Activists blockade Israeli Consulate in Montreal, one day after Consulate occupation in Toronto!

Wow, go  Jewish women of Canada, go!

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"watching the tide roll away"

Arrests underway in Toronto Israeli Consulate Sit-in
Toronto: Wednesday January 8, 2009 Time: 11:20 am

Police have moved in to arrest a group of Jewish Canadian women who are currently occupying the Israeli consulate at 180 Bloor Street West in Toronto.

The women took their action in protest against the on-going Israeli assault on the people of Gaza.

The group is carrying out this occupation in solidarity with the 1.5 million people of Gaza and to ensure that Jewish voices against the massacre in Gaza are being heard. They are demanding that Israel end its military assault and lift the 18-month siege on the Gaza Strip to allow humanitarian aid into the territory.

Israel has been carrying out a full-scale military assault on the Gaza Strip since December 27, 2008. At least 660 people have been killed and 3000 injured in the air strikes and in the ground invasion that began on January 3, 2009. Israel has ignored international calls for a ceasefire and is refusing to allow food, adequate medical supplies and other necessities of life into the Gaza Strip.

Protesters are outraged at Israel's latest assault on the Palestinian people and by the Canadian government's refusal to condemn these massacres. They are deeply concerned that Canadians are hearing the views of pro-Israel groups who are being represented as the only voice of Jewish Canadians. The protesters have occupied the consulate to send a clear statement that many Jewish-Canadians do not support Israel's violence and apartheid policies. They are joining with people of conscience all across the world who are demanding an end to Israeli aggression and justice for the Palestinian people.

The group includes: Judy Rebick, professor; Judith Deutsch, psychoanalyst and president of Science for Peace; B.H. Yael, filmmaker; Smadar Carmon, an Canadian Israeli peace activist and others.

Spokespersons for the group will be outside the Israeli consulate:
Dr. Miriam Garfinkle: 416-731-6605 mgarfinkle@sympatico.ca
Cathy Gulkin: 416-697-0768 cgulkin@rogers.com [2]

Release is online at http://www.sources.com/Releases/NR135.htm [3]

I thought Judy rebick the moment I saw the title.  I remember her giving a very good speech at the closing dinner of a CFS meeting in Lethbridge.

Parenthteically, it seems to me after having been involved in the student movement in the late 80s early 90s that the police are called on to arrest demonstrators more often in the 21st centurey than in the the decade of my involvement. 

Well, that didn't take long, eh! Have emailed my women contacts accross Canada with this news.

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"watching the tide roll away"

I just attached a picture file to the opening post - it's a picture Judy took inside the consulate during the sit-in.

Audio from the protest here.

Fantastic! What courage. Here's the photo:

They certainly look disruptive and needing to be arrested! :rolleyes: For gawd's sake anyway!

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"watching the tide roll away"

I went to CBC toronto and the Star - nothing yet. Any bourgeois or alternative media reports?

CTV: Police arrest 8 protesters at Israeli consulate

A courageous and moving action

Really, eh? Why the hell were they arrested and why does the CTV article not provide this reason? what were they charged with, if anything?

Funny, Israel claims to be the state of all Jewish people. How can people be convicted of occupying "their own" consulate, unless they are vandalising it. Women look like they are singing.

Story.

 http://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/563126

I was just going to post that, josh!  (Although, I'm surprised the Star didn't feel the need to call the JDL so they could give them equal comment space in the article...  )

Judy says everyone is fine, they were arrested but not charged with anything, and they're getting lots of media calls about it.  So it was effective at getting the message out. 

Good, this is an excellent campaign that will encourage more dissident Jewish voices to come out and speak and embarass the Harper government into sending blood, food and medicine to Gaza.  This will help break the image of an Arab-Jewish conflict, where people have to choose a side and really bring to the forefront that this is simply a story of Human Rights. The story of allowing a people, a nation, to be free from occupation and military subordination and just be allowed to get on with their lives. There is nothing complicated about that.

 It is important that those on our side frame the debate in simple, non-confusing terms: Freedom for Palestine Now!

It is also important that we put all other peripheral debates on the side and focus on this unifying theme: a free Palestine in accordance with UN unanimity ( Res. 242) - with the exception of the US, Israel and sometimes a few tiny island states in the south pacific.

So I finally got to have a half-decent length conversation with Judy about what happened today.  Here's what she says happened (my notes from our conversation, not her words):

They went into the consulate in small groups, and pretended they were there on other business.  Once they were all in there, they sat down and told them this is a protest.

The officials in the consulate were absolutely irate over it.  One of the security guards was "beside himself".  He tried to intimidate them, saying, "You're in Israel now!"  Judy retorted, "We are NOT.  This is not the embassy."  (Apparently only the embassy is considered Israeli territory, not the consulate - they had legal advice going in.)

