I've been very firmly informed that my last two protest signs were racist and Nazi in nature. One showed a generic mullah image intended to be fright-inspiring, in half-shadow, using the Palestinian and Hezbollah flag colours, over the text "no peace with extremism", the other showed a fanged skull wearing a keffiyeh with the text "60 years of threats, lies, and hubris".
I wanted to express with these signs that extremist Shia Islam was what motivated Hezbollah, and that six decades of the Arab states denying the existence of Israel and swearing to destroy her and sweep her people into the sea was not conducive to peace, stability, and civilized discourse in the middle-east.
It turns out I am not an effective communicator.
Alas.
Our side is supposed to radiate peaceloving victimhood, rather than any belligerence or objection to Islam, Arab politics, mob mentality, 'valid popular forms of resistance', etcetera.
Before you know it, the Israeli flag will be banned at these counter-demos also. It's far too provocative, too Zionist. The peaceful tree-hugging Palestinian butterflies and wildflowers might spontaneously burst in to tears on seeing it. And that would not be good in the Bay Area, a bastion of peace, love, and gentleness.
Me, bitter and pissed off? Nooooooo.....
Let me quote from the latest circular from SF4Israel:
“We also want to take a moment address a problem which, although isolated, reflects badly both on our group and on the pro-Israel message which we are trying to project.
There were a very few signs that were displayed that were completely unacceptable...... Thank goodness none of these signs made it onto TV or into the Chronicle.
The media has enough trouble understanding the story (one of the TV reports Saturday evening ended with "after all, both sides just want peace"-- I don't know what rally THAT reporter was attending, but it sure wasn't ANSWER's!); we certainly don't want to make it seem like "it's just extremists on both sides." Of course, these signs are being prominently featured on IndyBay (an "independent" media site that functions as ANSWER's own propaganda machine) under the headline "SF Voice for Israel Sounds Like Old Fashioned Racism and Bigotry".
SF Voice for Israel leadership condemns those messages; those of you who brought them should not do so again. “
Translation: Zeyt azoy git und lek tuches.
Please imagine this dialogue:
PROTESTOR: "Terrorism is paid for by money from the Europeans!"
ORGANIZER: "No, we can't say that; we need the Europeans."
PROTESTOR: "Terrorism is paid for by money from the Arabs!"
ORGANIZER: "No, we can't say that; we need our SUVs."
PROTESTOR: "Terrorism is paid for by money from the Russians and the Chinese!"
ORGANIZER: "No, we can't say that; we need the co-operation of the foreign powers."
PROTESTOR: "Terrorism is paid for by money from Humanitarian assistance groups!"
ORGANIZER: "No, we can't say that; we need them to keep aid flowing."
PROTESTOR: "Terrorism is paid for by money from Muslim Charitable Organizations!"
ORGANIZER: "No, we can't say that; we don't want to cause anymore offense in the Muslim world. Look, just try not to offend ANYBODY, okay?"
PROTESTOR: "Terrorism is paid for by the Jews!"
ORGANIZER: "Perfect!"
PROTESTOR: "And the Palestinians are a bunch of peaceful sensitive tree-hugging dolphin-loving butterflies!!!"
ORGANIZER: "Now you're being sarcastic!"
PROTESTOR: "I wouldn't dare."
Okay, I can understand their point.
They don't want any controversial or potentially offensive signs on our side, because we're fighting an uphill battle, and the public has already sided with the Palestinians.
Israel, because it's an organized state and has a trained army with modern weapons, is considered the aggressor, irrespective of justification or provocation, irregardless of threats to the safety of her citizens or violence by the Arabs.
In the public mind, the Palestinians and the Lebanese are victims of circumstances beyond their control.
We have to appeal to the public, and try to sway them back towards a more rational point of view. So even though the counter-demos are confrontations with hate-filled Islamo-jugend, middle-class radicals, and terrorist-sympathizers, we should present a positive face to the public, passersby, and press.
You know and I know, that the Palestinians massively elected Hamas, and that the rest of the Arab world solidly supports them. We both know that there is much joy in Arab cities when Hamas commits another outrage and kills Israelis.
