The Free Gaza Movement Shows Its Anti-Semitic Face (UPDATED)

[shira]

Note: This saga began on Monday evening, Oct. 1, and has been developing ever since. A series of updates -- including the discovery of a 1943 Nazi propaganda film that was also promoted by the Free Gaza Movement, improbable excuses offered by the organization's secretary, and a panicked response by the organization's past/present chair -- appear at the bottom.

The Free Gaza Movement is the key actor behind the successive flotillas that have sought to violate the maritime closure around Gaza in support of Hamas. It is chaired by Huwaida Arraf, who also heads the International Solidarity Movement (and has endorsed the use of violence against Israel), and its Board of Advisors includes such luminaries as Naomi Klein, Peter Hansen, and Jenny Tonge. It has been endorsed by a range of organizations and individuals, including Desmond Tutu, Jewish Voice for Peace, Code Pink, the Palestine Red Crescent Society, the Rachel Corrie Foundation, George Galloway, and Neturei Karta International.

much more with updates...
http://storify.com/avimayer/the-free-gaza-movement-shows-its-anti-semitic-side

[doxyluv13]

1. Free Gaza's Explanation

Home
The Free Gaza movement is a human rights group that, since August 2008, has attempted to travel ten times to Gaza by sea to break Israel's illegal stranglehold on1.5 million Palestinian civilians. We entered Gaza successfully five times in 2008; however, we have been violently intercepted on four voyages, including Israel's MAY 31, 2010 lethal attack on our Freedom Flotilla,when nine of our colleagues were killed and many more injured by Israeli commandos. And, on the tenth voyage in July 2011, Greece prevented us from leaving as Israel and the U.S. outsourced Israel's occupation of Gaza to Greece. (See also www.witnessgaza.com)

We sail as an expression of citizen nonviolent, direct action, confronting Israel's ongoing abuses of Palestinian human and political rights and will continue to challenge Israel's illegal siege on Gaza.

Apology regarding TWEET
WRITTEN BY GRETA BERLIN | 04 OCTOBER 2012
POSTED IN NEWS

ShareThis
A TWEET from the Free Gaza TWITTER account was posted several days ago that had a link to a lecture titled, "Zionists Ran the Holocaust and the Concentration Camps." This TWEET did not come from Free Gaza, and does not represent FG's position in any way whatsoever; in fact we condemn its content. It came from Greta's private Facebook page and was shared with a group of people who were discussing propaganda and racism, and this link was an example of the terrible propaganda that could be spewed on websites. For some reason, Facebook connected our Free Gaza account to her personal Facebook account, and the link was posted.

Greta has added, "I apologize that I did not watch the video before hitting SHARE on Facebook. I was in a rush to get to a book event and simply reposted. The fault is completely mine. Free Gaza had nothing to do with the post at all. "

The Free Gaza movement is a human rights group that is an expression of citizen nonviolent, direct action, confronting Israel's ongoing abuses of Palestinian human and political rights and will continue to challenge Israel's illegal siege on Gaza. In the future, we will work to ensure that material posted from our account relates only to FGM's activities, including Gaza's Ark.


Free Gaza had nothing to do with the post and apologizes unreservedly for the post and its content.

[shira]

2. LOL! Did Greta Berlin also "mistakenly" post this.....

...Nazi film from over 70 years ago - which incites hatred against Jews - on behalf of Free Gaza?








Greta Berlin didn't just mistakenly post Nazi filth twice, she also "mistakenly" posted the same Nazi propaganda film on her Facebook page:






She's a complete tool.

As anyone can see in the above OP article, and in her current tweets, she claimed Free Gaza did not post the video about Zionists running the Holocaust and concentration camps. (BTW, she is FreeGaza on twitter, followed by over 19,000 people). So what's her story? Dd she rush when she shared the video on Facebook, or did she not post the video at all?



Busted.

[King_David]

6. Sooo busted nt

[King_David]

7. From Wikipedia

Controversy

She has endorsed the writings of Gilad Atzmon, a controversial Israeli-born British writer and musician who has often been accused of antisemitism, saying his account of "what it means to be Jewish ... makes me awfully glad I was raised a Methodist." [16]

Berlin has been criticized for being anti-Semitic after she posted a speech on her private Facebook account, blaming Jews for the Holocaust. According to a JTA article published in the Jewish Journal, "[T]the original tweet, sent Sept. 30 from @freegazaorg, read that `Zionists operated the concentration camps and helped murder millions of innocent Jews.' It linked to a video of Eustace Mullins, a conspiracy theorist, claiming that the word `Nazi' combines the words `National Socialist' and `Zionist.' Mullins died in 2010." [17] Berlin says she sent the speech by mistake to a wider audience than intended, having only meant it for her personal Facebook account, and apologized for doing so. She had previously posted a link to a 1943 Nazi propaganda film Im Wald von Katyn. [18]


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greta_Berlin

[ProgressiveProfessor]

3. Pull the other finger

As Shira lays out, those claims are not credible

[King_David]

4. I do not buy that lame excuse,

I think they got caught red handed.

Not sure why all of the sudden they want to hide this ?

Everyone knows where they stand anyway.

[King_David]

5. Avi says :'Shocked but not overly surprised'

Indeed !

[shira]

63. Notice Greta's defenders attack Avi and deflect rather than...

...say or do anything WRT Greta's very clear and evil, racist, fascist inclinations.

Says everything about them.

[shira]

8. Archbishop Tutu: Please, Apologize to the Jews

On Sunday, the Free Gaza Movement posted this on its Twitter Feed: “Zionists operated the concentration camps and helped murder millions of innocent Jews” with a link to this awful video.

This is not anti-Zionism. It is not criticism of Israel or defense of Palestinian rights. It is not in the gray zone: it is ugly filth of the lowest kind, gutter anti-Semitism mixed with genocidal rage. The very word “Nazi,” tweeted the movement, is a combination of NAtionalist and ZIonist. Simple, really, once you see through the Jewish lies to understand the Jewish-Hitler alliance for what it really was.

As Avi Mayer tracked the story, it became clear that this was no low level employee or hot headed volunteer playing games with the Free Gaza Twitter feed. The film endorsed and linked in the tweet got another link — on the Facebook page Greta Berlin. She was so in love with this nastiness that she wanted to share it with her friends.

But this doesn’t exhaust the pro-Nazi activities of this “humanitarian” movement. The Free Gaza Movement is also touting an anti-Semitic film actually produced under the Propaganda Ministry of Joseph Goebbels during the Third Reich itself: a Nazi propaganda film on the Katyn massacre that tried to whip up hatred against Communists and Jews. And here, too, Greta Berlin, that exquisite connoisseur of cinema and tender-hearted lover of mankind, was so thrilled with this Goebbels’ hard-hitting investigative journalism and fearless proclamation of the truth that she posted a link to a download on her Facebook account.

As this information came out, the “Free Gaza Movement” frantically tried to bury the evidence, taking down the tweets, blocking access to Facebook posts, but it was too late. Screenshots, retweets and Google caches left its pale underbelly exposed.

more...
http://blogs.the-american-interest.com/wrm/2012/10/04/archbishop-tutu-please-apologize-to-the-jews/

[shira]

9. Sign the Petition to Desmond Tutu

Now that the truth is known, the Archbishop must move quickly to avoid causing grave harm to Christian-Jewish relations and the cause of justice around the world. He must express his regret to those Christians and Jews who have been hurt and confused by his inadvertent dalliance with hate. The longer he waits, the greater the scandal. He has every right to criticize Israeli policies in Gaza and to do what he can to promote what he believes to be a just outcome in the Israeli-Palestinian dispute. But Archbishop Tutu’s entire public career has been built on the repudiation of hate. He cannot, at this stage in his life, allow his name — or that of his Church — to be slimed in this way.

Via Meadia hopes that we will soon hear from South Africa that Archbishop Tutu has scraped this particular piece of dirt from the soles of his shoes. In the meantime we hope that other Anglican and Christian leaders around the world will move quickly to reassure Jews that Christians everywhere want nothing to do with this poor woman’s horrid agenda and her nasty hate campaign.

Desmond Tutu: Remove your endorsement from, and condemn, Holocaust deniers
http://www.change.org/petitions/desmond-tutu-remove-your-endorsement-from-and-condemn-holocaust-deniers-2

[azurnoir]

10. in the past haven't you referred to Desmond Tutu as possibly Helen Thomas II

and his Christian oppressionist beliefs?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=124&topic_id=348860&mesg_id=348904

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=124&topic_id=348860&mesg_id=348901

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=124&topic_id=328329&mesg_id=330995

here is a sample of those so called oppressionist beliefs

Desmond Tutu: Anti-gay laws ‘as wrong as apartheid

Archbishop Desmond Tutu has called for the global decriminalisation of homosexuality to aid the fight against HIV, comparing anti-gay laws to racial segregation in his home country of South Africa.

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2012/07/20/desmond-tutu-anti-gay-laws-as-wrong-as-apartheid/

but have it your way such a triumph for human kind

[King_David]

13. Surprised he endorsed such an antisemitic movement ?

People should always be careful whom they endorse and who they associate with.

[shira]

18. At least Huwaida Arraf called the tweet offensive...

Huwaida Arraf ‏@huwaidaarraf
Regarding recent offensive tweet from @freegazaorg. Clarifying tweets have been sent. It wasn't a FG tweet, it was a mistake & FG apologizes
Collapse Reply Retweet Favorite
4
RETWEETS
3
FAVORITES
7:54 PM - 3 Oct 12 · Details

https://twitter.com/huwaidaarraf

Nothing from anti-racist champion Desmond Tutu yet.

[azurnoir]

19. Interesting Huwaida Arraf-Shapiro basically said the same thing Greta Berlin did but...........

well if that had been accepted the outrage of the day would have over and isn't she the chairperson of freegaza?

[shira]

22. What do you think now of Greta Berlin and Free Gaza?

As to Arraf, you're right and I agree.

But notice that Arraf bailed on Free Gaza. If you read the OP, you'll see she panicked and got the hell out of dodge in order to distance herself from this debacle.

[azurnoir]

25. as to Berlin she should she should be condemned but it seems that condemning Berlin isn't ehough

and the petition 'calling' on Tutu seems to confirm that a bit of over reach IMO

as to Huwaida Arraf-Shapiro so now she bailed here is what she also said

I am no longer the chair of @freegazaorg but endorse apology issued & continue to support the work FG does for Gaza & a free Palestine

[shira]

44. None of the better known anti-zionists have condemned her....

The only ones who've done something, like...

Ali Abunimah
Huwaida Arraf
Naomi Klein

...haven't condemned any of her vile Jew hatred.

===========================

So it's not as though condemning her is not enough, it simply hasn't happened at all!

Are you surprised?

[shira]

16. If he stays quiet, he'll just confirm what I've written....

...about him in the past.

[azurnoir]

20. what you've written in the past show an already made up mind IMO

and I doubt anything Tutu does or does not do will change that

[shira]

21. Do you believe Tutu should strongly condemn Greta Berlin? n/t

[azurnoir]

26. really I don't care either way Tutu is not a member of Free Gaza

but do not let that slow ya down any please

[shira]

40. Tutu's endorsement of a hate group will tarnish....

...his reputation as a hero who fights against racism and bigotry.

Ali Abunimah has shown some courage distancing himself from that vileness.

Tutu should do it even mores.

That's his schtick.

To oppose bigotry and racism and confront it.

=======

Why would he want his good name associated with the lowest, gutter hatred?

[azurnoir]

48. your past writings show that Tutu's name is already associated with the "lowest, gutter hatred"

and for some will always be due to his comments about apartheid

[shira]

51. So you don't believe Tutu has to disassociate himself...

...from Greta Berlin / Free Gaza's hateful Naziism?

