Street Theater Flops in Boston
Busy as little bees they were for weeks planning their latest anti-Israel gala. Having expended their capital on “Occupation” and “Apartheid” the Cambridge based group that had become a fixture at the Park St. subway entrance at the Boston Common would now try out their Marat-Sade routine au sujet de BDS, but not just any BDS – this time they would target Sabra Hummus because an Israeli group owns 50% of the company. Adalah, the notorious anti-Israel group, is one of the most active BDS groups inside and outside Israel and directs the campaign against Sabra. Adalah, you may recall, is heavily funded by The New Israel Fund, a constituent organization within J Street. Ben Ami of J Street – in true lawyerly fashion – claims that his organization opposes BDS, but is nevertheless, supportive of organizations that urge and practice BDS. The Cambridge crew includes many who some years ago paid a cordial call on the Bethlehem Municipal Council whose majority councilors were either members of Hamas or Islamic Jihad.
Last Wednesday, the greying pony tails converged at their favorite haunt, the T stop at Park St. on the edge of Boston Common. They’ve been defaming Israel on this spot for years with any issue that they think will resonate with commuters rushing home. Most people I canvassed were thoroughly disgusted with their boring, vicious propaganda. If “Apartheid Wall” seems stale, they resort to “Settlements”, “Water Theft” or, in this case, Israeli Hummus! (oh so) Cleverly replacing the brand, “Sabra” with “Stolen”, they went to a great deal of effort to convince by-passers to boycott Sabra products. The effort, however, seemed more designed to feed their own hate than to convince anyone of their viewpoint. One of the Cambridge mujahadeen grew so frustrated at the presence of Israeli flags that she frantically began to phone the police, unaware that there were a number of uniformed officers right next to her. Cogent arguments against BDS, it would appear, constitute serious threats.
Jon Haber of "Divest This" Fame
The Apartheid Trope Wasn't Flying Today.
What's This?! How Dare They!
Kountering the Keffiyeh
Bad Day at Black Rock for Nancy Murray
One thing they didn’t count on was a counter demonstration featuring free samples of the humble, pureed chickpea. Commuters flocked to the tables to sample the delicious spread. So chagrined was the ponytails’ leader, Nancy Murray, late of the ACLU, at the mere presence of a differing opinion, that she exhorted her troops via megaphone that “This is our demo, this is our demo!”
Clearly rattled by the numbers of pro Israel participants, another whimpered, “I feel threatened!” Well, of course you feel threatened. After years of comparisons of Israel to Nazis and phony bullhorn accusations, to encounter a passionate and convincing counter-narrative, you would indeed feel “threatened.” A few onlookers, when they discovered the group’s affinity for Gazans and Hamas, hurled a few choice epithets in their direction and proceeded to pick up some miniature Israeli flags on their way to the subway.
Among the notable Israel supporters was Jon Haber whose “Divest This” guide is proving an invaluable tool in countering the growing BDS movements on campuses and elsewhere.
One guy said to me, “The whole Middle East is going up in flames, Japan just got hit with a tsunami, the economy sucks and the only thing these whackos can think about is how evil the Jews are! I wish someone could name one invention the Palestinians have contributed to humanity.”
Update: This post has been edited. It has had text added.
[Crossposted at DRA.]
