The good news: There were no ugly shouting matches or violent confrontations, no cars set on fire, no known bomb threats, no bombs, and possibly only one arrest.
I am talking about the Israel Day Parade, a celebration of Israel’s 61st birthday, which drew an estimated 10,000 or more marchers and perhaps 25,000 onlookers.
The bad news: Kidnapped Israeli soldier Cpl. Gilad Shalit was not among them. His father was—and Noam Shalit made a passionate plea on behalf of his son. The Red Cross has not been allowed to see Cpl. Shalit, who was captured nearly three years ago by Hamas. No left-progressive organization has demanded that Shalit be treated according to the Geneva Convention, (they reserve that demand for captured Islamist warriors)—thus, absolutely no one has visited him or checked on his condition; the Israeli government has not shut Gaza down until Shalit is returned: alive or, God forbid, in a coffin, just like Goldwasser and Regev, two other kidnapped Israeli soldiers. The American government has not demanded Red cross visits on Shalit’s behalf, nor have they even mentioned his release.
The sign about re-opening Auschwitz was held by a perpetually smiling, bearded man. He seemed as smug and happy with himself as did the well-fed, well-groomed members of Neturi Karta who take money from Amadinejad to protest the state of Israel.
My friend and colleague, Fern Sidman, covered the march for me. The photos, below, were taken by her. She reminds me that the March was also a tribute to the 100th anniversary of the city of Tel Aviv. Sidman writes:
“ Corporal Shalit was kidnapped by Hamas terrorists and according to information provided by intrepid Middle East correspondent, Aaron Klein, in his new book entitled, The Late Great State of Israel, Corporal Shalit may have been held at the Hamas stronghold in Gaza known as the Islamic University. Wearing t-shirts and sporting buttons saying, “Have you seen Gilad Shalit” and “Bring Gilad Shalit Home” Jews and other supporters of Israel gathered in Central Park for the Israel Day concert that was held in tribute of Gilad Shalit. At this event, Noam Shalit addressed the audience of thousands appealing to them to never give up hope of having Gilad released and to continue their zealous campaign of petitioning the Israeli government to continue it’s efforts to seek his safe return.”
Also in the bad news department: Although the protestors were very few in number, (and the police plentiful), some of the protest signs were exceptionally vicious. I suggest that we take such signs seriously. They signify a coarsening of the atmosphere, a more brazen posture that not only means to intimidate but which actually intends to carry out the acts their signs depict.
Yes, racism exists, both among white folk and among peoples of color but Islamist martyrs of all colors do not plan to stop coming our way anytime soon. And, “color” has absolutely nothing to do with terrorism and other death cults. As I’ve written many times: Appeasement will not work. We don’t have enough money to keep bribing the villains. The Pakistani government has finally understood that the Taliban cannot be appeased, that they must be fought house to house, in tunnels, in hand to hand combat, and only by sacrificing many Pakistani soliders’ lives.
Here is a link to a YouTube video of the march.
Here are some of the signs you will see below:
The Human Rights Coalition Against Radical Islam positioned themselves right opposite the protestors. I rather like their signs which read: “Israel, Canary in the Radical Islamic Coal Mine;” “Defeat Radical Islam,” etc.
“May God Send the Mushroom Cloud From the Sky”—which depicts a nuclear explosion over a Jewish star.
“My name is Shiri Negari and I would like to march in this parade too but I was murdered by Hamas when they blew up the bus I was riding in.” www.shiri.us
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13 Comments
1. George Jochnowitz:A year or two or three ago, there wass a protester at the Israel Day Parade with a sign saying “Queers for Palestine.” If he was there yesterday, I didn’t see him. But I remember the days when Andrew Sullivan was pro-Israel. At that time, he said that the name “Queers for Palestine” was analogous to “Turkeys for Thanksgiving.”
Jun 1, 2009 - 11:43 am 2. Paladin:Andrew Sullivan has gone over to the dark side.
Jun 1, 2009 - 12:57 pm 3. Alan Rockman:Yes, Phyllis, we DO NEED TO TAKE THEM SERIOUSLY, and with Obama’s anti-semitism reeking even more lately, the latest being an end to US Support of Israel in the UN, we need to start going on the defensive.
It’s time to ratchet up the pressure, especially on those who might have reluctantly voted for Obama and now are concerned about that vote, and yes, even more so, on the Democrats in Congress and the Senate, especially the ones like Kerry, Berman, Waxman and Levin who ganged up on Bibi last week and parroted the Little Child and Shrill Shrew’s (Hillary) line about the Settlements.
They need to know our unconditional support of them is now a thing of the past, and we will strongly support any candidate (and you know it will be a Republican) who supports Israel – and an America that repudiates the message of the child who sits in the White House.
Jun 1, 2009 - 1:34 pm 4. Norman Simms:Dear Phyllis
Thanks as always for the fine uplifting comments.
You help fortify us all in the struggles ongoing and lying ahead of us, as Jews and as supporters of Israel, which is as much to say, as Stephen Harper the PM of Canada did, that the cause of Israel is the cause of civilization and of humanity.
Norman
Jun 1, 2009 - 3:46 pm 5. InfidelAtheist:Yes, “Queers for Islam” is just like “Turkeys for Thanksgiving”!
Spot on!