He endorsed Free Gaza. They use his good name to legitimize their cause.

Imagine Eli Wiesel endorsing a racist, bigoted movement & upon learning how morally bankrupt it is, remains silent and does nothing.

[azurnoir]

54. still hounding Desmond Tutu are 'we'

as I said keep on truckin' with that one it shows what the priorities here (hint it ain't Greta Berlin) , as to Weisel doesn't he support Netanyahu on the subject of Palestinians?

[shira]

58. So, I take your answer to be no. Deflections withstanding. n/t

[azurnoir]

60. you are free to take anything you wish

but why are you targeting Tutu and not the 135 other supporters of Free Gaza?
your past condemnations of Tutu show what the true importance a here is IMO

[shira]

61. So rather than deflect all questions, why not answer? n/t

[azurnoir]

56. Here is a list of Free Gaza's ssupporters but yet we Desmond Tutu targeted here seems rather selecti

• 14 Friends of Palestine, www.14friendsofpalestine.org
• Abnaa Al Balad, Palestine, www.abnaa-elbalad.org
• Abrahams Töchter (D), www.abrahams-toechter.org
• ACAT, Catalunya/Espanya, http://acat.pangea.org
• Adams, Miriam and Steve, New Mexico (USA)
• A Different Jewish Voice (Een Ander Joods Geluid) - Amsterdam, NL, www.eajg.nl
• AIPPP (Patrimoine Palestinien) Strasbourg
• Aktionsbündnis für einen gerechten Frieden in Palästina (Deutschland)
• Alternative Information Center, http://www.alternativenews.org
• American Friends Service Committee-Pacific Southwest Region (AFSC), www.afsc.org
• American-Iranian Friendship Committee (AIFC), www.progressiveportals.com/aifc
• Americans Against the War - France (AAW-France), www.aawfrance.org
• Americans For A Just Peace In The Middle East, www.ajpme.org
• Americans for a Palestinian State, CA, http://americansforapalestinianstate.org/
• American Muslims for Palestine, www.ampalestine.org
• Americans United for Palestinian Human Rights (Oregon, USA)
• Antonine Friendship Link, (UK)
• Arab-Jewish Partnership for Peace and Justice in the Middle East (Chicago), www.arabjewishpartnership.org
• Araguaney Foundation (Spain), http://www.fundacionaraguaney.com
• Arbeitskreis Nahost Berlin (Middle East Group Berlin), www.aknahost.org
• Archbishop Desmond Tutu (South Africa), see his letter of support
• "Aristera!" ("Left!&quot (Greece), http://www.koel.gr (click on "Aristera!&quot
• Association France Palestine Solidarité, www.france-palestine.org
• The Australian Friends of Palestine Association, www.friendsofpalestine.org.au
• Australians for Justice and Peace in Palestine, www.ajpp.canberra.net.au
• Australians for Palestine, www.australiansforpalestine.com
• Banias, Yannis, Member of Parliament in Greece (Syriza Partie)
• Barnes, Andrea, peace worker (USA)
• Bat Shalom of the Jerusalem Link, www.batshalom.org
• Bay Area Peace Navy, www.docspopuli.org/articles/PN/BAPN2008.htm
• Bay Area Women in Black, www.bayareawomeninblack.org
• Berkeley Women in Black, www.bapd.org/gbemck-1.html
• Bishop Munib Younan (Jerusalem), www.elcjhl.org
• Blincoe, Nicholas, author (UK), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicholas_Blincoe
• Britain Palestine Twinning Network, www.twinningwithpalestine.net
• Brouillet, Carol, Congressional Green candidate, California, www.communitycurrency.org
• Bubbies and Zaydes (Grandparents) for Peace in the Middle East, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Burden, Richard, MP, Birmingham Northfield (UK), Chair of Britain-Palestine All Party Parliamentary Group, www.richardburden.com
• Cafe Intifada http://home.earthlink.net/~cafeintifada
The Caipirinha Foundation, http://culturesofresistance.org
• Campagne Civile Pour la Protection du Peuple Palestinien CCIPPP (France), www.protection-palestine.org
• Center for Studies and Alternative Information on Middle East (MA.D.I.S.A.)
• Center for Theology and Social Analysis (Missouri, USA)
• Checkpoint 303 (Tunisia/France/Palestine), www.checkpoint303.com
• Chicago Faith Coalition on Middle East Policy (Chicago), www.chicagofaith.org
• Chomsky, Noam, www.chomsky.info
• Citizens for Justice in the Middle East (Kansas, USA)
• The Coalition of Women for Peace (Israel), http://coalitionofwomen.org
• Code Pink, www.codepink4peace.org
• Collectif judéo-arabe et citoyen pour la paix, Strasbourg
• Comité pour une Paix Juste au Proche Orient in Luxemburg CPJPO, www.paixjuste.lu
• Le Comité Solidarité Palestine de Saint-Nazaire (France)
• Committee for a Just Peace in Israel and Palestine CJPIP (USA), www.cjpip.org
• Coordination de l'Appel de Strasbourg pour une paix juste au Proche-Orient, www.eutopic.lautre.net/coordination
• Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), www.cair.com
• Conscience International (USA), www.conscienceinternational.org
• Corrigan-Maguire, Mairead, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mairead_Corrigan
• The Cyprus IndyMedia Collective, http://cyprusindymedia.org
• Deir Yassin Remembered, http://www.deiryassin.org
• DePaul Academic Freedom Committee (Chicago), www.academicfreedomchicago.org
• Deutsch-Palästinensische Gesellschaft e.V., http://dpg-netz.de
• Dimitriadi, Antigoni Karali, Vice President of KEDE (Center of Research and Action for Peace, Greece)
• Dritsas, Theodoros (Greece), Syriza MP for Pireas
• Dropkin, Greg, Liverpool (UK)
• El Hoss, Dr. Salim, former Lebanese prime minister, see his endorsement letter (in Arabic)
• European Jews for a Just Peace EJJP, www.ejjp.org
• Farrah-France (Réfugiés)
• Follain Community Health Project, Waterford Women's Community Network

• Finkelstein, Norman G., www.normanfinkelstein.com
• Friends of Al-Aqsa, UK, www.aqsa.org.uk
• Friends of Sabeel (N.W.)
• Gai, Racheli, Tucson, Arizona
• Galloway, George (UK), RESPECT MP for Bethnal Green and Bow
• Gaza 3ala Bali (Gaza on my Mind), from Ramalla area,
http://gaza3alabali.wordpress.com
• Gaza Community Mental Health Programme (GCMHP), http://www.gcmhp.net
• Gesellschaft für Österreichisch-Arabische Beziehungen/Society for Austro-Arab Relations, www.saar.at
• Gibson, Dr Ian, MP for Norwich North (UK)
• Global Exchange, San Francisco, CA, www.globalexchange.org
• Guns2Guitars (Israel), www.guns2guitars.org
• Gutierrez, Andrew Paul, PhD, Professor of Ecosystem Science, University of California, Berkeley
• Halpin, Dr. David, co-ordinator Dove and Dolphin aid voyage to Gaza
• Halifax Friends of Palestine, Yorkshire (UK), http://halifaxfriendsofpalestine.org.uk
• Hardy, Jeremy, star of "Jeremy Hardy versus the Israeli Army", and comedian,UK, Wikipedia
• Holton, Doug (UK), Theatre practitioner, author of "Culture and Activism in India" (with Michael Walling) and "Cultural Revolutions"
• ICAHD-USA, http://icahdusa.org
• I love Palestine, http://www.ilovepalestine.net
• International Action Center San Diego, CA
• International Solidarity Movement Northern California, www.norcalism.org
• International Solidarity Movement Michigan
• International Solidarity Movement-Chicago chapter (USA), www.nwsustain.org/ism_chicago.htm
• Intersindical Alternativa de Catalunya (IAC), www.pangea.org/iac
• Intifada-Solidarity Association to the Palestinian People (Greece), www.intifada.gr
• Iona Community, Glasgow, www.iona.org.uk
• ISM Denmark, www.palestinafredsvagter.dk
• ISM France, www.ism-france.org
• ISM Switzerland, www.ism-suisse.org
• ISM Italy
• ISM Spain, www.internacionalesporpalestina.org
• ISM London UK, www.ism-london.org.uk
• Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions - UK (UK), www.icahduk.org
• I-Witness Palestine, Southern California, www.iwitnesspalestine.org
• Israeli Committee against House Demolitions (ICAHD), www.icahd.org
• Jewish Voice for a Just Peace in the Middle East (EJJP-Austria)
• Jewish Voice for a Just Peace in Middle East - EJJP Germany, www.juedische-stimme.de
• Jews for Justice for Palestinians (UK), www.jfjfp.org
• Jewish Peace News archive and blog: http://jewishpeacenews.blogspot.com
• Jewish Voice for Peace, www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org
• Jewish Women for Justice in Israel/Paletine, Boston, MA
• Justice for Palestinians, San Jose, CA, U.S.A., website
• Kersanidis, Stratos, Film Critic, Athens, Greece
• Kos Grabar, Bojana, Amsterdam (NL)
• LA Jews for Peace, www.LAJewsforPeace.org
• Leon, Michael, Consultant, http://malcontends.blogspot.com
• Liverpool Friends of Palestine (UK)
• Loach, Ken, filmmaker (UK), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Loach
• Los Angeles Palestine Labor Solidarity Committee
• Lucas, Dr. Caroline, Green Party MEP South East England, www.carolinelucasmep.org.uk
• Meead, Portland Daily Photos, http://portlanddailyphotos.blogspot.com
• Mahon, Alice, retired UK Labour Party MP, Wikipedia
• Mansour, N.S. (Bill), Professor Emeritus, Oregon State University
• MAS Freedom, the human & civil rights advocacy affiliate of the Muslim American Society, www.masnet.org
• Meulenbelt, Anja, Kifaia Foundation, Amsterdam, http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anja_Meulenbelt
• Meyer, Dr. Hajo G. (Netherlands), Holocaust survivor, author of "The End of Judaism"
• Middle East Crisis Response, Woodstock, NY, http://mideastcrisis.org
• Middle East Study Group (California, USA)
• MidEast: JustPeace, Michigan, www.mideastjustpeace.org
• Morgantini, Luisa, MEP, Vice President of the European Parliament
• The Muslim Public Affairs Committee (MPACUK), www.mpacuk.org
• Nabulsi, Dr. Karma, Oxford University, commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/karma_nabulsi/profile.html
• National Association of Muslim American Women (NAMAW)
• Nazir Ahmed, Baron Ahmed, member of the House of Lords (UK), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazir_Ahmed,_Baron_Ahmed
• Netherlands Palestine Committee, http://www.palestina-komitee.nl
• Neturei Karta International, www.nkusa.org
• Network for the Political and Social Rights (Greece), http://diktio.org
• New Profile (Israel), www.newprofile.org
• Nonviolent Action Community of Cascadia, http://seanacc.org
• North, Titus (USA), political science professor and former candidate for Congress, http://www.votenorth.org
• Norwich Friends of Palestine PSC
• Not In Our Name (NION): Jewish Voices Opposing Zionism, www.nion.ca
• NOVA - Social Innovation Centre (Catalonia/Spain), www.nova.cat
• Olive Cooperative, UK
• Olympia/Rafah Sister City Project - Olympia, WA/Rafah, Gaza, www.orscp.org
• Omer, Mohammed, Journalist (Palestine), www.rafahtoday.org
• The One Democratic State Group-Gaza, www.odsg.org
• Palestinian Agricultural Development Association-PARC/Gaza, www.pal-arc.org
• Palestine Aid Society, Los Angeles
• Palestine Committee of Norway, http://www.palestinakomiteen.no
• The Palestinian Centre For Human Rights (PCHR), http://www.pchrgaza.org
• The Palestine Medical Relief Society, www.pmrs.ps
• The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS), www.palestinercs.org
• Palestine Relief Fund, Sydney Australia, www.palestiniansunited.org/palrelief
• The Palestinian Sailing Federation, www.geocities.com/palsailing/photopage.html
• Palestine Solidarity Campaign, UK, www.palestinecampaign.org
• Palestine Solidarity Committee - Seattle, www.palestineinformation.org
• Palestinian Community of Catalonia, Spain
• The Palestinian Youth Network
• Pau Ara Madrid
• Pau Ara Valencia
• Pax Christi Metro New York, www.nypaxchristi.org
• Pax Christi UK, www.paxchristi.org.uk
• Paz Ahora, www.pazahora.org
• The People's Voice: Ragnar Johannessen & Schuyler Ebbets, http://www.thepeoplesvoice.org/
• Peterson, David, Writer & Researcher, Chicago, www.electricpolitics.com/2008/05/principles_of_the_imperial_new.html
• Philadelphia Jews for a Just Peace
• Popular Committee Against the Siege, Jamal El-Khoudary, see endorsement letter
• Portland Peaceful Response Coalition (USA), http://www.pprc-news.org
• Progressive Librarians Guild (PLG), http://libr.org/plg/index.php
• Qureshi, Kamal, Danish MP, www.kamal.dk
• Rachel Corrie Foundation (Washington, USA), www.rachelcorriefoundation.org
• The Ramadhan Foundation (UK), www.ramadhanfoundation.com
• Resource Center for Nonviolence, Santa Cruz, CA, http://www.rcnv.org
• Rivero, Michael (USA), http://whatreallyhappened.com
• Salahuddeen - The Voice of Palestine (South Africa), http://salahuddeen.net
• San Jose Peace and Justice Center (SJPJC), www.sanjosepeace.org
• Sakorafa, Sofia, Member of the Greek parliament and former Olympic Women's javelin champion
• Sansour, Leila, film director, founder of Open Bethlehem (UK), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leila_Sansour
(• www.openbethlehem.org)
• Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign, www.scottishpsc.org.uk
• Sheehan, Cindy, anti-war campaigner, Congress candidate (US), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cindy_Sheehan
• Sheffield Palestine Solidarity Campaign (UK), www.sheffieldpsc.org
• Shropshire Palestine Talks (UK)
• Simpson, Dr., Brad, Asst. Professor of History & Int. Affairs, Princeton University
• SouthBayMobilization (San Jose), http://www.sbm4peace.org
• Stand Up Seattle, Seattle, WA, www.standupseattle.org
• SUSTAIN: Stop US Tax Aid to Israel Now, http://sustainphilly.blogspot.com
• Syed, Shakeel (California), http://shakeelsreflections.blogspot.com
• Tours In English - Palestine - Israel - West Bank, http://www.toursinenglish.com
• Tromsø, Norway, see endorsement letter of the mayor
• Union Juive Française pour la paix (France), www.ujfp.org
• UNISON (UK), www.unison.org.uk/international/pages_view.asp?did=7382
• Un Ponte Per... (Roma), www.unponteper.it
• U-pal (Understanding Palestine) (UK)
• US Academics For Peace (USA), www.conscienceinternational.org
• USS Liberty Survivors 1967- Friends of FGM
• Visions of Peace with Justice in Israel/Palestine, www.vopjip.org
• Washington Interfaith Alliance for Middle East Peace, www.wiamep.org
• We Are Wide Awake (USA), www.wearewideawake.org
• "We Refuse to Be Enemies: Jews, Muslims and Christians in Coalition for Peace", Connecticut
• The Western New York Peace Center, www.wnypeace.org
• Wilson, Dr Bill, MSP for the West of Scotland, http://www.billwilsonmsp.org
• Women in Black - Amherst, Massachusets
• Women in Black-Armidale, Australia
• Women in Black - Cambridge, UK
• Women in Black, Edinburgh, Scotland, www.wibs.org.uk
• Women in Black - Green Valley, Arizona
• Women in Black, India
• Women in Black - Los Angeles, www.wib-la.net
• Women in Black, Netherlands, www.vrouweninhetzwart.nl
• Women in Black - St. Louis, MO
• Women in Black - Tucson, AZ
• Women in Black-Victoria BC, Canada
• Women in Black, Vienna, Austria, www.fraueninschwarz.at
• Women of a Certain Age (WCA) New York, NY, http://wca2004.org/
• Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF), http://www.wilpf.org/
• Women Walk Home For A United Cyprus, www.cyprus.com.cy/womenwalkhome.htm
• The Working Group on the Middle East, Metropolitan Chicago Synod - ELCA
• Xarxa d'Enllac amb Palestina, Catalonia, Spain
• Xarxa de Solidaritat amb Palestina del Pais Valencia
• Yesh Gvul, support group for Israeli occupation refuseniks, www.yeshgvul.org.il/index_e.asp
• Zaytoun, UK, www.zaytoun.org
• Zochrot (Israel), www.zochrot.org

