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On November 13, 2008, three Palestinian students at the University of California, Berkeley were attacked by members of the Zionist Freedom Alliance, an off-campus organization participating in an "Israeli Liberation Week" concert organized by the student group Tikvah.  These students hung two Palestinian flags off the balcony of a nearby building to protest the message of the event.  According to testimony, three members of ZFA approached the dissenting students, physically assaulting them and invoking ethnic slurs.  When the campus police arrived, they failed to charge all of the attacking students (only one was issued a citation), and subjected the victims of the attack to humiliation and harrassment.  The administration and media have largely portrayed the incident as a "clash" or "conflict" between two groups of students, rather than addressing it as an assault.  More information is available from IndyBay, the Daily Californian (note strong bias), and Dina Omar’s statement.  

The Bay Area chapter of IJAN wrote an open letter to support the students who were attacked and to contextualize the violence within the structural violence of Zionism, racism, and colonialism.  

Other Palestine-solidarity and anti-racist organizations are invited to sign onto the letter — please email bay.ijsn@gmail.com for more information.  The full text of the letter is below.

On Thursday, October 2nd, Bay Area members of the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network (IJAN) gathered for a press conference and rally to announce IJAN’s launch with a reading of the founding Charter.  The event was held in front of the East Bay Jewish Community Federation Building to confront and expose the role of Zionist institutions in perpetuating atrocities committed against Palestinian people.

 

 

Earlythis morning, Jewish activists in a historic first in Los Angeles,chained themselves to the entrance of the Israeli Consulate and blockedthe driveway to the parking structure, blocking all traffic in and outof the building.  "We sent a clear message to the world that LA Jews are part of the global majority in opposition to the Israeli siege of Gaza,"  said Lenny Potash a 72-year old protester who was cuffed to eight other activists, blocking the driveway to the consulate.  The activists were joined by 50 other supporters and who chanted "LA Jews say, End the Siege of Gaza" and  "Not in Our Name! We will Not be Silent!"  Protesters also held up signs reading "Israeli Consulate: Closed for War Crimes."

"Wesucceeded today in letting Jews and other Americans of conscience knowthat it is safe to speak out against the policies of the Israeligovernment and that the Israeli lobby does not speak for everyone,"said Robin Ellis, a Registered Nurse who also risked arrest to blockthe consulate entrance. "We are committed to escalating non-violentactivities in the future to end the siege and win justice forPalestinians," Ellis said.

The group of activists were an  ad-hoc,multi-generational group of LA Jewish residents, including members ofthe recently founded International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network.  They shared a commitment to ending the  Israelisiege on Gaza and an end to Israeli apartheid. The demonstration willkick off a wave of demonstrations across the United States unitingPalestinians, Jewish people, and other Americans outraged by the siege.

"Weare shocked and outraged at Israeli’s latest act of violent aggressionagainst the Palestinian people. Killing over 950 people, including 250women and children, bombing schools and mosques and then calling itself-defense—that is the worst kind of hypocrisy. It also amounts towar crimes," said Hannah Howard, a local member of the InternationalJewish Anti-Zionist Network. "We shut down the Israeli consulate todaybecause as Jewish people we cannot allow business as usual whileviolence is being done in our name."

Action participants  alsospoke out against the US government’s unconditional support forIsrael’s siege and its ongoing war against the Palestinian people."While US-funded F16’s rain down bombs on the people of Gaza, ourelected officials locally and nationally offer unqualified support."said Marsha Steinberg, a retired union representative. "Our governmentmust stop sending billions of dollars in military and economic aid tothe Israeli war machine," Goldberg said. In the coming week, concernedAmericans from all backgrounds will call on the new Presidentialadministration to make a 180 degree change in policy.

 

A short video produced by members of IJAN:

Click here for raw and edited video footage and photographs.

Press Coverage so far:

• Huffington Post
• LA Times
• KTLA
• KCAL / CBS 2
• ABC 7
• Fox 11
• The Jewish Journal
• KFWB
• KFI AM
• KPFK (start listening around 45min)
• People’s Daily Online (China)
• China View
• Trend News

For background information on the situation in Gaza, click here: 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 15, 2009

 

SAN FRANCISCO – A group of nine activists – Palestinian, anti-ZionistJewish, and immigrant rights activists – blocked the entrance of theIsraeli Consulate beginning at 8:30am today, in nonviolent protest ofIsraeli apartheid and its current attacks on Gaza.  The activistschained themselves together using handcuffs and locks, locked the doorsto the building, and were joined by a diverse rally of over 40supporters.  The action was organized jointly by local Palestinians andJews in support of: an immediate ceasefire; the opening of land, sea,and air borders to allow in emergency supplies; and an end to USfinancial and political support for Israel.