The security guard tried to drag the youngest woman out, and she resisted.  Judy told him to take his hands off her or they'd charge him with assault.

The security guard then tried to take the phone away from another woman, and when she wouldn't give it to him, he slapped her across the face.  Judy told him that if he touches any of them again, he would be charged with assault.  So the Israeli officials decided to let the police deal with them.

When the police arrived, they were very nice, and very apologetic over having to arrest a bunch of peaceful women.  They told the group that what they were doing was illegal and that they would have to arrest them.  The women responded that they understand that, but what Israel is doing is illegal as well.

They were handcuffed (the police were apologetic about this too, and explained that they had to because it was procedure), and they put them in a paddy wagon which had separate, windowless cages for each of them.  They were in the paddy wagon for about half an hour to an hour (Judy's not sure exactly how long) and the handcuffs were on for a couple of hours altogether.

That whole time, Judy thinks the police were negotiating with the Israeli consulate officials, who, as she said, were irate, because the police didn't want to have to charge the women for just sitting in their office.  They were then released without charges.

When the women were brought down out of the building, they were greeted by a press scrum of yelling reporters, and a bunch of protesters who greeted them happily with chants and support.

After it was all over, the women got call after call after call from tons of media - mainstream, alternative, domestic, international (including Al-Jazeera, an Israeli news organization, San Francisco, and of course tons of Canadian ones). 

There have been tons of supportive e-mails, Facebook posts, and other online support.  She's also received a couple of hate calls (one freak in particular keeps calling back).

So, all in all, this action was a resounding success!

I appreciate your genuine concern for innocent Arab civilians who are suffering due to the ongoing violence in Gaza.

Now that you've established your credibility as Jews unafraid to criticize the actions of Israel, your upcoming direct actions in protest of HAMAS' gross acts of oppression and violations of international law will carry much greater moral weight.

Kol Hakavod!

Why greater moral weight? Are Palestinian lives really only 1/100th as valued as Israeli ones?

Yet another uninformed ass. Welcome, hope you don't stay long.

You misunderstand me Cueball; I value innocent life exactly equally for everyone, Arab or Jew.



The point I was trying to make was that when pro-Israel activists point out HAMAS' misogyny, homophobia, deprivation of civil-liberties, crushing of dissent and advocacy of an authoritarian, patriarchal theocracy, their claims might be dismissed as mere pro-Israel advocacy.



This protest has demonstrated your willingness to point out Israel's faults and hold it accountable for meeting your moral standards.



So in the future, when you engage in direct action to bring public attention to HAMAS' moral failings and oppression, your protest will carry greater moral weight. No one will be able to accuse you of hypocrisy.

Ignore the megaphone.

Lots of press so far! 

canada.com [28]

Ynet News, Israel [29] (This one's hilarious - maybe our friend Texas Dave would like it.  They claim that a bunch of JEWISH WOMEN were chanting "racist" slogans - conveniently not saying what they were - and saying that the consulate officials were restrained when they were actually assaulting the women until the police got there!)

Canadian Press [30]

Toronto Star [31] (now updated with a picture)

Monthly Review, VA [32]

CityNews [33] (another new picture)

This was a very critically important protest action.   Kudos to Judy and everyone involved.

What also strikes me is the violence of the security goon(s) at the Israeli Consulate in Toronto.

Women engaging in the most peaceful and passive of protest actions are physically assaulted by agents of the Israeli state.

In Gaza, primitive rockets launched by Hamas are met with the overwhelming violence of some of the most modern weaponry available...in turn resulting in the mass slaughter of a civilian population.

And yet, most of the mainstream media speaks of the two sides somehow being "equal".

For the record, I think it is regrettable that the consulate's security staff assaulted any of the protesters. (I'll take you at your word that that's what happened.)



I'd encourage Rabble.ca members to draft a set of guidelines for proper, rights-respecting, humanitarian procedures for authorities to follow in the face of protests.



Then, maybe we could get a delegation from the government of Israel and a delegation from HAMAS to come together for a dialogue about how to implement these principles into practice?



This could be a good first step towards lowering levels of distrust and breaking down barriers.

If Israeli officials are telling lies about the violent acts committed by their goons at the consulate in Toronto, imagine the lies they are telling about Gaza?

You don't have to imagine them. They are patently obvious:

For example: bombed truck carried oxygen tanks and not grad rockets

This is a very powerful statement from these women and is just an indication of things to come as Jewish women arm themselves with peace and march forward. 

Israeli lawmakers and security officials have expressed confidence that it enjoys the full support of the United States in its war measures.

The US Congress approved a $155 million funding for the development of two Israeli medium-range anti-missile systems approved by US President Bush and marks a 30 percent increase in US financial participation in the Arrow and David projects

Actually that is exactly what I thought was happening Texas Dave was a strong movement to wards peace and maybe thats the problem or maybe there never was a problem maybe things are right on target as Bush is set to leave office and all hell breaks lose.  