http://www.freegaza.org/en/about-us/who-we-are/136-endorsers

[shira]

57. Tutu is by far the most well respected anti-racist from that list....

How can this not tarnish his reputation? He actually wrote a letter of support. He didn't merely sign some petition. Of course, EVERYONE on this list should call out Greta's filth for what it is, but Tutu is a little different dont'cha think?

Do you not believe gutter antisemitism is something to be strongly condemned....just as much as the lowest forms of anti-black, gay, and arab hate?

It just seems you're angrier with those making the accusations than the actual supporters of the worst kind of racist, fascist, anti-semitism.

[azurnoir]

59. according to you his 'reputation' was already quite 'tarnished'

and the only thing I am what call angry but in reality is something different it is the choice of targets which is quite revealing IMO, opportunism is the word for it going on in this thread

[shira]

62. This has nothing to do with me...

I'm pretty sure you'd go ape shit if Eli Wiesel were supporting the same evil, racist, fascist shit and refusing to condemn it.

[azurnoir]

64. as you are ther one who brought Desmond Tutu into this it does have something to do with you

in fact you are the one who is promoting the antiTutu petition too BTW at this time 4:10 pm 10/6/12 that petition is up to a 'smoking' 22 signatures, sorry but your attempts to demonize Tutu are very much germane to this IMO

[shira]

65. So you wouldn't expect Eli Wiesel to do or say anything....

...if he were associated with and supportive of a similar "humanitarian, anti-racist, anti-fascist" organization?

Simple question.

No more deflections, please.

[azurnoir]

66. Weisel has allied himself with Israel's rightwing as I pointed out in my first post

in this subthread 'nuff said as far as I am concerned but yet you keep insisting I am deflecting are you simply trying to build your post count or what?

[shira]

69. So Wiesel allying himself with a coalition including Ehud Barak....

...and Shimon Peres (both Laborites) is on par with being allied with the most toxic, racist Jew-hating neo-Nazi bigots?

You're still deflecting.

You can't unload vs. Greta Berlin, can you?

[azurnoir]

71. can I unload on anyone in the manner you do? NOPE

as Ms Berlin I already have said what I am going to say now you can keep on accusing and shreiking about this and that but it's your show now

[King_David]

87. Tutu can distance himself from that disgusting movement,

if he chooses to and if he disagrees with their sentiment.

[azurnoir]

106. so the target here is not Berlin it is in fact Free Gaza and anyone who supports it right?

if you don't do as "we" sday it proves you are an antisemite, my what a progressive value, kudo's for showing us that

[King_David]

109. Where did the tweet come from?

What account?


Jew Hating organization full of Jew hating individuals seems an accurate depiction here.

There is no cleaning up this revelation of truth.

[azurnoir]

110. so it was this tweet that brought you to this revelation?

you fully supported Free Gaza and its mission prior to this, right?

[King_David]

120. I don't support antisemitic groups ,or give them the time of day,even

When their leaders label themselves anti zionists ( only ,ha ha)

The likes of Berlin and Atzmon and Duke repulse me.

[doxyluv13]

11. Will Shira stop at nothing to defame Israel's victims and their supporters?

This really seems like a facebook problem.

[King_David]

12. It's not defamation to point out the truth,

Their true colors ...

They are a bunch of antisemites and Berlin proved it.

( officially )

[shira]

15. I'm amazed at how nasty & dumb Greta Berlin is....

She works with Jews in the FreeGaza movement and then does this?

Where are all the voices of the anti-zionist Jews?

Are they waiting for permission to do or say something?

The longer they're quiet, the worse they appear too.

[shira]

14. What's amazing is that none of Free Gaza's supporters....

....or endorsers is moved enough to do or say something - anything - about Berlin posting not one, but two vile Nazi videos within a week.

All I see are deflections.

For some reason, those reporting on this are the ones to blame. Anything to run interference for the gutter antisemitism of Free Gaza's Nazi leader and founder.

No shock or outrage from her "humanitarian, peace-loving, anti-racist, anti-fascist" friends at her Naziism.

Just moving on as if nothing has happened. Ignoring it, denying it, deflecting from it, minimizing the impact....

[shira]

17. June 2012: Greta Berlin endorsement of Gilad Atzmon

"Gilad's "The Wandering Who" entertains, pushes and irritates us. His painful journey through what it means to be Jewish, what the consequences are of carrying that realization around, and his ultimate acceptance of who he is makes me awfully glad I was raised a Methodist.

[shira]

23. Larry Derfner defends Greta Berlin at +972

http://972mag.com/the-slandering-of-gaza-flotilla-activist-greta-berlin/57110/

Read the comments. Most of them slam Derfner's sorry defense of Berlin.

My fave:

She also said: “I apologize that I did not watch the video before hitting SHARE on Facebook. I was in a rush to get to a book event and simply reposted. The fault is completely mine. Free Gaza had nothing to do with the post at all. ” This suggests that she simply uses every possible defense:

1. I shared it to oppose it

2. I didn’t know what’s in it

3. I should not have shared it

Now, if she did not know what’s in it, then why share it as a terrible example?

[shira]

195. Derfner won't retract, despite knowing he got story wrong

https://twitter.com/adamhollandblog/status/257947082164420608/photo/1

[shaayecanaan]

24. The excuse does not sound particularly credible...

even if you were minded to accept her excuse that the post was only made in the context of an overarching discussion about racism, you would need evidence of the supposed facebook posts that supposedly led Berlin to make the tweet. I would certainly be making those posts public if I expected anyone to take that argument seriously.

Abunimah from EA issued a blog post essentially saying the same thing:-

http://electronicintifada.net/blogs/ali-abunimah/greta-berlins-statement-not-correct

The statement in support of Gilad Atzmon is a problem for her as well. The term "self hating Jew" is bandied about an awful lot by the hasbarado crowd. In the case of Atzmon it is probably one of the few cases where such an allegation would be correct.

Normally, accusations of anti-Semitism from the hasbarados turn out to be complete horseshit. But they are probably making a fair call this time.

[azurnoir]

27. agreed AA about Berlin however it is the antiTutu campaigning here that bothers me

and the use of this incident to make him the guilty party in addition to Berlin

[shaayecanaan]

81. I wouldnt worry too much about him

the mainstream Jewish organisations (the ADL for instance) have never gone after him in a big way, perhaps because their own position on the apartheid regime was never squeaky clean. If they ever did want to get in a stoush with him, he'd have more material than them.

[azurnoir]

111. oh I am sure both Desmond Tutu and his reputation will survive this incident

quite intact

[shira]

127. What do you make of this 'incident'? Muchado about nothing? n/t

[azurnoir]

131. simply much ado

about nothing? about diversion? about condemnation of an entire movement? about proving 'Israel's enemies are antisemitic at least by extension? damned if they don't still damned if they do? all of the above or none take your choice

[shira]

133. If Greta doesn't speak for the movement....

...then why the silence, indifference, or support from the vast majority of anti-Zionist leaders?