“For the past sixty years, Israel has tried to eliminate thePalestinian people by forcing them out of their homes and off theirlands, starving them, and killing them,” said Maria Poblet, animmigrants’ rights organizer.  “The recent blockades and attacks inGaza are not an exception, but a brutal reminder that killing civiliansis a regular part of Israeli strategy.”   

Linked arm in arm, Bay Area Jews, Palestinians and social-justiceactivists aim to increase pressure on Israel and its supporters in theface of the 21-day siege on Gaza and the growing humanitarian crisis.  All nine activists were arrested after about two hours, charged withtrespassing, and allowed to leave.  This action is one in a series thathas moved from Toronto, to New York, to Los Angeles.

Organizers assert that the current situation in Gaza is not a conflictbetween two peoples of equivalent capacities, nor is Israel’s motiveself-defense. “For the past year and a half, Israel has enactedstrangling sanctions under the guise of targeting Hamas, collectivelystarving the entire population of food, water, medicine, and othervital resources,” stated Monadel Herzallah of the United StatesPalestinian Community Network. “The recent air and ground strikes areanother brutal blow to Gazans who are already trapped in aconcentration camp of despair and growing poverty.”

Activists also spoke out against the US pledge of more than $3 billioneach year in unrestricted aid to Israel.  “Israel’s use of US aid andmilitary equipment violates our own laws.  We can choose to uphold USand international laws, or ignore them as we are now doing at the perilof our conscience and our place among all of humanity,” said NadeenElshorafa of the General Union of Palestinian Students.

Organizer Sara Kershnar of the International Jewish anti-ZionistNetwork summed up the sentiment: “Today, as Palestinians, Jews, and ourunited allies, we make our position clear: we are on one side, the sideof justice; Israel, an apartheid state, is on the other.”

Press Coverage (so far):

• San Francisco Chronicle
• ABC 7 / KGO-TV (video)
• KCBS (audio)
• KTVU
• KCBS
• CBS 5 / KPIX-TV (raw video)
• CBS 5
• IndyMedia  (and here) (and here) (and here)
• MondoWeiss
• Democracy Now! Headlines
• KPFA Living Room
• 3Arabawy
• Jews Sans Frontieres
• Monthly Review
• Community Labor News
• The Muslim News (UK)
• SFist
• Dream Not of Today
• Media Mouse
• Pirate Cat Radio

 

 

More photos available here.

Stay tuned for media coverage and video.

For more information about IJAN in the bay area, contact bay.ijsn@gmail.com.

In response to Israel ‘s 60th anniversary celebrations, 20 Jewish activists were arrested, demonstrating Jewish opposition to Israel ‘s 60-year-old policy of dispossession, and highlighting the often-silenced struggle of Palestinian refugees. For over two hours, 20 Jewish activists disrupted San Francisco ‘s anniversary event, bunkering against the main atrium of the Jewish Community Center (JCC). In conjunction, over fifty Jewish and Palestinian supporters held a rally outside the center to call attention to ongoing Israeli policy of apartheid against the Palestinian population. With banners reading, "Jews in Solidarity with 60+ years of Palestinian Resistance," activists declared anniversary, "No Time to Celebrate."

A remarkable international panel broke new ground in the San Francisco Bay Area, Wednesday, July 30, 2008. 

Matzpen film screening On July 20, IJSN members in Los Angeles organized a screening anddiscussion about Eran Torbiner’s film Matzpen: Anti-Zionist Israelis.The discussion featured Liliane Cordova Kaczerginski, an IJSNInternational Core member from Paris, France who had been a member ofMatzpen in Israel for much of the 1970’s. A multi-generational andmulti-racial audience of 30 attended the event, the majority of … Matzpen film screening and Radio coverage

 

On Sunday, December 28,2008, at 7:00 P.M. we held a vigil in solidarity with the people of Gaza.  Over 200 people, Muslims, Jews & Christians attended.  This vigil, called on short notice, earlier today, was organized by the St. Louis Instead of War Coalition & St. Louis Women in Black.

*Tuesday, December 30 @ 10 am – 5pm @ Sen. Klobuchar’s office (1200
Washington Ave. S.) & @ Rep. Ellison’s office (2100 Plymouth Ave. N.) in
Minneapolis*

*1pm press conference at Sen Klobuchar’s office*

Join this* National Day of Action *to show solidarity with the Palestinian
people in Gaza and to demand an immediate end to the murderous attacks
carried out by the Israeli military against the people of Gaza.  There will
be a press conference at 1pm at Sen. Klobuchar’s office.  These
demonstrations are organized locally by WAMM – Women Against Military
Madness, Coalition For Palestinian Rights, International Jewish anti-Zionist
Network Twin Cities (IJAN TC), Green Party of Minnesota.