The biggest lie that infuriates me is the constant harping about how HAMAS is dedicated to completely destroying any vestige of Jewish sovereignty in any part (however small) of the Jews' historical homeland.

Typically this Zionist "Big Lie" comes in the form of quoting from HAMAS' founding covenant... but what the neocon-spin-meisters never point out is that in their charter, HAMAS clearly states that...

"Hamas is a humane movement, which cares for human rights and is committed to the tolerance inherent in Islam as regards attitudes towards other religions. It is only hostile to those who are hostile towards it, or stand in its way in order to disturb its moves or to frustrate its efforts.  Under the shadow of Islam it is possible for the members of the three religions: Islam, Christianity and Judaism to coexist in safety and security."

Can anyone doubt the sincerity of that statement?

Moreover, HAMAS' covenant states...

"Hamas has been looking forward to implement Allah’s promise whatever time it might take. The prophet, prayer and peace be upon him, said: The time will not come until Muslims will fight the Jews (and kill them); until the Jews hide behind rocks and trees, which will cry: O Muslim! there is a Jew hiding behind me, come on and kill him! This will not apply to the Gharqad, which is a Jewish tree."

Why don't the Zionists ever point out this passage?

HAMAS is very clearly stating that after they destroy Israel, Jews will be safe if they hide behind Gharqad trees!

Can you imagine how many Gharqad trees Israel could purchase and plant for the amount of money being spent on bombs to drop on Gaza?

Not to mention the positive environmental impact this alternative approach to protecting the lives of Jews would have?

Zionists are famous for planting trees all over the place... but never Gharqad trees!

Coincidence?

I don't think so.

Texas Dave but your posts about Hamas is just another example of changing the subject.

Texas Dave, the subject is not how bad Hamas is.  Who cares. I don't like this party.  But that's irrelevant.  Hamas was elected by Palestinians of Gaza. Free people have the right to choose whatever government they want. It's their concern, not ours. Lots of countries elect really shitty governments.  I don't like it but its not my business.

There is only one story here, the rest is a decoy.

The only story is that Palestine - as recognized by the entire planet minus US/Israel/a few tiny south pacific islands namely the borders of 67 (Gaza-West Bank and East Jerusalem) - is under the occupation of a foreign power, Israel for 40 years

  This is not a conflict between two equal peoples.  There is  a master: Israel and there is a slave: Palestine. 

There is no middle ground to bring the parties together and all this nonsense.  Palestinians have in fact accepted to live on 22% of their historic land ('67 borders) whether they like it or not, whether its moral or not its what the planet minus US/Israel/a few tiny south pacific islands has accepted. It is International law.

It is not Palestine that occupies Israel.  Israelis are a free people with the power to decide their collective will. They have a state.  Palestinians don't because Israel occupies them. Palestinians are an enslaved people. Let them go free. There's no debate.   

Here's a simple formula 

(A) Israel occupies Palestine = Problem

(B) Solution = Free Palestine now

That's it.  Nothing else. Everything else is result of (A). Every other topic is merely a decoy to divert attention from this simple, illegal fact.

Excellent point, and it should give people pause!

___________________________________________________________ "watching the tide roll away"

Another excellent point!

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Well, I cares... both because I want peace for Israel and a government for Palestinians that respects their human rights.

Agreed... but don't they have a responsibility to then accept the consequences of their freely-made electoral choices? Gaza's Arabs get to elect a government intent on launching rockets across an international border into their soverign neighbor... but then they are also allowed to complain when the neighboring government objects and takes actions to end the rocket fire?

You don't really mean that. Progressives, to their credit, make it their "business" to care about the shitty governments people live under all over the world.

I am confident the Rabble.ca community will prove itself to be no less concerned about the shitty-ness of the government Gaza's Palestinians live under as they do the shitty-ness of every other government.

I'm confused; before you said the Arabs in Gaza were free to elect their own government, now you're saying they're occupied. Which is it? Is HAMAS the freely-elected democratic government of Gaza or not?

Also, in addition to the US, Israel, and a few tiny south pacific islands, you need to add HAMAS to the group of people who disagree with your assertion that the occupation of land for the past 40 years is "the story."

HAMAS says the "story" is Jews have been foreign occupiers since 1948--60 years.

I don't think they'd appreciate you putting them on the hook for accepting Israel's existence within it's pre-1967 boundaries.

So the so-called "threats" to Israel's existence or the well-being of it's citizens are entirely delusional? Palestinians have no "agency" and are utterly un-responsible for their actions personally or the actions of their freely elected government?

Exactly! And right now, with their state, the collective will of the Israeli people is to exercise their power and try to stop the government of their neighboring state from killing them.