[azurnoir]

136. I would say indifference probably best describes the attitude

of most ProPalestinian (antizionist) leaders, Berlin and Free Gaza have as has already been pointed out to you seen its heyday, the game has changed due to Arab spring and the new leadership in Egypt in fact the ones that seem to grant Berlin the most importance are indeed the ones using her to condemn an entire movement, because for them she is important for the of us not really in fact it seems that you are the only one that has ever brought her up here on DU

[shira]

139. So you think anti-Zio leadership is indifferent....

...due to FreeGaza's irrelevance?

Meaning if they were more relevant, maybe someone would speak up and condemn Greta?

[azurnoir]

154. meaning Greta Berlin is far more important to the 'Pro'- Israel set

as this thread shows, but don't slow down now

[oberliner]

161. This thread has a grand total of about five people posting in it

Not exactly a set...

Anyway, I think this tweetroversy has raised her profile among that crowd.

Previously, though, she had a pretty high one with the other.

[oberliner]

141. You've never brought her up here on DU?

Are you sure about that?

[azurnoir]

153. not that I remember offhand but I'm sure you have something

how long did you search ? It seems quite important to you for some reason

[oberliner]

156. Huh?

It's not important to me at all. I know I've mentioned her before. I'd be surprised if you hadn't, but I have no clue, really.

[azurnoir]

162. why would you bring it up?

as I said Berlin just isn't all that important as far I am concerned, she seems to garner more importance from her detractors, than from those would be supporters

[oberliner]

165. Was surprised by your claim

I thought she was a pretty big player and I do remember a lot of discussion here about the various flotillas (with her as the spokesperson, I believe).

[oberliner]

30. Greta Berlin Clarifies

For me, however, as one of the writers who has positively slammed her in the past few days, Berlin’s fresh statement is enough: She has said unequivocally that her intent in sharing that deeply disturbing video was not to support its content.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/10/05/greta-berlin-clarifies.html

[shira]

38. Abunimah's only half right.

Last edited Sat Oct 6, 2012, 12:33 PM - Edit history (2)

His twitter feed is a perfect example of the rot that still infests the anti-zionist movement.

1. He rightfully condemns Greta Berlin and goes further into condemning her for supporting Gilad Atzmon's work. Great job there. Really! He even agrees with me....

Ali Abunimah ‏@AliAbunimah
@alexbkane I would've expected those listed as @freegazaorg leaders, other than Greta, to step up and show leadership. They're absent.
Collapse Reply Retweet Favorite
10:39 AM - 5 Oct 12 · Details

2. However, 16 hours ago, Abunimah was pimping an article by one Jonathan Cook (another fan and defender of Gilad Atzmon):

Ali Abunimah ‏@AliAbunimah
Why Israel's "refugee day" is a smokescreen to deny Palestinian rights | by Jonathan Cook | @intifada http://bit.ly/RiShqL
Expand Reply Retweet Favorite

https://twitter.com/AliAbunimah#

That article is currently (as of 9:46AM EST) the top story on the Electronic Intifada Website:
http://electronicintifada.net/content/why-israels-refugee-day-smokescreen-deny-palestinian-rights/11731

What's wrong with this, you might ask?

Last year, at about the same time Richard Falk, John Mearsheimer, and Greta Berlin were slobbering over Atzmon's Nazi Manifesto and kissing the ground he walked on, Jonathan Cook ripped into the Guardian for publishing an article critical of, you guessed it, Gilad Atzmon:

One of his many quotable:

"I have no idea whether Atzmon has expressed anti-semitic views..."
http://www.countercurrents.org/cook290911.htm

You should know Abunimah had a major role in getting Atzmon excommunicated from the Palestine Solidarity Campaign. This is why he brought up and criticized Greta Berlin's association with Atzmon.

WRT Jonathan Cook? Not so much...

Cook is also frequently published at Stormfront. CLASSY!

I reckon that if someone - maybe you - were to remind, via a tweet, Ali Abunimah of Cook's support of Atzmon, it wouldn't make one bit of difference to Abunimah. He's only interested in throwing gutter anti-semites under the bus when they prove to be so blatantly obnoxious in their hatred. Otherwise, Abunimah is happy to associate with fellow Jew haters.

[oberliner]

93. He is ridiculous

Think of the shrill tone he uses to condemn people who make comments that can be construed as Islamophobic or anti-Palestinian.

Now compare that to his post about Greta Berlin, the tone he uses in the title, and the fact that he has comments turned off.

[shira]

95. Not even the most blatant love of Naziism brings forth condemnation....

....from any of the "humanitarian, anti-racist, anti-fascist" anti-zionist leadership.

Think they'd be trashing their hasbarado enemies with dirt like this?

[oberliner]

100. I predict this ends in forgive-and-forget

After further review, EI regrets its hasty conclusions and accepts Ms. Berlin's clarification.

[shira]

121. Check out Abunimah's Twitter feed as of 12:15pm EST

He's digging his heels in.

https://twitter.com/AliAbunimah

Can't believe I'm on Abunimah's side.



He hasn't condemned her, but he's not letting this die quietly. Despite what we think about him, you can bet he's under tremendous pressure to STFU in the name of solidarity.

[oberliner]

122. They seem open to apologizing

They appear to still be in "research gathering" mode. If they get clarifying information, they have said they would apologize. This is what I think will end up happening after all is said and done. Some sort of qualified half-apology and then a statement about how important it is that the movement continue to focus on Palestine and put this behind everyone.

[azurnoir]

28. Free Gaza is about to sail from Naples but I am sure the current condemnation of not only Berlin

but the entire organization and everybody that endorses it has nothing what so ever to do with that no perish the thought

[oberliner]

29. The slandering of Gaza flotilla activist Greta Berlin

It’s amazing how blatantly, how shamelessly a Jewish Agency official named Avi Mayer, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, the Jerusalem Post, Canada’s National Post and I don’t know how many other “pro-Israel” entities have slandered Greta Berlin, a prominent spokeswoman of the Free Gaza Movement, as an advocate of the worst, sickest kind of anti-Semitism. They’ve deliberately left out Berlin’s explanation for a tweet she sent out a few days ago, and without her explanation, one is indeed left to conclude that she’s a crazed Jew-hater. A lot of people, of course, want to believe that about a woman so closely identified with the flotillas that sailed to Gaza, so this story has gone viral.

http://972mag.com/the-slandering-of-gaza-flotilla-activist-greta-berlin/57110/

[azurnoir]

32. that article has already been posted on this thread and does not relate to my comment

but once is not enough for somethings I guess

[oberliner]

33. It confirms your point

She is being slandered to discredit the most recent FGM mission to Gaza.

[azurnoir]

34. no that was hardly my point as I also said Berlins tweet is being used as a blanket attack

against FreeGaza and its supporters and the fact that FreeGaza is about to launch another mission any (nonexistent) defense of Berlin is imaginary

[oberliner]

35. Derfner's defense of Berlin is definitely existent and not imaginary

Have you not read the article at the link? You were the one who even noted it was posted already. It is clearly a defense of Ms. Berlin. As is the other article by Emily Hauser.

Greta Berlin has unequivocally stated that she is not a Holocaust denier and does not endorse any of the statements in the video.

Here is her most recent post on the subject:

I am not a Holocaust denier. And I am not a supporter of the video that I posted, nor would I ever have been. It was, in fact, an example of propaganda that is EXACTLY what I and others are horrified over. The video (although I didn't watch it then) seemed like the kind propaganda that our group was discussing. And I passed it on because of the title.

Ironically I am caught in the same propaganda hysteria that I was trying to fight. It was my mistake that I didn't post to the small private group on Facebook and the video ended up on my wall. Greta

http://www.freegaza.org/en/home/56-news/1369-statement-from-greta-berlin

[azurnoir]

36. yes I realize Derfner is defending her however my respect for Derfner

was rather lowered due to the circumstances surrounding his firing from JPost.

perhaps I should have added in my previous post any defense of Berlin on my part is imaginary

[oberliner]

42. I find your lack of defense very surprising

Especially in relation to how you responded to the Helen Thomas comments.

[azurnoir]

47. really? IMO Helen Thomas was a very different case but what is your opinion on Tutu? n/t

[shira]

55. Do you have a problem strongly condemning Greta Berlin....

...and the leadership of the entire "anti-racist, anti-fascist" pro-Palestinian movement who have, to date, not strongly come out against her gutter anti-semitism?

Are you disappointed in the lack of leadership from the movement in denouncing her?

It appears, and correct me if I'm wrong, you find more fault with Helen Thomas than with Greta Berlin.

[azurnoir]

68. are you able to read? what are you digging for or did I already call it in post #66 n/t?

[shira]

70. Did I miss your strong condemnation of Greta Berlin? As well...

...as the very silent leadership within the movement?

[azurnoir]

72. that was all like 11 minutes ago that I said what I had to s say about Berlin

it's your thread look around oh but do not assume I said it to you as for my wording of posts I do not keep a box of wipes next to my computer so the spittle flecking over dramatic posts that some so admire here are just not my style

[shira]

75. You mean, calling her a big mouth is all you feel you need to say? n/t

[azurnoir]

86. yep that's all but feel free to dramatize and name call all you want

you seem quite accomplished in that respect

[shira]

134. So it's not the nasty ideology you're against, only the fact she....

...is a loudmouth who does great harm to the movement?

[azurnoir]

137. ah ya sure whatever you say shira but please show us the post where I defend or even promote

the ideology which you are claiming for the second I do, please post it

[oberliner]

92. Thomas actually stood by her remarks

She even elaborated on them in a magazine interview. I don't want to rehash that argument all over again, so I will just leave it there.

Berlin has said that the tweet was an error and has categorically disavowed the content of the video and explicitly condemned its content.

My opinion on Tutu is that I am sure he has more important things to deal with than this nonsense.

[shira]

53. You don't believe this should detract from future Free Gaza activity? n/t

[oberliner]

31. From Naomi Klein via Twitter

Naomi Klein ‏@NaomiAKlein

I have resigned from the Advisory Board of the Free Gaza Movement. Still support mission but leadership has changed since I signed up.

[shaayecanaan]

37. Nine hours ago

so the timing is certainly right.

Will be interesting to see what the rest of them do. I think a far more authentic apology on the part of Berlin would certainly be required.

[oberliner]

41. I find your reaction here very surprising

Contrasted with, for example, the Helen Thomas imbroglio.

[shaayecanaan]

82. I generally don't like bullshit excuses...

and I don't have much patience with people lying through their teeth or denying the blatantly obvious against the grain of all available evidence*. At least Helen Thomas didn't try to claim that a recording device had been tampered with or that someone had spiked her drink before she made the comments.

*Like here, for instance:-

http://www.democraticunderground.com/113410318#post5

or here

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=124x301256

[oberliner]

83. Maybe the excuses aren't BS

I posted this article down-thread, but at least one 972mag writer believes Greta's version.

Here's an excerpt from the end of the piece:

Berlin, who’s 71, apologizes for hitting the wrong button on Sunday’s tweet, but not for anything else, certainly not for anything she’s said with FGM. She doesn’t strike me as a person who scares easily, or who would disown something she believes in to stay in anyone’s good graces. If she genuinely believed in crackpot, anti-Semitic ideas, I think she’d say so and stick by it. But she says she doesn’t believe in such ideas, in fact she finds them disgusting, and there’s nothing remotely close to any definitive proof that she does believe them, and I think the reason for that is because she doesn’t.

http://972mag.com/head-of-free-gaza-movement-anti-semitic-video-in-question-is-disgusting/57188/

[shira]

39. Translation....

Last edited Sat Oct 6, 2012, 02:07 PM - Edit history (1)

"Quick, find me another vicious anti-Jew group that's more clever in hiding its hatred!"