For more info go to:
http://www.twincities.indymedia.org/2008/dec/protest-israeli-actions-gaza-tuesday

Statement from the International anti-Zionist Network Twin Cities (IJAN-TC)
"As of this writing, Israel’s massacre of Palestinians in occupied Gaza has
killed nearly 300, and injured hundreds more – mostly civilians – since
Saturday, December 26th. Over a thousand tons of bombs have been dropped on
one of the most densely populated places in the world. "Operation Cast
Lead", coming after an 18-month siege on the Gaza Strip that created
electricity and water shortages and cut means for producing basics such as
daily bread, has exacerbated the humanitarian catastrophe faced by Gaza’s
1.5 million residents.

Israel carried out these recent attacks with F16 fighter jets and missiles
provided by U.S. tax dollars. The state of Minnesota is especially invested
in Israel, holding Israeli bonds, while Governor Pawlenty is meeting with
Israeli trade representatives to further the Minnesota-Israeli economic
partnership. In light of this economic alliance and the moral responsibility
that comes along, we demand Governor Pawlenty cut our trade and investment
ties with Israel instead of financing this humanitarian crisis.

As Jews in the Twin Cities, we stand with the world majority in the call to
immediately end Israel’s current and devastating aggression in Gaza, for
Israel to be held accountable for it’s actions, and for our fellow
Minnesotans and specifically Jews to join us. As Jews of conscience it is
our responsibility to decry these atrocities done in our name."

Three days of action took place in SanFrancisco this week, in response to Israel’sbombing of the Gazastrip.  On Sunday December 28th, there was an emergency protest at Powelland Market that lasted for a couple hours.  About 200 people came withnoisemakers, banners, signs and Palestinian flags.  Palestinian familiesjoined the protest, and speakers were mostly young Palestinians speaking aboutthe events in Gaza-twowomen performed spoken-word poetry.  The organizations that gathered thatday included AROC, HOMEYS, IJAN, and Palestinian student groups, who alsopromoted the following day’s rally.  Sara Kershnar from IJAN spoke outagainst the Zionist logic behind the bombing, saying, "they took theJewish holiday Hanukah, a holiday of resistance, and turned it into a massacreof civillians."

On Monday evening, December 29th, a candlelight vigil took place at Market andMontgomery Streets in downtown SanFrancisco, outside Senator Diane Feinstein’soffice.  The vigil turned into spontaneous direct actions as hundreds ofprotesters blocked the streets and shut down rush hour traffic through downtownSan Francisco,blocking the intersection for about two hours.  Protesters linked arms inthe streets, chanting, "Free, Free, Palestine! Stop Bombing Gaza!"  IJAN had a collective presence at the action: we participated in civildisobedience, shutting down the street, and supported the young Palestinianprotesters who took the lead in actions.  Finally, the crowd formed aspontaneous march through downtown, passing through Union Square’s busy streets of holidayshoppers, where there were more speak-outs.  The night culminated in adie-in on Market Street.The event was co-sponsored by Direct Action to Stop the War; the Middle EastChildren’s Alliance; Queers Undermining Israeli Terrorism; SF Women in Black;Break the Silence Mural Project; Global Exchange; International JewishAnti-Zionist Network; San Francisco Bay View National Black Newspaper; BeaconPresbyterian Fellowship; Jewish Voice for Peace – Bay Area; and the AmericanFriends Service Committee SF Office.

On Tuesday, December 30th, protesters gathered in front of the Israeliconsulate, where police tried to contain the crowd on the sidewalk next to thebuilding, while directing Zionist demonstrators to the opposite side of thestreet.  However, the pro-Israeli group of about 50 was quicklyoverwhelmed by hundreds of boisterous pro-Palestinian demonstrators, whospilled out onto every sidewalk, finally pushing across police lines andentering into the streets.  The group chanted and danced in the street forabout an hour, blocking the intersection of Montgomery and Sansome, and thenmobilized for a march through downtown on Market Street, through Civic Centerand into the Tenderloin.  The march was several blocks long, with perhaps2000 people participating.  The demonstration was part of a national Dayof Action called by the ANSWER Coalition, Muslim American Society Freedom, FreePalestine Alliance, National Council of Arab Americans, and Al-Awda,International Palestine Right to Return Coalition.