I am so proud, so ecstatic, of what these courageous women have done! What a powerful example to the Canadian people of the true meaning of solidarity. Like the Palestinian people, they became prisoners within the confines of an Israeli occupied space, and they stood tall, heads high, and showed their utter contempt for those usurpers who would speak in the name of the Jewish people. They proved that the might of Israel, and of its Canadian government support, is a myth - an illusion - just waiting to be punctured by some brave and self-sacrificing souls.

On behalf of the Jewish people, of their true traditions of progress and enlightenment, I thank you and hail you, Judy, and all your comrades!

So when is Bernie Farber going to weigh in and say how they don't represent "mainstream Jews"?

It was a courageous and uplifting move. Brava Judy Rebick, Judith Deutsch, B.H. Yael, Smadar Carmon, and the other brave activists.

I was so hoping to hear it covered on the World at Six newscast on CBC Radio. No such luck. Shame on them. And to further insult, they focused on the funeral of an IOF soldier killed during the recent assault on Gaza. But to be fair, Israel has blocked the likes of Margaret Evans and every other international journalist from entering Gaza so I guess she can't attend any of the 100s of funerals going on there.

Whether one likes Hamas as a government or not is irrelevant as has been pointed out. It is the duly elected representative government of the Palestinians. So someone tell me how this assault on an occupied people can be presented as a war between two equal nations when so-called next steps to negotiate a ceasefire includes everyone but the Palestinian government in Gaza?

Well said, and worth repeating:

On my own behalf, I'd like to thank Unionist for his clarification of the meaning of being a chosen people for me. It made me do a little research myself, and caused me to take the time to truly understand the concept. It strikes me that the world might be a better place if more people did develop an understanding of it - both Jews and fundamentalist Christians.

Israel is not the homeland of a blessed superior race, but rather in a covenant with God to act as a holy nation. And the Jewish people are intended to be an army of priests - not of death. Surely anyone wishing to honour a covenant with God cannot sanction the killing in Gaza.

As Michelle said, ignore the Megaphone.

Congratulations to these courageous woman. If only we all had just a bit of the spine and grace they have demonstrated. 

That is very accurate, LTJ, and I must say very moving. Thank you.

Michelle is right. Spokesthing is just trying to distract us from this wonderful light in the darkness of the Gaza slaughter.

I hope people will link media and blog stories. I'm especially interested in ones in French, if you find any. I haven't yet.

This is a story of righteousness and courage.

Eight women went forth, on a bleak winter's day...

A little dated and derivative, but:

Des femmes juives occupent le Consulat israélien à Toronto

And, it looks as if the mailing list RebELLES [53] may have some discussion - will check it out. On second thought, it appears to be a "liste non-mixte", so I'll leave it for others to look into.

Good for those women.

Hey! Is this actually a Canadian forum, where one can criticize the Israel Lobby, and their pernicious control over polluticians, and not be denounced as an antisemite?

Can I point out Zionist media ownership/control?

Can I point out Zionist control over politicians, like the Lesley Hughs scandal?

Can I point out Israeli involvment in 9/11, 7/7 and their apparent preperations to do the same for Montreal?

How much truth is allowed?

There are many international "Zionist" conspiracy sites on the internet. You will be much happier at one of those.

Truly, in the herstory of Mother Earth, there has never been an act as courageous, powerful, self-sacrificing, up-lifting, righteous and brave as the wonderful light brought into the world today by Judy and her comrades.



Some may dismiss this as a mere thread in an internet forum, but you and I can appreciate what a very special place this is--and how special we all are.

I am always impressed at how the apologists for cold blooded mass murder can maintain such an aura of lightheartedness and about them. But then I keep expecting eveyone has a conscience. I am mistaken so often. But with all the blood spilt you would think these vampires would have other things to do.

"There are many international "Zionist" conspiracy sites on the internet. You will be much happier at one of those."

That's what I figured. Mealy-mouthed "progressives" are the same everywhere? Anyone with the courage to even look at the 'conspiracy', for fear of a label? Crimestop(cf G Orwell is really doing it's job well).

Why did you put "Zionist" in quotation marks? You don't think Zionists are behind the Israel lobby control of Canada?

As for international conspiracy, we don't need to look any further than Canada to see what Zionist conspiracy is like run amok in your country.

Have you not seen the doc from mtl911truth.org showing the links VERINT has to Israel's Mossad?

The drooling maniacs are showing up from all over the spectrum today. Bye, bye.

I put "Zionist" in quotation marks because I have a long Jewish nose which can smell anti-semites a mile off. You are the flip side of the JDL and you can both feed off each other. Get lost, creep, along with your anti-semitic websites.

I apologize for fouling this beautiful thread, but crap has to be swept up before it spreads.

Well, we can certainly agree on that.