ETA

Greta Berlin has been with Free Gaza from the very start. She was a co-founder of the movement.

Klein's full of shit.

And note, no condemnation. No shock. No outrage.

Just a quiet exit (hopefully for her).

[azurnoir]

49. The 'graciousness' with which apoliogies are being accepted is well 'impressive'

in a way, but ya finally got'em so keep chewing it's not just Berlin it's all of Free Gaza and everyone associated with them what it comes down to is essentially is why bother to apologize your own writings here about everyone who has, confirms that

[oberliner]

50. What exactly is your problem with Berlin?

She made a mistake. She apologized for the tweet. She disavowed the video. She explicitly made it clear that she is not anti-semitic. What else do you want?

[azurnoir]

67. what else do I want? would you believe I don't care?

Greta Berlin is a big mouth as far as I am concerned she is given her importance in no small part by those that oppose her, at least when it is politically convenient, how she became the head of Free Gaza is beyond me, it was a dumb move on that organizations part IMO

[shira]

73. So, she's just a big mouth? Nothing else to say? n/t

[oberliner]

76. She is the founder of the Free Gaza Movement, that's how she became head

She founded the organization!

[azurnoir]

84. ooooh I'm impressed

I guess that is supposed to mean Free Gaza is about nothing their stated mission is false and all that nothing to see there better support Israel whatever it does, have I got that straight?

[oberliner]

90. Huh?

Just saying that's why it makes sense that she would be in charge of the organization.

I didn't say anything about their stated mission being false.

[azurnoir]

105. what is the thread title here? do you disagree with that?

really there is no indication of that you do not believe it is the entire movement rather than just Berlin in any other post you've here

[King_David]

108. It is an accurate title nt

[oberliner]

114. This tweet/incident does not change my opinion of the FGM in any way

I feel exactly the same about the Free Gaza Movement now as I did before any of this nonsense happened.

[shira]

128. Ditto. n/t

[azurnoir]

152. I'm quite sure you do but care to enlighten us as to what those unchanged feelings are? n/t

[oberliner]

158. You can search if you are interested

My opinions have been preserved for posterity on this very website.

[azurnoir]

85. you stated Berlin is THE founder of Free Gaza

because according to their website she is one of the founders, meaning she is not the sole founder

[King_David]

88. Yea obviously Oberliner was wrong...

again.

[oberliner]

91. Sorry - one of the founders

Again, just to point out that it would make sense for her to be in charge. She isn't a newcomer to the group.

[shira]

94. Paul Larudee (another fan of Atzmon) is also a co-founder...

...of Free Gaza:

Here's his ringing endorsement of Atzmon's latest Nazi screed:
http://uprootedpalestinians.blogspot.com/2011/09/lingering-what-by-paul-larudee.html

He's also a co-founder of the ISM.

Want to learn more about the other co-founders of Free Gaza?

Or shall I stop?

[King_David]

89. I am sure she is singing in the shower, ( Naomi Klein )

[Dick Dastardly]

163. I sometimes sing that song in the shower.

Its a good shower song but not one of the greats like Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody
or the many Frank Zappa songs like this favorite of mine from Joe's Garage

Act I
SCENE SEVEN
WHY DOES IT HURT WHEN I PEE?

Shortly after his liaison with the taco stand lady,
JOE makes a horrible discovery. . .
JOE:
Why does it hurt when I pee?
Why does it hurt when I pee?
I don't want no doctor
To stick no needle in me
Why does it hurt when I pee?
I got it from the toilet seat
I got it from the toilet seat
It jumped right up
'N' grabbed my meat
Got it from the toilet seat
My balls feel like a pair of maracas
My balls feel like a pair of maracas
Oh God I probably got the Gon-o-ka-ka-khackus!
My balls feel like a pair of maracas
Ai-ee-ai-ee-ahhhh!
Why does it
Why does it
Why does it
Why does it hurt...
when...
I Peeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee?

[oberliner]

43. Interesting to note who is and who isn't throwing her under the bus

Last edited Sat Oct 6, 2012, 02:30 PM - Edit history (1)

Some prominent Jewish bloggers (Larry Derfner, Emily Hauser) have accepted her apology and downplayed the significance of this incident.

Interestingly, the Electronic Intifada folks have been less forgiving.

It's hard to get a handle on that considering how they treated the comments from Helen Thomas (words she actually said and repeated in video and print).

This was an accidental tweet (with no commentary) and it was followed by a clear statement from Ms. Berlin disavowing the content.

I wonder if race is playing a role here.

Greta Berlin has worked with many prominent Jewish peace activists who have posted messages of support and repeated assurances that she is not in any way anti-semitic.

[shira]

45. No one's really thrown her under the bus. Not even Abunimah of EI...

He's simply written that she hasn't been honest. That's it.

They're all embarrassed and ashamed, knowing full well what the movement is all about.

They're depending on EVERYONE towing the line and not doing anything to hurt "the cause". They want this to go away quick and quietly.

Make no mistake.

[oberliner]

46. He's been a lot less forgiving with her than he was with Helen Thomas

He never demanded that Helen Thomas apologize and provide more context or what have you. He defended her without reservation. And she actually made statements, both on video and in an extensive magazine interview, that expressed blatantly antisemitic content that she has never disavowed.

[shira]

52. I didn't know that even now, Abunimah defends Thomas.

Can't say I'm surprised in the least.

[oberliner]

74. Which is why I think there may be more to the story

I'm thinking there could be more of a personal issue involved here than anything else. The tweet may just have served as a convenient catalyst for Ali and his friends and associates.

[shaayecanaan]

79. Clearly, he has his eyes on their giant treasure chest

filled with fast cars, leather pants and sweet, sweet chocolate.

Clearly, you've spent too much time here (perhaps we all have). You're starting to develop tinfoil tendencies.

[oberliner]

80. Nah, I just think he may have other issues with Greta

One thing I have learned by spending time in these sorts of forums is that there can be some serious personality conflicts even among those who are ostensibly on the same side of a particular issue.

[oberliner]

77. Greta Berlin’s tells her side of the story

I just finished about a 20-minute phone interview with Free Gaza Movement spokeswoman Greta Berlin, who spoke from Los Angeles. I exchanged some e-mails with her, I asked her several questions, I read quite a bit of the criticism and condemnations of her from left and right, and the bottom line is that I find her defense to be completely credible. She is not, to my mind, any kind of anti-Semite or wacko. Even if I find some of her terminology about Gaza (“slow-motion genocide” and “extermination camps”) to be awfully exaggerated and dangerous, I see no evidence that she’s the monster she’s been made out to be. She’s a self-described anti-Zionist, but I see nothing she’s done or said that I, at least, would consider beyond the pale.

http://972mag.com/greta-berlin-interview-video-in-question-is-disgusting/57188/

[tama]

78. Estelle

http://vimeo.com/48321584

Good ship from my home town. I was invited to have sauna in that ship when I moved to my new home town. One of the Estelle activists was Jyri Jaakkola who was murdered in Mexico when aid convoy delivering supplies to a surrounded village was ambushed by paramilitaries.

[oberliner]

96. UPDATE: Statement by members of Berlin’s FB discussion group

In the past few days there have been a flood of attacks on Greta Berlin, based on an incident that was blown out of proportion, a reaction to an innocuous post that was taken completely out of context. When Greta saw the originalpostpublished in one Facebook group, she intended to share it with our group in the context of an ongoing discussion. Unfortunately, she forgot to change the setting on the Facebook sharing feature, bringing the post to her wall instead of landing in our closed group. Since Greta’s wall was linked with the Free Gaza Movement Twitter account, the post found its way to Twitter. Isolated from our discussion, the post was understood completely out of context, leading readers to believe that Greta herself was endorsing the content of the post.

Ours is a small and secret Facebook group, 37 members strong, consisting of a very diverse set of people from different backgrounds, ethnicities and opinions. Many of us know each other personally; our mutual trust allows discussions to involve subjects that are not appropriate for public consumption, sometimes simply because our opinions are not fully ripe; we experiment with them and bounce them off each other in an attempt to understand the issues at hand, developing a better and more coherent argument.

One such topic involves the role of the Zionist movement during the Holocaust. Numerous historians before us made the claim, that leaders of the Zionist movement gave higher priority to the realization of their national project, sometimes missing opportunities to save European Jews. These priorities were made explicit in a famousquotebyDavidBen-Gurion, their consequences analyzed by historians such as Tom Segev and others. In this context Greta wished to highlight that anti-Semitic remarks have exaggerated and distorted this argument, claiming that Zionists have actively “run the concentration camps”.

Naturally nobody in his or her right mind would adopt such a claim, least of all Greta Berlin. Greta is highly respected and trusted by a large community of human rights activists, a co-founder and one of the leaders of the Free Gaza Movement. She’s faced down the IDF on the high seas a number of times, and is obviously no coward. If she hated Jews and denied the Holocaust, she would not be afraid to say so in public. But that’s not what she thinks, and her personal courage is a matter of record. So there is no reason for anyone to doubt her word.

http://972mag.com/head-of-free-gaza-movement-anti-semitic-video-in-question-is-disgusting/57188/

[shira]

98. Translation: She's digging in, going nowhere & won't step down.

And there's simply no way her fellow co-founders like Paul Larudee and Mary Hughes Thompson will toss her under the bus.

They're counting on unity (from the vast majority of A-Z's) and the media to not mention this at all.

[shira]

97. Jewish Voice for Peace Statement on Greta Berlin and Allegations of Anti-Semitism

While we appreciate Greta Berlin’s statements in response to the furor, we unfortunately don’t think her responses adequately address our concern about circulating anti-semitic materials.

We have been endorsers of the Free Gaza Movement and are proud to have been associated with their non-violent efforts as part of the Palestinian solidarity movement. We do not believe that the Free Gaza Movement is anti-semitic and understand that Greta Berlin’s tweets were her own and not representative of Free Gaza. However, unless this matter can be further clarified, we are disassociating ourselves from sponsorship of Berlin’s current book tour in the U.S. or future endorsements of Free Gaza Movement actions.

https://jewishvoiceforpeace.org/blog/jewish-voice-for-peace-statement-on-greta-berlin-and-allegations-of-an

[oberliner]

99. "...unless this matter can be further clarified"

This is where I think it will end up.

[shaayecanaan]

113. Where, exactly? (nt)

[oberliner]

115. Clarification, Apologies, Reconciliation

As noted below.

[oberliner]

101. Prediction: Greta will be welcomed back into the fold

She will weather the storm (and possibly use that exact phrase), and after some additional research by Ali and friends, it will be determined that it was all a big misunderstanding.

Apologies all around and on to the important business of setting sail for Concentration Camp Gaza (patent pending).

[shira]

102. Probably. Being pro-Nazi is no biggie, apparently.

And of course, the MSM will play right along.

Stone silence.

Future reports on Free Gaza will in no way include this incident.

Predictable.

[shaayecanaan]

104. Care for a friendly wager on that? nt

[oberliner]

116. What's your prediction?

How do you see this all shaking out in the end?

[shaayecanaan]

117. Irrelevance, if they are not there already

I think that the Free Gaza movement had its high water moment when Israel responded to the flotilla in a ridiculously high-handed way.

I think that the Turks are more interested in Syria at the moment.