Jun 1, 2009 - 3:57 pm 6. joeblough:This is OFF TOPIC I know, but you people have to get over to JihadWatch and have a gander at this:
Wilders: “Our elites…are so blinded by their own ideology that they turn a blind eye to the truth”
It is about the response of the Dutch to the rape of one of their lady jounalists by the Taliban.
YOU WILL NOT BELIEVE YOUR EYES!
========
On topic:
Long live Israel!
Jun 1, 2009 - 9:21 pm 7. ADELE:It seems that the Jews in America have forgotten what happened in Germany…. they also forgot about General Rommell in the Middle East.. the Arabs were all against the Jews. My God, my Grandparents came to America to leave this kind of thing behind.
Jun 2, 2009 - 8:04 am 8. MiamaMan:I cannot understand our Immigration people in Washington. They are allowing all of these Middle Eastern Muslims…. to come to America, where they are free to Practice their Religion and comply with their Sharia Law.
But they turned back boatloads of Jews during WW!!.. sent people back to the Death Camps..
I live in Florida and …
I do think that these people( THE JEWS AND CHRISTIANS) were lied to by the President , who is now proud of his Muslim Heritage and upbringing(quoted from his speech in Egypt). If we do not wake up THE RADICAL ISLAMIC JIHAD will soon be upon all of the infidels ..
CHRISTIANS AND JEWS ALIKE!
Remember during the Holocaust years, not just 6 million Jews were murdered, but people of all faiths and beliefs…at the same time.
7. ADELE:
[I cannot understand our Immigration people in Washington. They are allowing all of these Middle Eastern Muslims…. to come to America, where they are free to Practice their Religion and comply with their Sharia Law.]
My dear Adele, the immigration policy of the US has been screwed up for over 50 years. Gone are the years of planning, far gone anything resembling a selection that would favor the country. The immigration policy is a political hodgepodge, a mishmash.
Do you worry about the Islamists? OK. Come down here to the South. Present and clear danger: Mexico. They will get back all they lost without firing a shot. Right now the likes of Major Villaraigosa (major of the second largest city with Mexicans in the world, LA after Mexico city), a member of “La Raza” like Judge Sotomayor, are organizing a great takeover. The heroes of The Alamo, including David Bowie, must be turning in their graves.
Soon very little options will be left. The US is in a free-falling of meteoric proportions, they (not me!) have elected a Nemesis, the perfect Anti-American.
Come on? He lied, of course, but who listened? Why so-called American Jews voted 80% for him?
Americans marry-make, go to a barbecue, they chat, hope for the best. But the times are such, that we should be oiling the Kentucky rifles, sharpening the bowie knives.
Jun 2, 2009 - 9:08 am 9. Brian:#7-yknow whats ironic?Germany was a liberal democracy also before Hitler took power.Jews supported hitler also ,the fascist ones that is.Now we have a state of our own and what do self-hating jews do?Rail against Israel.Morons.
Jun 5, 2009 - 4:55 pm 10. Rich:The signs shown in this article from the counter-demonstration were hand-picked and were not typical. There is an Islamic extremist group called “Islamic Thinkers Society” which shows up every year. The reason they appear alone in the photos is that the rest of us who come to the counter-demonstration do not wish to stand next to them, and do not wish to be photographed with them. The fact that they show up is beyond our control. Just as some of the more extremist Zionist positions are not supported by all who march in the parade, the position of the Islamic Thinkers Society is not supported by all who participate in the counter-demonstration, and probably not by anybody but themselves.
There was a large group of Neturei Karta Anti-Zionist Orthodox Jews who are not shown in your photos. I participated, and carried a sign which read “When do we Jews notice that Israel is insane?” and I am also not shown.
I think the lack of mention of 437 children murdered by Israel in Gaza earlier this year is a grievous omission. Israel is a scofflaw, war-mongering, racist state. Free Palestine!
Jun 6, 2009 - 3:32 pm 11. yonason:Rich is a Lefty, and an anti-Semite. Israel didn’t “murder” anyone in Gaza. And any civilian casualties are the fault of the Arabs who are committing a serious violation of International Law called “Perfidy.”
http://www.mythsandfacts.com/article_view.asp?articleID=99
http://www.freeman.org/m_online/sep03/beres1.htm
Anyway, it is no surprise that Rich is an anti-Semite. Most on the Left are…
Jun 12, 2009 - 12:56 pm 12. yonason:http://drsanity.blogspot.com/2009/06/left-legitmizes-anti-semitism-every-day.html
#9 It’s not “ironic.” It makes perfect sense, because Fascism IS a “Liberal” (Leftist) movement, as are Communism, Nazism, Socialism, etc.
see here
Jun 12, 2009 - 1:01 pm 13. Robi Lerma:http://knol.google.com/k/john-ray/the-american-roots-of-fascism/1a2p9co02fh9a/3
here
http://www.danielpipes.org/5355/fascisms-legacy-liberalism
here
http://constitutionalistnc.tripod.com/hitler-leftist/
and here
http://ray-dox.blogspot.com/2006/06/this-is-expanded-version-of-article.html
First of all Blessing, I have send many petitions sign and send back for the release of this young innocent soldiers. I don’t understand why they even do this. I try not to think anything bad or ugly. But to pray for them. It would truly mean alot to me if you can send me a Button of “Free Gilad” It would truly me alot. But most of all the release of this young child. My prayers are with his family.
Oct 7, 2009 - 11:22 amShalom,
Robi