Actually the media in this country is nearly 100% controlled by white people. Some of those white people are Jews.

I'm getting rid of two trolls right now.  Anyone want to guess who they are?  Just kidding, don't really guess.  Let's just continue this thread without them.

Honestly, I am not 100% sure that TD is a troll. There has been so much going on here, I really have not had time to look over all the content. Perhaps, a little circumspection is required, before making hasty decisions.

The latest comments in this thread clinched it for me.  Concern troll, and a sarcastic boor on top of it all.  This is not someone who has come to babble in good faith to discuss progressive politics from a progressive point of view.  Buh-bye.

Texas David says: Well, I cares... both because I want peace for Israel and a government for Palestinians that respects their human rights.

But do you want a free Palestine? The issue of what government they choose is besides the point.  The ISSUE is for Israel to release Palestine. There cannot be peace without Israel respecting UN res 242 and getting out of Palestine (anfd again Palestine as internationally recognized i.e. the 67 borders).  Do you care about this country being free? Do you gare about Palestine having a free unoccupied country? Once they do, then we can talk about the governments they elect.  But maybe you don't believe in freedom for Palestine and this is why you change the subject.  I am only guessing.

Texa David: Agreed... but don't they have a responsibility to then accept the consequences of their freely-made electoral choices? Gaza's Arabs get to elect a government intent on launching rockets across an international border into their soverign neighbor... but then they are also allowed to complain when the neighboring government objects and takes actions to end the rocket fire?

So collective punishment on a people because of the actions of their government. Sir you are condoning a war crime in a series of war crimes. 

The reason they launch those rockets is a retaliation against an illegal blockade on this refugee camp called Gaza which is starving the Palestinians.  It is the US and Israel which have entrapped Gaza  killing  it slowly.  The consequence of some sort of retaliation is easily forseeable. In fact, Israeli state planners hoped for two scenarios: that as the Palestinians would fall deeper into social catastrophy and kill each other or try and fight back so as to be further bludgeoned.  Either way, Palestinian humiliaiton, subjugaiton continues.

No people deserved to be bombed because of who they voted for.  This is an elementary truism.

You don't really mean that. Progressives, to their credit, make it their "business" to care about the shitty governments people live under all over the world.

I am confident the Rabble.ca community will prove itself to be no less concerned about the shitty-ness of the government Gaza's Palestinians live under as they do the shitty-ness of every other government.

This is why Progressives care about the illegal occupation of Palestine which has caused them great misery for 40 years!!! A dehumanizing, barbaric occupation that kills and humuliates them. I am confident that people of the Rabble.ca community would not condone bombing the shit out of other human beings because they elected a shitty government. 

You are changing the issue once again. The issue is that Israel occupies and dominates Palestine. Do you care about that? The debate isn't about the latest actions of one government and another government.

There is a Master: Israel.  There is a Slave: Palestine.  This is the issue. Would you care to address it.  Why does Israel occupy and dominate Palestine? Why is Palestine not free.  Everyone thinks it should be. The US blocks it politically. Israel blocks it physically. 

I'm confused; before you said the Arabs in Gaza were free to elect their own government, now you're saying they're occupied. Which is it? Is HAMAS the freely-elected democratic government of Gaza or not?

 Well let me help you de-confuse.  First, I said the Palestinians of Gaza. They are Palestinians. That is the the term I used. No I said that they are free to vote for whom they want and that government should be recognized as legitimate. Like for other human beings. If they choose Hamas or whatever that is their right.  As for occupied, nNo, I think I went further I said enslaved.  I called the Palestinians of Palestine (Gaza-West Bank and East Jerusalem as per internatioal law) enslaved. That is they have lived the last 40 years under the Israeli gun. The West Bank and East Jerusalem are under full occupation.  Gaza is entrapped.  Its air space and access to the sea are blocked by Israel and the US where Palestinians are forced to rot and now are being bombed.  Poeple can't get out. Food can't get it.  Only Israel decides who can get out and what and when it can get in.  That is not freedom, that is enslavement. So yeah,  they choose what they want and then their government is not recognized and their little stip of land, the highest denisty of the world is under a blockade.  This is why the bomb lanching started.

Also, in addition to the US, Israel, and a few tiny south pacific islands, you need to add HAMAS to the group of people who disagree with your assertion that the occupation of land for the past 40 years is "the story."

HAMAS says the "story" is Jews have been foreign occupiers since 1948--60 years.

I don't think they'd appreciate you putting them on the hook for accepting Israel's existence within it's pre-1967 boundaries.