You and I know that Hezbollah murdered hundreds of Americans and thousands of Lebanese, and that Hezbollah is the proxy of Syria - who also murdered thousands of Lebanese, assassinated several Lebanese political leaders, and ruled Lebanon brutally for two decades. There are still Lebanese in Syria's jails, and there are Lebanese who were arrested by Syrians, whose families still do not know what happened to them. We both know that Hezbollah rules southern Lebanon as a Jihad-fiefdom, supported by and allied with Syria.
You know and I know, that the public has little clue and less interest in the issues, and prefers to stay with the comfortable assumption that because the Palestinians keep losing and the Israelis keep winning, the Palestinians are the underdog and the Israelis are somehow wrong. And we both know that when Jews win, they must have done so by dirty tricks and knavery, or whatever else Jews are always accused of.
We all know that the world prefers Jews to be victims - Europeans and their fellow-travellers in the US are extremely uncomfortable with the idea of aggressive Jews who stand up for themselves and kick their oppressors in the nuts. That just ain't right..... two thousand years of western civilization PROVE that that just ain't right. It goes against established custom.
But I want my side to win. So I'll try to be as nurturing and loving and all-round politically correct as they want me to be. I'll be soft and gentle.
With a loveable smile and child-like eyes.
Even though I really believe that Hamas and Hezbollah are murders and psychopaths, and the pro-Palestinian crowd is rabid with anti-Semitism and hatred for everything worthwhile.
Buncha dumbass!! stinkin'!! rabid!! murderous!! poison-fanged!! daemonic!! poxy!! butterflies......
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IT'S BEIGE!
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3 comments:
I think the problem is that you can't expect people that are pro-terrorism without even realising to understand irony. Without understanding that the posters were alluding to and parodying time-hallowed anti-Semitic motives so popular in nostalgic circles, they look racist.
Even though I really believe that Hamas and Hezbollah are murders and psychopaths, and the pro-Palestinian crowd is rabid with anti-Semitism and hatred for everything worthwhile.
Technically, this isn't a matter of opinion, but of fact. Just talking about technical things.
Unfortunately, not only is irony TOTALLY lost on the morons at ANSWER, it also doesn't come through if just caught on a quick camera shot on TV or a newspaper photo. You've undoubtedly noticed that a lot of reporters don't pick up very well on nuance, as well.
So while WE understand what you were trying to do, it's just too easy to have it be misinterpreted and misplayed in the media....if the pictures are very clearly (and OBVIOUSLY) caricatures of Nasrallah, Ahmedinejad, etc. that might be better for next time.
We're not asking people to be completely inoffensive-- just pick the target of your offensiveness appropriately! Say anything you wish about Hamas and Hezbollah, about Haniyeh and Nasrallah and Ahmedinejad (not quite sure how to spell that name but "Hitler-in-a-kaffiyeh" seems to be pretty close). And, since you can't count on the media to appreciate subtlety, you can't make it too obvious (i.e. labeling your caricatures......).
You're right-- we DO want our side to win. And in our case here, winning means getting the public to be on OUR side. So while there's no problem with calling Hezbollah and Hamas the murderers and genocidal psychopaths that they are, try not to cross the (somewhat fuzzy) line into calling out an entire PEOPLE or RELIGION.
The bottom-of-the-shoe thing? Totally acceptable-- my shoes have been noted to be in my hand at these events on many occasions (and not becuase my foot was itchy).
And I drive a hybrid, and have NEVER owned an SUV.
Tayere Lipman and Mike,
I keep forgetting that the other side is blitheringly literal and superficial (and stupid of me, I should always remember precisely that - I've had enough 'conversational encounters' with them that I should indeed know better).
And Mike, you're right. Abstractions are, in general, too abstract - we've listened to enough of their slogans that we know they do not grasp nuance or detail.
So at some point I may do a lovely baleful portret of Mahmud Ahmedinejad. Given that he's always smiling, that ought to provide a delightful contrast with whatever brutal slogan I put under his face.
Thank both of you for your kind words.
Have gebentshte shabbes.
B.O.T.H.
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