Moreover, the naval blockade is being rendered increasingly irrelevant by the improvements in relations between Gaza and Egypt.

http://www.middleeastmonitor.com/news/middle-east/4293-relations-between-gaza-and-egypt-continue-to-improve-in-advance-of-haniyeh-visit

Prime Minister Haniyeh is heading to Cairo on Thursday where he is will to meet Egyptian Prime Minister Hisham Qandeel and other senior officials on Friday. The two premiers will discuss the proposed free-trade zone on the Gaza-Sinai border. The opening hours of the Rafah border crossing will also be on the agenda, as will be options to solve the electricity crisis in the Gaza Strip in a scheme involving neighbouring countries such as Egypt, Libya, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Turkey.

Its a natural realignment. Hamas is keen to wean itself away from the Iranians, and the other Arab states are keen for them to do likewise.

I dont think there will be another major flotilla, and I dont think that Jewish Voice for Peace or Naomi Klein or Abunimeh will be singing Berlin's praises very soon.

[oberliner]

118. There is a flotilla going on right now

Freedom Flotilla sets off to Gaza

The Estelle is carrying humanitarian aid and expected to reach Gaza in two weeks

Published: 11:41 October 7, 2012

http://gulfnews.com/news/region/palestinian-territories/freedom-flotilla-sets-off-to-gaza-1.1086081

I do agree with you with respect to the degree of relevance FGM will have moving forward.

However, I still predict that this particular tweet dust-up will end amicably. I predict JVP will go back to sponsoring GB's books tours and that Ali and the other EI-ers will come around, unless (as is quite possible) there is some other grudge against her involved. Certainly Atzmon's little post will not help matters (in case you missed it, he called Ali a "Sabbath Goy&quot .

The whole thing is all very silly, of course, but somehow still compelling for me.

[shira]

103. Gilad Atzmon supports Greta Berlin / Attacks Ali Abunimah

By Gilad Atzmon
Is it really possible that not a single Palestinian or Palestinian solidarity activist would stand for Greta Berlin, one of the founders of the Free Gaza Movement and its spokesperson for the last several years? Is it possible that not a single peace activist would rush to defend the person who was directly and physically involved in every naval attempt to break the siege on Gaza?

Apparently, yes.

A few days ago Greta Berlin had been subject to a vile Israeli and Zionist smear campaign following her facebook post containing the following message: “Zionists operated the concentration camps and helped murder millions of innocent Jews”. Berlin also added to her facebook post a link to a video of a lecture by Eustace Mullins. I am not familiar with the work of Mullins but I guess that he is far from being a popular political thinker in Tel Aviv or Golders Green

(google the text above to read more)

[King_David]

107. There is no difference between ANY of this vile crowd...

and yet they are ale fighting amongst each other.


Strange .....

[shaayecanaan]

112. Some people would call that a teachable moment (nt)

[shira]

221. Yeah, like watching Stormfronters, KKK'ers, neo-nazis, and skinheads....

...battling it to the death against each other.

[shira]

119. Atzmon publishes Paul Larudee (co-founder ISM, FGM) re: Greta Berlin

At Atzmon's blog:

Greta has apologized for the error. According to Ali Abunimah, however, “many people” want to “dispel the doubts” by having Greta publish the full conversation in which the offending video link occurs.

What doubts?

This is not a rhetorical question. What exactly is the accusation, if any? I have to stretch my imagination quite a bit to even guess the intention of this statement. That Greta is a closet racist? A spy?

Or is this just a fishing expedition? A grand jury? A House Unpalestinian Activities Committee investigation, looking for anything that might lead to an indictment?

What Ali and Co. are asking (to continue the analogy) is to know who else was in the car, what the contents of the trunk (boot) may have been, the car specifications and legal ownership, any outstanding liens, the time of day and weather conditions, etc.

I disagree with Greta on substantive issues and other real concerns, but that is just the point. Let us disagree on and discuss substance, not this foolishness. There is enough disunity already. Can we please set these matters aside and just liberate Palestine?

Remember, it's just "some" in the movement who flirt with & tolerate gutter neo-naziism in their ranks. This is certainly no indictment whatsoever of the anti-zionist movement as a whole.

[azurnoir]

123. Thank you shira for the reveal

"Remember, it's just "some" in the movement who flirt with & tolerate gutter neo-naziism in their ranks. This is certainly no indictment whatsoever of the anti-zionist movement as a whole.

so it nowappears that really Greta Berlins tweet(s) are in actuality a convenient vehicle to condemn not just Berlin or Free Gaza or even Free Gaza's supporters but the ProPalestinian movement as a whole

but then again it seems your mission here on DU is to 'prove' that anyone who supports the Palestinian cause as you call it is doing so out of antisemitism, even if they do not know it's antsemitism

[Mosby]

124. one can be pro-palestinian and not anti-zionist

[azurnoir]

125. Define antizionist

that along with Zionism seems to to have an adjustable meaning as per need

[King_David]

219. Most of these Anti-Zionists

Hate Jews too as demonstrated on this thread.

[shira]

126. One would think leading anti-racists & anti-fascists would....

...at the VERY, VERY least speak out against gutter neo-Naziism and demand the resignation of Greta Berlin.

Come on now...

And are you REALLY arguing that her support of Atzmon and these nasty tweets & facebook postings are not as bad as advertised?

[azurnoir]

129. do you read peoples comments? your replies would not be be indicative of that

are you arguing that I am supporting Berlins tweet? seems so either for us or agin' us IMO, but have it your way

[shira]

135. Not supportive, but seemingly indifferent. n/t

[King_David]

138. Maybe not the whole movement

But wow there's more of them than I ever imagined..

The free Gaza movement seems to be filled to the brim with em...

[shira]

140. Those who aren't bigots simply don't care or are indifferent....

...to gutter bigotry in their midst.

Wrap your mind around that one.

Imagine you're fighting what you think is a just cause, but you're doing it amongst proud haters of gays, blacks, and arabs who tweet and make Facebook postings of gutter KKK, whitepower vileness.

Who can stay indifferent to that or simply not care, other than extremely odious people?

[azurnoir]

151. wow 3 replies to one post

was it that good or bad a post or is it a post count all important to keep this thread kicked type thing ?

gee what happened in Gaza this weekend it's not like IAF wounded a bunch of Palestinian children trying to get a guy on a motor scooter is it?

[oberliner]

164. Interesting characterization of what happened in Gaza this weekend

"it's not like IAF wounded a bunch of Palestinian children trying to get a guy on a motor scooter is it? "

A guy on a motor scooter. That's all he was, just some guy on a motor scooter?

Did anything else happen this weekend? Hamas launch any mortars or rockets against Israel?

[azurnoir]

168. Yes Hamas launched rockets against IDF bases the children were wounded while IDF was attempting to

assassinate a guy who was claimed to be involved in some attack last June

An Israeli airstrike on the Gaza Strip injured 11 people on Sunday, a Gaza medical official said.

Gaza Health Ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra told Ma'an the airstrike targeted a motorcycle traveling in a busy neighborhood of Rafah. Two of the wounded were in a critical condition and one required both legs to be amputated.

Five children were among the wounded, al-Qidra added.

Israel's army said it had targeted Global Jihad operative Talaat Halil Muhammad Jarbi, 23, and Abdullah Muhmmad Hassan Maqawai, 24, a statement said.

http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=526887


Hamas’ military wing the Izz Addin Al-Qassam Brigades on Monday warned it would scale up its response if Israel continued military operations on the Gaza Strip.

The brigades joined Islamic Jihad's military wing in claiming responsibility for the volley of rockets fired into south Israel on Monday morning, saying they were targeting Israeli military bases.

Israel's army said around 30 rockets hit Israel, with no immediate reports of damage or injuries, and its forces responded by hitting Hamas targets.

"Going too far in the aggression on the Gaza Strip will provoke the Palestinian resistance into responding more strongly and on a wider scale,” a statement released on Monday by Qassam Brigade spokesman Abu Ubayda said.

http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=527016

but the justifcation of this is indeed nice to see

[oberliner]

173. How are the children?

How old were the five cited in your link? What was the nature of the injuries? Are they alright now?

[oberliner]

130. EI-er accuses Berlin supporter of being a sockpuppeteer

On Twitter:

Benjamin Doherty ‏@bangpound

I believe multiple signatories to the Facebook group’s statement defending Greta Berlin are sockpuppets of LSE student Ofer Engel @engelo.

Fascinating the way this has all played out so far.

[oberliner]

132. Fascinating discussion of this over at Mondoweiss

Check out the comments, if you dare...

http://mondoweiss.net/2012/10/free-gaza-movement-twitter-controversy-leads-jewish-voice-for-peace-to-distance-itself-from-group.html

[shaayecanaan]

143. IF...YOU...DARE!!!!

I dared.

It seems as though Phil Weiss is fairly sceptical of Berlin's excuses.

The psychology of the hasbarado crowd here is certainly interesting as well. There seems to be a marked reluctance to give either Abunimah, Jewish Voice for Peace, or Naomi Klein any credit at all for their repudiations of anti-semitism.

Instead, posters such as yourself have speculated that it must be because of a personal tiff with Berlin, or Abunimah's desire to take over the world, or perhaps Abunimah hates Berlin because she is white, and Abunimah has a plenary hatred of all white people. Straight out of the Glenn Beck program, that last one.

Interesting indeed.

[King_David]

146. Good commentary but Phil Weiss never wrote a word of it..

It was written by Alex Kane.

[shaayecanaan]

149. I was referring to his comments in the thread (nt)

[oberliner]

147. The psychology of the weissmorondo crowd is even more interesting

If you actually did read those comments, I have no doubt that you were as startled and disgusted as I was by a great many of them.

My only speculation was suggesting that Ali and Greta may not like each other. Not any of the other weird stuff you've included in that paragraph. I don't think it's particularly far-fetched to suggest that the two may have some personal gripe with one another. Maybe not.

And three cheers for Abunimah, Jewish Voice for Peace, and Naomi Klein for all their repudiations of anti-semitism!

[shaayecanaan]

150. You inferred that his attitude towards Berlin had something to do with her race

I thought that was a stupid remark.

[oberliner]

155. No, you inferred that

I just wondered about whether race played any role.

I still can't quite understand the dividing line between the people who have come out in support of her and the people who haven't.

Larry Derfner, in particular, seems a surprising ally.

[azurnoir]

157. actually you did post #43

This was an accidental tweet (with no commentary) and it was followed by a clear statement from Ms. Berlin disavowing the content.

I wonder if race is playing a role here.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1134&pid=18798

[oberliner]

159. Yes, I know

I wondered about it.

This other poster is inferring something based on my wondering.

[shaayecanaan]

167. Sure, you were just putting the question out there

Sort of like how Fox News asks: "Obama: can we really believe that he isn't a terrorist?"

[oberliner]

174. Nothing like that

Race impacts life in ways that people are often unaware of. A Palestinian Arab can make a statement and be responded to completely differently from a White American making the same statement. And vice versa.

I would also add that Fox News has several million viewers.

Even if you found my wondering do be offensive, it isn't putting anything "out there" in the way a Fox News question would as maybe a dozen people read my post, if that (probably closer to four).

[shira]

145. Feeling the Hate @ Mondoweiss n/t

[shira]

142. Statement from former board members of Free Gaza movement

We unequivocally reject and distance ourselves from the tweeted video. Such anti-Semitism was never tolerated by Free Gaza or any of the people or groups with which we have worked. We condemn all forms of racism and prejudice, including anti-Semitism.

We continue to support initiatives to end Israel’s illegal blockade on the Gaza Strip and its occupation and colonial apartheid practices in Palestine as a whole. It is imperative to be vigilant against racism in all its forms. It is also vital to work for the freedom of all people, and in our efforts to support Palestinians, it is the universal struggle for freedom that has motivated, sustained and guided the efforts of Free Gaza.