You don't need to say Hamas.  Every Palestinian in their heart carries the whole land of historical Palestine. But so what? Every Armenian believes that they have a right to Arrarat now in Turkey.  Every Greek Orthodox believes that Constantinople (now Istanbul) is the eternal seat of the Church.  Everry Kurd carries in their heart a Kurdistant that inlcudes lands in Turkey, in Syria, in Iraq and in Iran. Mexican still call Texas and California occupied Mexico.  Russians see Kiev as the birthplance of the Russian nation....and we can go on and on and on around the world and you'll find thousands of similar examples and aspirations.  The fact of the matter is that every country, every Arab speaking country, every Muslim country has accepted the 67 border. In essence the Palestinians aren't dumb, they know they won't get more than that.  This is the will of the international community. But so what if Hamas says all what you say, Palestine still has the right to be free. You are changing the subject again. 

So the so-called "threats" to Israel's existence or the well-being of it's citizens are entirely delusional? Palestinians have no "agency" and are utterly un-responsible for their actions personally or the actions of their freely elected government?

Let me repeat again slowly.  Palestine is under Israel's domination.  Palestinians aren't trying to rule over Israel.  Palestinians live under Israeli dominatino.  That is the reality. That is the problem.

There is no justification for one country, one people to put another under subjugation. It is morally unnaceptable and it is internationally illegal. If Israel has a grievance it can take Palestine to the International Court of Justice and sue for damages like the Palestians have taken Israel to the ICJ. The problem is that Israel does not only not recognize Palestine it dominates it, it suppresses it, it occupies it, it annexes  it, it kills its people it generally subjugates it.  Is there  even a debate here? Furthermore, Israel doesn't recognize the ICJ because every decision has condemned Israel's illegal occupation of the Palestinian nation (the people and the land).

 Again, you are changing the subject. Here's a solution. Let Israel get out of Palestine and build its immense wall within the 67 borders and have soldiers on both sides.

Anyway, what third world country will attack a nuclear power with a first world military. For crying out loud. Palestinians have lived under occupation for 40 years now.  You think they would risk bothering their former Masters once they have freedom and a country with massive social problems.  They know the consequences of that all too well.

 But as usual, this is changing the subject which I repeat is that Israel occupies and dominates Palestine and it should release it.

Exactly! And right now, with their state, the collective will of the Israeli people is to exercise their power and try to stop the government of their neighboring state from killing them.

First, Gaza is not a state it has no air of water or border sovereignty.  Read about it.  Texas David, no one on this planet who has any sanity believes that Palestine will invade Israel. 

The rockets are due to the blockade.  Everything is due to the barbaric, illegal occupation.  This is the issue.  If Israel wants peace all it has to do is:  Withdraw from Palestine and recognize a Palestinian state within the internationally agreed upon borders. This is the ISSUE stop changing it.

But Israel doesn't want peace.  Because it does not want to relinquish control over East Jerusalem or the West Bank.  Further subjugation and humiliation of the Palestinians in order to break them down so they can forget about a state within the 1967 borders and aquiesce to Gaza (with no air or sea access) as well as a few disconnected Bantustans in the West Bank.  This is why they are building the Annexation Wall in order to encompass the settlements in the West Bank so as to grab as much land as possible.  That's the plan.  The way it works is you stall, you bomb, you stall, you bomb, you stall, you bomb.  Look at the last 40 years it has worked marvelously.  There are no peace processes. Bit by bit you break  the will of Palestine into relinquishing as much as possible.

This is not a war against Hamas.  It is a 40 year war against Palestine and its people.

The record is clear on this.  This is why the subject is always changed. Focusing on Arafat, the PLO, terrorism, now Hamas...it is so predictable.

My question to you is simple: 

 How can you justify Israel occupying Palestine? How can you justify one country occupying another. One people dominating another.

 You can't.  There is nothing radical here.  This isn't a socialist or communist or anarchist or leftist position.  There is nothing controversial here.  This is a mainstream position within mainstream western values based in liberal democracy and international law.

Palestine has the right to be free.  The fact that Palestine is under foreign domination (flat out occupation in W-B and E.Jerusalem and under military blockade in Gaza) is the problem.

Do you believe that Palestine (as I have defined the country i.e. 67 borders) has the right to be a free state? If so, why doesn't Israel release it?

 These are simple, undebatible truisms.  This is why the subject is always changed.

Will you know discuss the ISSUE of Israel occupying Palestine??

But then, we are getting a fare amount of that from others who are as bad or worse, imo, and they continue to post. Seems to me a little incosistent. That's my two cents.

Tom, I dearly love and respect you - seriously - but please don't waste your time debating with provocateurs and baiters. It doesn't even make for good practice.

I know Unionist.  But others read this board as well. Other like minded trolls with cold feet. Some people if you read some of the mainstream press blogs bring up some of the stuff TD says. Plus, I get so bloody hot when I see crap like that...answering in detail releases stress and makes me feel better 

Well its different at the mainstream press blogs. I don't even worry about it and post what I post, with a little information here or there. Its more about market visibility at those places, not one on one discussion. Here we post to each other, there we are posting to inform those who are lurking.

