protection.
As an Israeli, I'm not sure I understand how the destruction of the country I live in (which is what Francis advocates) is good for me. I also don't understand what kind of education I could be provided with so that I would understand Francis' support of Palestinian homicide bombers (as he expressed it in the Andover Townsman newspaper). Please explain...
Eric Danis
Colby, your Green party seems to endorce the right of return for all the grandchildren of the 1948 refugees (who were ordered to get out by Arab armies or be treated as traiters).
I must ask, does your completely balanced and rational party also support the right of return for the grandchildren of the million or so Jews who were kicked out of Arab lands, not because of war but simply because they were dirty jews in Islamic nations?
Its funny, because for some reason I cannot find that on your "justice" website. Must be a typo.
Its strange. Israel treats its refugees as human beings and gives them rights and freedoms and are condemend for it. Arab countries (except Jordan) put Palestinians in disease ridden refugee camps for 60 years and are celebrated for it.