Huwaida Arraf
Caoimhe Butterly
Eliza Enshire
Alex Harrison
Fathi Jaouadi
Ewa Jasiewicz
Niamh Moloughney
Adam Shapiro

http://electronicintifada.net/blogs/ali-abunimah/statement-former-board-members-free-gaza-movement

[shira]

144. Nazi Propaganda Makes a Comeback on Twitter By Jeffrey Goldberg

The Free Gaza group, the leading edge of the international campaign to delegitimize Israel and bring about its end as the national home of the Jewish people, has always argued that it isn’t anti-Semitic, and is merely trying to break Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip. The group came to public attention in May 2010, when it organized a flotilla of ships to attempt to break the blockade. Israeli commandos boarded the ships and were set upon by passengers wielding pipes and knives. In a terrible overreaction, they responded by opening fire, killing nine. The incident has nearly destroyed Turkish-Israeli relations, and helped make the flotilla cause popular across the Middle East and Europe.

Free Gaza is a hypocritical organization, of course. Egypt shares a border with the Gaza Strip, and is tightening its own blockade, but Free Gaza activists seem uninterested.They are also uninterested in the sins of Hamas, the terrorist organization that rules Gaza The Israeli blockade was a response, in large part, to the unfortunate (and ongoing) Hamas practice of firing rockets into Israeli villages. But put aside Hamas’s crimes against Israelis; the Free Gaza website also makes no mention of a recent report from Human Rights Watch that found that Gaza’s Hamas-run criminal-justice system “reeks of injustice, routinely violates detainees’ rights, and grants impunity to abusive security services.”

...

What does this all mean? I’ve been asking for months why the international left hasn’t shown solidarity with the Syrian people -- an estimated 30,000 of whom have been killed by the fascist Baath party -- by launching a flotilla to Syria’s Mediterranean coastline. Gazans have a miserable life, but their suffering today pales in comparison to that of Syrians. So why don’t the people behind the Gaza flotillas organize a relief effort? The answer is simple: If the Syrians were being slaughtered by Israelis, they would.

I’ve always suspected that many of those on the far left who express solidarity with Palestinians are less interested in helping the Palestinians than in scapegoating their Jewish adversaries. Berlin might have inadvertently helped the world understand that the extreme left has something in common with the extreme right: an obsessive interest in demonizing the Jews.

http://mobile.bloomberg.com/news/2012-10-08/nazi-propaganda-makes-a-comeback-on-twitter.html

[oberliner]

148. Ezra Pound?

Wow, didn't know that about him. How depressing.

[azurnoir]

160. wow it took Jeffrey a whole week to come up to speed on this all important issue

he must be slipping

[King_David]

166. October 8

Same date as that Mondocreep.

[azurnoir]

169. Mondocreep do you mean Phil Weiss? or Alex Kane? but their reporting started before 10/8

and we're told this started 10/1 or 9/30 but for someone as ProIsrael as Jeffrey he really needs to get his priorities straight

[oberliner]

172. EI has taken the lead in the reporting

Benjamin Doherty, their "technologist", has been especially tenacious.

[shira]

170. Greta Berlin’s anti-Semitic Tweet Damages the Cause of Gaza

By Tony Greenstein

THE FREE GAZA MOVEMENT MUST GET RID OF THOSE WHO LEGITIMISE ANTI-SEMITISM

I must confess I had barely heard of the name Greta Berlin until today. What I know now is more than enough to know that she is doing incredible damage to the movement everytime she opens her mouth. She has been dishonest, to put it mildly.

more...
http://azvsas.blogspot.com/2012/10/greta-berlins-anti-semitic-tweet.html

Of course, he goes into Zionist collaboration with Nazis just a few paragraphs into his article.

[shira]

171. MJ Rosenberg: "Greta Berlin at Gaza org sounds like a real hater."

Michael J Rosenberg ‏@MJayRosenberg
Greta Berlin at Gaza org sounds like a real hater.Pam Geller spreads equally vicious hate here,with support of Eric Cantor & AIPAC donors.
Expand Reply Retweeted Favorite

[oberliner]

175. Turns out race was a factor

Israeli man who impersonated Palestinian woman is linked to Free Gaza debacle and photo hoax

http://electronicintifada.net/blogs/benjamin-doherty/israeli-man-who-impersonated-palestinian-woman-linked-free-gaza-debacle-and

Recent tweets:

Ali Abunimah ‏@AliAbunimah

Interesting how @nablussi uses "h" instead of "kh" when writing Arabic in latin characters. Like a native Hebrew, not Arabic, speaker.

‏@Qpalestine

Not Mossad then?

‏@AliAbunimah

@Qpalestine we can only say what he have evidence for. More than that would be speculation.

Interesting how voraciously they have gone after the one white Israeli man supposedly involved in all of this.

[oberliner]

176. Abuminah finally got the story he wanted: Jewish Israeli infiltrates Free Gaza Movement!

Electronic Intifada ‏@intifada

Israeli social networks expert used fake personas to infiltrate @freegazaorg's Greta Berlin's circle

http://electronicintifada.net/blogs/benjamin-doherty/israeli-man-who-impersonated-palestinian-woman-linked-free-gaza-debacle-and

[azurnoir]

177. same link you posted in comment #175 6 hours ago and race has nothing to do with it

not to mention if one reads the link it is interesting and Greta Berlin is in no way shape or form exonerated

or was an excuse to kick this thread, if so really more creativity is needed perhaps 'someone' should reply to your first posting of this article so that the two comments are not one right after the other

[oberliner]

178. Wrong, of course. Totally new tweet. And race it turns out has everything to do with it.

In fact, it now turns out to be all about race and nothing else.

A Jewish Israeli has infiltrated Free Gaza pretending to be a Palestinian woman.

That's the story now - and rumors flying of this person being Mossad or an Israeli agent.

Goodbye to actual introspection about possible anti-semitism within the movement. They can now comfortably blame everything on an Israeli infiltrator.

Finally, their world makes sense again.

The Electronic Intifada can march on!

And this thread is pretty much the only thing worth reading on this shell of a forum. All the serious posters have moved on and we are left with, well, what we're left with.

Five of us? Maybe six?

I tried a post about the Israeli election - no soap. Also one about settlers attacking undercover Israeli cops. Again, nothing.

No one cares about real issues here - just "fun and games" - well, so be it. This saga has been instructive for me at least.

I would not dare say the same for you.

[azurnoir]

179. the fatuous claims of racial prejudice on the part of Ali Abunimah evenb though he did not write

the blog post are illuminating that along with it is not enough while simultaneously complaining that it is too much and racism to boot are in fact quite informative and should be for anyone reading too

[oberliner]

192. Nothing fatuous about it

Read the statement. Look at his tweets. He calls Zionism racism and his sidekick tweets about the role of whites in the movement.

[shaayecanaan]

180. I thought you didn't like the word "Jewish" to appear in bylines...

you become rather splenetic whenever someone posts a headline such as "Jewish settlers tear down olive trees".

Nevertheless, you've inserted "Jewish" into EI's headline, even though it doesn't appear there.

What was your intention regarding that?

[oberliner]

191. Spelentic!

That is an awesome word. Thanks for using it.

I inserted Jewish because I think that is the one of the reasons why EI is honing in on this particular person who actually has nothing to do with Greta posting that video link.

If he was an Israeli Arab/Palestinian who was Muslim or Christian, I think things would have played out differently.

[JDPriestly]

181. This is very sad. I'm sure that most of the prominent names mentioned in the OP are not

anti-semitic and would be horrified at a Holocaust-denial film, but they are inadvertently supporting this.

The pro-Palestine movement is very susceptible to this kind of extreme ideology.

I support Israel and a two-state solution that will help all the people in the Middle East. And so should more people on DU.

[oberliner]

182. Another tweet focusing on the race angle

‏@hocinedim

I'm proud that my friends in the movement are clear about that fact. The way in which many international "activists" are attacking [1]

Palestinians like @AliAbunimah with orientalist language like "fatwas" is very telling. [2]

https://twitter.com/hocinedim

It's become about international "activists" (in quotes, maybe not "real" activists?) attacking "Palestinians like Ali Abunimah" with orientalist language. (On top of suspicious Israeli sock-puppeteers causing mischief).

[oberliner]

183. Abuminah plays the race card explicitly

Submitted by Ali Abunimah on Thu, 10/11/2012 - 04:59

In my experience it usually white supremacists and other bigots who tell us we must tolerate them, and accuse us of “witchhunts” and “gatekeeping” if we don’t.

(At the same EI story already linked to)

[oberliner]

184. Another race-related tweet from Electronic Intifada

Benjamin Doherty ‏@bangpound

STEP ASIDE FOLKS. white people know what to do here. SHHHHH! white people are speaking.

[shira]

185. Mondoweiss: No room for racism in a movement for equality and freedom

No room for racism in a movement working for equality and freedom
by Philip Weiss and Adam Horowitz on October 12, 2012 234

The important battle of explaining to people that opposing Zionism does not equal anti-Semitism was dealt a terrible blow this past week with the exposure of anti-Semitic tweets by a leader of the Free Gaza Movement, Greta Berlin. Wherever your line is for what's acceptable speech about Jews, Berlin's statements and attitude were over the line and have done great damage to the cause of ending the siege of Gaza and working towards justice in Israel/Palestine.

Berlin has done great work with vigor and creativity to try and free the besieged and imprisoned people of Gaza -- and this work must continue. We tried to serve her efforts on several occasions, and that's our only excuse for taking so long to speak out emphatically. We were hoping for clearer explanations of how and why the videos she distributed were being used, and they haven't come. We apologize to readers for not having said sooner what we're saying now, this speech is offensive and must be condemned.

http://mondoweiss.net/2012/10/no-room-for-racism-in-a-movement-working-for-equality-and-freedom.html

[shira]

186. Greta Berlin replies @ Mondoweiss

Truegreta says:
October 12, 2012 at 3:07 pm
When did you try to contact me? I’m curious since I have no record of any emails except one that said you might contact me. Here again, is my explanation. Larry Derfner understood and wrote an article about what happened. Supporters from LA Jews for Peace to Alison Weir to Jeffrey Blankfort to Ramzy Baroud have written to me, blogged about the mistake and supported me, but neither one of you ever bothered to even email me and ask me for my phone number. So, again… as simply as I can make it… here is what happened.

1. I grabbed the video out of a group of 1000 people, a group that is private
2. I meant to park it into a group of 30 people that is secret (to watch it later), but I never checked the settings before I hit SHARE, because I was in a hurry.
3. I did not watch the video. Why would I have watched the video? I was in a hell of a hurry and was traveling like crazy those four days. I would have watched it in the small group. Would we have had a discussion on it? Probably. We discuss all kinds of things as you can see from the attached conversation
4. I did not know my personal Facebook page was connected to the Free Gaza TWITTER page. There are 3300 TWEETS on the Free Gaza page, and you all attacked me for this mistake without even giving me a chance to clarify
5. Free Gaza apologized on the front page of the website, using exactly the language that Ali gave us.
6. I apologized after I figured out what had happened. That should have been the end of it.

But everyone has made a federal case out of a stupid mistake. Did either of you watch the video? It’s dumb and the man is a nutcake. But that doesn’t mean we couldnt or wouldnt have discussed it. I’m constantly appalled at the people who comment here, have never talked to me, didn’t bother to reach out to me, yet have decided that I am a racist or anti-Semite. The only thing you can say is that I made a stupid mistake, and that I would agree with

Alison Weir.



'Nuff said.

[shira]

187. Ali Abunimah replies to Greta @ Mondoweiss

<snip>

So in one version of the story you were on a train to Toronto, and in another version, the next day, you were getting on a plane to Canada.

The tweet was posted on Sunday, September 30, but your last speaking event in Ontario, according to the Gaza Ark calendar, was September 29.