This is a mainstream press blog, for all the respect you UberKike gatekeepers have for the ugly truth about Israel and their Lobby groups.

I suppose Walt and Mearscheimer are antisemites for pointing out the Israel Lobby's control over the United States?

But if I say the same is happening to Canada, that is antisemitic?

Unionist, I despise gatekeepers like you.

You 'people' are beneath contempt, and congratulations, I am now adopting a harsher stance against Jews, seeing what gatekeepers even the "good Jews" are.

FUCK YOU 

'Antisemitism' from Harvard, stating the control of the Israel Lobby on US foreign policy.

YOU SCUM

Another brave hit and run. Why is it so much venom is attracted to this thread? Is it because these gutsy people are women or because they are Jewish? What is about this issues that brings the Zionist zealots and anti-semites together as one to attack women?

I wear the fear of the Nazis as a badge of honour. Those Jewish people who have survived these maniacal murders and thrived, have done so by allying themselves with progressive causes - by not focussing inward, but by sharing weal and woe with the oppressed of their own nations and the nations of the world. That's why Israel is doomed. And that's why the Nazis and anti-Semites are doomed. Both forget this cardinal lesson about the burning spirit of enlightenment that animates our people. Murder and hatred will never snuff it out.

That's also why an action like that of Judy and the other sisters strikes terror in the hearts of these lowlifes, both pro-Israel and anti-Semite. It is a powerful fist of exposure and condemnation of all that they stand for. It embodies the best that our people have engendered through the ages, and consciously rejects the worst.

Thank you again, Judy and company, for this act of heroism!

ETA: I am so glad FM and I cross-posted and said the same thing (only he said it while I ranted on). Yes, it's because they're Jews, but most of all because they're women. Long may they live and may their ranks be multiplied!

Guess its going to be a long night. I'm off... see you all tomorrow.

Yes do whatever you can to avoid the truth about the Israel Lobby.

I had nothing against Jews, until I started telling the truth, and find myself attacked for trying to show people facts.

But the most you can do is call names. 

And you wonder why people hate you lying Kikes. 

Blah, blah, blah. Get away hateful troll.

"Another brave hit and run. Why is it so much venom is attracted to this thread? Is it because these gutsy people are women or because they are Jewish? What is about this issues that brings the Zionist zealots and anti-semites together as one to attack women?"

More lying from the progressive Jew gatekeepers.  You are engendering my antisemitism with your blatant refusal to talk fact, and your silencing of those who want to do so.

Hilarious to accuse me of hit and run, when it was you who tryed to silenced me as a troll of all things.

When are 'progressives' going to admit there is an Israel Lobby in Canada, and near complete Zionist control of media?

Wow, what a dick.  Remember what I was saying about how the fact that we do allow criticism of Isreal here means that we end up targeted both by pro-Israeli concern trolls AND anti-semites?  Lordy.

Always trust your nose.

Ok, Crimestop just seems "flat-earth society" type crazy. That Texas David though had opinions we hear far too often in the corporate media. 

Tom - not specifically talking about Texas Dave, but do you seriously believe there are not some trolls in the past day that have appeared, under different names, spouting anti-Jewish and pro-Israel venom at different times? Do you believe that some of the Israel apologists here could survive two seconds without having the Nazi scum as a foil? You saw the JDL video where they launch Nazi anti-Semitic comments, then try to put them in the mouths of unwitting participants? They are two sides of the same coin, and in many cases, it is the same individual playing both roles.

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing, Unionist.  Unfortunately, though, there enough real anti-semites and white supremacist types out there who just love to spread their hate on internet forums, so it's impossible for us to know whether this guy is the real deal or some agent provocateur.

Really, I don't care which it is.  I just get rid of them, period.

Just heard this from a listserve I'm on. Amazing how activists can inspire each other. And hooray to the fabulous women at the sit-in yesterday!

Excellent, excellent!  :)  Thanks for posting this, Maysie!

Wonderful! I'll try to find out more about our local action.

I have sent the info to L'union juive française pour la paix. Hmm...

Wow. Just wow.

Apparnetly they're in the lobby, blocking the door, there's about 15 of them up there, and no one can enter or leave the Consulate.  Trying to get pictures. 

Fucking brilliant! I am humbled and moved by such courageous action.

This is a very confused site.

Definition of Irony:

Having a story like this:

http://www.rabble.ca/babble/activism/debate-over-zionism-essentially-for...

But when someone comes to seriously talk about Zionist power in Canada, you spit in his face.

I think I get it now. Jews are allowed to debate Zionism in Canada, but anyone else who does it is 'flat-earther' crazy or a NeoNazi.

You guys just look like gatekeepers to me, supporting and nurturing the rights of terrorist Zionists to be invisible in Canada.

Un-be-freakin-lievable.

Gone.  And all his links are gone too.  No sense rewarding him by leaving his links up.

In her own words: Marion Traub-Werner, one of yesterday's women who occupied the Toronto Israeli Consulate, writes a play-by-play of what happened for rabble.

CKUT, Radio McGill happened to have its weekly Palestinian show on and there was a live interview with people blocking the Israeli consulate at Westmount Square. They arrived before the consulate's opening at 9 am and were able to block the doors until 10:30 am; the police expelled them but didn't arrest anyone, indeed they were unusually polite.

The demonstration continues outside the consulate as I write. You will recall that the Israeli consulate left its former location in the city core on Peel Street, due to the continued pressure of PAJU (Palestinians and Jews United/Palestiniens et Juifs unis) who have been holding vigils every Friday for almost 8 years.

Evidently the trade unions have thrown their weight and support behind the demo on the 10th; let's hope so.

News from Tadamon on Montréal action: http://www.tadamon.ca/post/2560/langswitch_lang/fr

Thanks so much for this update, lagatta!  Let us know if anything new develops. :)  I was hoping for a picture but they haven't sent one yet - probably busy!

Amazing and excellent news, and thanks for the link to the In Her words story Michelle!

___________________________________________________________ "watching the tide roll away"

Photos available here:

http://tinyurl.com/9gl93m

Wow, fabulous pictures!  Thanks for the link!

Some links to an interview with Judy Rebick yesterday about the Toronto action on CKUT radio in Montreal.

Here's a really good article with some excellent background material I found on the "New Statesman" site entitled "Gaza Under Fire"

"When the truth is replaced by silence," the Soviet dissident Yevgeny
Yevtushenko said, "the silence is a lie." It may appear that the
silence on Gaza is broken. The small cocoons of murdered children,
wrapped in green, together with boxes containing their dismembered
parents, and the cries of grief and rage of everyone in that death camp
by the sea can be witnessed on al-Jazeera and YouTube, even glimpsed on
the BBC. But Russia's incorrigible poet was not referring to the
ephemera we call news; he was asking why those who knew the why never
spoke it, and so denied it. Among the Anglo-American intelligentsia,
this is especially striking. It is they who hold the keys to the great
storehouses of knowledge: the historiographies and archives that lead
us to the why.

They know that the horror now raining on Gaza has little to do with
Hamas or, absurdly, "Israel's right to exist". They know the opposite
to be true: that Palestine's right to exist was cancelled 61 years ago
and that the expulsion and, if necessary, extinction of the indigenous
people was planned and executed by the founders of Israel. They know,
for example, that the infamous "Plan D" of 1947-48 resulted in the
murderous depopulation of 369 Palestinian towns and villages by the
Haganah (Israeli army) and that massacre upon massacre of Palestinian
civilians in such places as Deir Yassin, al-Dawayima, Eilaboun, Jish,
Ramle and Lydda are referred to in official records as "ethnic
cleansing". Arriving at a scene of this carnage, David Ben-Gurion,
Israel's first prime minister, was asked by a general, Yigal Allon:
"What shall we do with the Arabs?" Ben-Gurion, reported the Israeli
historian Benny Morris, "made a dismissive, energetic gesture with his
hand and said, 'Expel them'". 

The rest here:

http://www.newstatesman.com/middle-east/2009/01/pilger-israel-gaza-pales...

Is the consulate the same as an embassy, in the sense that they are officially on Israeli soil?

Because if it's officially Israel, then those women are braver than they might think.

We all remember how the Israelis treated Rachel Corrie. 

No.  The Embassy is Israeli territory, but a consulate is not. 

This brought tears to my eyes.  Let us each do what we can in our own cities.

Thought I'd post this upcoming action in New York City. It's very powerful and moving what progressives are doing.

"Demanding an end to military action in Gaza, eight to 10 Jewish activists chained themselves this morning to the Israeli Consulate building on Wilshire Boulevard.

Other activists who were not chained to the building walked in a circle outside the consulate, chanting: "Let Gaza live! End the siege now." One of the signs they carried read: "The Israeli consulate has been closed for war crimes.""

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/01/jewish-activist.html [110]

Of course, the CJC wants to put a stop to this:

From the Pembroke Daily Observer. Not surprisingly, they can't seem to be very specific on the matter...

What the hell, as long as I'm here.....I'll write you a good esay, really gud quality.  just contact oldgoat

Whats up with these free essay spammers. Geez Louise!

Aw SG, we should thank them. They bring back wonderful threads like this one - what an amazing and courageous action that was of Judy and her comrades! Great memories - and we need more of the same soon.

True enough unionist!

If I were you, I would notice professional freelance writing jobs to have more quality facts connecting to this good post!

Thanks Marcie, we do need more quality facts on babble sometimes.

Closing.