Like many other people, I wanted to — and did — take your explanations in good faith.

We had multiple email exchanges in the days before I published my first post on this matter, and at every step I urged you to talk to your board and to decide collectively what to do, and to treat the matter with urgency, transparency and seriousness.

As I became more and more doubtful, and after I saw the contents of the “Our Land” Facebook group that you actively administer — which contains a large amount of unchallenged racist and anti-Jewish material — I came to realize that your explanations did not hold water. Some of the most offensive material has been scrubbed from that group in recent days, but I know that copies of it exist.

If my mistake was at first to accept your explanations in good faith, then I admit that I am guilty of that, but you alone are responsible for your actions and statements.

Ali

When Ali Abunimah writes that there is even more racist anti-Jewish material, some scrubbed, at Greta's private Facebook group page....what else needs to be said?

[shira]

188. Berlin calls Abunimah "Ali Ayatollah"....

http://twitter.yfrog.com/objw6dp

On the same page, her partner in crime (Mary Hughes Thompson) is busy demonizing Zio-terrorist, filthy scum for daring to kill an al-Qaeda linked Gazan operative. A terrorist whose death both Greta and Mary are mourning.

[oberliner]

190. Yet it is all about race for the EI-ers

Here's another sarcastic tweet from them:

Benjamin Doherty ‏@bangpound

STAND BY FOR AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM WHITE PEOPLE ABOUT HOW MUCH THE MOVEMENT IS INFILTRATED BY ENEMY ELEMENTS.

Benjamin Doherty ‏@bangpound

THE MOVEMENT HAS BEEN INFILTRATED BY PALESTINIANS.

(Caps included in the original tweet)

And here's an earlier combo:

Benjamin Doherty @bangpound

I have no respect for people who want to live vicariously inside other people's legitimate grievances.

Benjamin Doherty ‏@bangpound

tendency of whites to do this so they feel entitled to express rage, anger and grief that isn’t theirs.

There are many others as well.

If you follow the recent writings of Ali and friends, there seems to be a sense of questioning the role that whites ought to have in "the struggle" vis-a-vis Palestinians.

Incidentally, the comments section in the link you provided has a lot of winning remarks.

[shira]

189. Greta Berlin writes to Alison Weir that Ofer Engel is NOT an infiltrator

Last edited Sun Oct 14, 2012, 08:26 AM - Edit history (1)

None of our informal, wide-ranging discussion group – we discussed homophobia, racism, propaganda – believe that Ofer infiltrated our group.We checked him out. Two of us met him and spent the afternoon with him. We knew he was finishing his PhD. The poor man is being as demonized as I am.

http://alisonweir.org/journal/2012/10/12/how-infiltrated-is-the-movement-for-justice.html

Damn.

Bad news for Weir and Abunimah.

Can't blame a Jew, er....Zionist, um, ISRAELI for this one.

[oberliner]

193. Ali and friends went after Ofer Engel hard

Which is bizarre considering this person really has nothing to do with anything. Well, not actually so bizarre when you consider possible motivations. In fact, it all starts to make perfect sense. It's nice to be able to blame everything on an "Israeli infiltrator" even when said infiltrator didn't actually do anything.

Keeps them on message - bad Israelis pretending to be Palestinians create controversies and problems for us (even throwing in the photo controversy for good measure - bad Israelis did that too!)

The world that these people live in is so easily simplified.

Fascinating to watch the smackdown that Greta and her supporters are giving the EI-ers on Mondoweiss. Good to see so much diversity of opinion among the Palestinian solidarity community.

[shira]

194. (Not a joke) PRESS-TV defends Greta Berlin

Check out the nice graphic at the site....
http://presstv.com/detail/2012/10/16/267065/mindcontrollers-chant-antisemite/

[shira]

196. Free Gaza’s Col. Ann Wright disinvited from Swedish Boat to Gaza

http://mondoweiss.net/2012/10/free-gazas-col-ann-wright-disinvited-from-swedish-boat-to-gaza.html

[oberliner]

197. There's also another wild post from EI

For some reason they continue to obsess (and I do mean, obsess) over this Jewish Israeli person and his tweets.

http://electronicintifada.net/blogs/benjamin-doherty/more-evidence-corroborates-israeli-ofer-engel-faked-palestinian-activists

[shira]

198. Gilad Atzmon & Lauren Booth blame Jews for booting Ann Wright

Official Lauren Booth Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/Official.Lauren.Booth



Also, check out the last comment to that post. Very classy.

=========

Now if that's not bad enough, check out October 12, 2012. A fan of hers commenting on a post of hers put up a David Duke video in response, about the Jooooz.

[King_David]

204. And your surprised ?

What is the difference between them and Stormfront ?

Remind me again....

[shira]

208. There is no difference between them and Stormfront. n/t

[King_David]

216. Agreed

Especially in light of recent events .

[shira]

199. Swedish ship to Gaza claims it cut ties to anti-semitic FreeGaza, but.....

...in a recent article not even 2 weeks later, a FreeGaza representative is quoted in AFP, regarding Swedish Ship to Gaza:

Oct 5, 2012:

Ship to Gaza have no tolerance for anti-semitism
http://shiptogaza.se/en/Pressrum/Pressmeddelanden/ship-gaza-have-no-tolerance-anti-semitism

Oct 17, 2012:

Gaza-bound ship brings on food, activists off Greek coast
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iLJw1_fXadX7Wvbf5V2TU9JkUcXw?docId=CNG.2dd52800f2a70596277a63f643bc2251.681

Check out paragraph #8 where a FreeGaza representative is quoted.

[oberliner]

200. The one is no more (or less) anti-semitic than the other

I would love for someone with a lot more intellectual rigor than me to put together a study on what, if any, impact anti-Zionist activism has on one's perception of Jews and Judaism.

[shira]

201. Anti-Israel Sentiment Predicts Anti-Semitism in Europe

In the discourse surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, extreme criticisms of Israel (e.g., Israel is an apartheid state, the Israel Defense Forces deliberately target Palestinian civilians), coupled with extreme pol- icy proposals (e.g., boycott of Israeli academics and institutions, divest from companies doing business with Israel), have sparked counterclaims that such criticisms are anti-Semitic (for only Israel is singled out). The research in this article shines a different, statistical light on this question: based on a survey of 500 citizens in each of 10 European countries, the authors ask whether those individuals with extreme anti-Israel views are more likely to be anti-Semitic. Even after controlling for numerous potentially confounding factors, they find that anti-Israel sentiment consistently predicts the probability that an individual is anti-Semitic, with the likelihood of measured anti-Semitism increasing with the extent of anti-Israel sentiment observed.

http://www.h-net.org/~antis/papers/jcr_antisemitism.pdf

[oberliner]

202. Interesting

I'd be curious to know if someone who is not at all antisemitic becomes exposed to anti-Zionist activism (but isn't directly connected to the conflict personally in any way) - does the experience of being engaged in such activism result in antisemitic feelings or views?

[shira]

203. Consider who they'd be hanging out with....

Consider any innocent person who starts hanging out with the KKK and becomes an activist for their causes. Could that person avoid being assimilated into such an evil collective?

It's impossible.

You lie down with dogs, you can't help but catch fleas.

[oberliner]

207. Saw a comment along those lines on Mondoweiss

But there is an even deeper problem – one nconfronting not just jewish people but anyone who follows the approaching catastrophe as it unfolds in front of our very eyes. Since so many Jews out there still support Israel – or continue to stay quiet in the face of the abominations it commits against other human beings, there is bound to be an an “anti jewish” element that will sneak into the conversations, and no use denying it. Whether we call them neocons or liberal zionists, those of us who make the commitment to justice and the upholding of human rights, cannot but notice and comment on the fact that our adversaries are jewish. And we cannot use ignorance as an excuse or fear or tradition. Jewish people in the US, be it in the guise of the Lobby, or J Street or the various denominations are the enablers of extremly uncivilized, indeed brutish, behavior by Israel. These are simply facts that all of us here recognize.

http://mondoweiss.net/2012/10/if-only-it-was-just-one-tweet-one-activists-experience-in-the-our-land-facebook-group.html

[shira]

209. I respect honest anti-semites more than cowardly ones.

But just a little more.

[oberliner]

212. I prefer the cowards

At least they have maybe a tinge of shame over their bigotry.

[shira]

205. If Only It Was Just One Tweet....

Setting aside Greta's woefully inadequate explanations for the tweet (of which there were several), the fact remains: Greta is an active administrator of a Facebook group that is full of unabashedly anti-Semitic rhetoric and has been called out before by activists for it but has never done anything to challenge or stop it. Since the controversy broke, the “Our Land” group has attempted to cover some of its tracks. The fact that Greta remains an active administrator of a Facebook group that accommodates this kind of bigotry raises serious issues about her commitment to building an anti-racist movement committed to justice and equality. Moreover, her unprincipled, vicious and Islamophobic attacks on the Palestinians who have called her to task for her behavior should alarm all of us who are committed to Palestine solidarity work.

A History of Anti-Semitism

On July 11, 2012 I started poking around “Our Land”. I found this article, with a personalized introduction posted by Greta, about Zionist-Nazi collaboration:

(MUCH MORE INCLUDING SCREENSHOTS FROM PRIVATE FB GROUP)
http://mondoweiss.net/2012/10/if-only-it-was-just-one-tweet-one-activists-experience-in-the-our-land-facebook-group.html

[oberliner]

206. This should be the story

The EI-ers tried to deflect the seriousness of this problem and re-direct attention by obsessively going after a Jewish Israeli who had nothing to do with anything.

[shira]

210. What this article also shows is that anti-semites are accepted....

...within the movement, so long as they don't make their views public and expose the movement for what it is.

[oberliner]

211. If they are Palestinian they can make their views public

It's only when it's whites and/or Israeli Jews that things get touchy.

[shira]

214. If they're Palestinian extremists, they can...

...go so far as to call for the murder of Jews and we can be 100% certain that anti-zios will never voice concern or condemn it. They can't voice concern or outrage if they don't even see it...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/11343829#post90

IMO, their denial of genocidal incitement (also by the Iranian putz of a president) is as bad as holocaust denial. Especially when paired with accusations that Jews who were butchered by nazis are now nazis themselves.

[oberliner]

213. Benjamin Doherty of EI mentioned this thread on his Twitter account

Oddly, he identifies Democratic Underground as "a site that bans links to EI and mondoweiss" in spite of the fact that both sites are linked to in this very thread.

[shira]

215. He doesn't like how you exposed his anti-white racism. n/t

[shira]

217. KEN O’KEEFE EMBRACES WHITE SUPREMACIST DAVID DUKE

http://azvsas.blogspot.com/2012/10/ken-okeefe-believes-palestine.html

[King_David]

218. Can these people even pretend anymore?

'As for David Duke, yes people can and do change, and he clearly has. I have asked him about Stormfront, he has nothing to do with it any more. I base my opinion of him by what he says and what he stands for now. If people judged me for how I was 22 years ago as a US Marine then many would simply see my former self, not the person I am at the age of 43 years old. Part of our task is to forgive, put aside the minor differences and focus on the common ground. If you look at what David Duke is writing and presenting for many, many years, I think you will find it hard to find much fault with it. And what he says about Palestine is spot on for the most part. But even if you do find some faults in him, you will be lying if you do not see value in much of what he is saying. I take people this way, as a whole, not as a piece of one aspect of themselves, and certainly not as who they were 30 plus years ago.'

http://azvsas.blogspot.ca/2012/10/ken-okeefe-believes-palestine.html

[shira]

220. Here's O'Keefe about being on the Mavi Marmara (Flotilla fiasco)....

http://vimeo.com/16226499

Nice to know that David Duke lovers are such caring anti-racist, humanitarians for peace, isn't it?