COUNTER-RALLY SUNDAY MARCH 18

[For a report on a previous protest, scroll down to the bottom of this post.]


WRONG ANSWER COUNTER RALLY

Demonstrate with us against the anti-Semitic and anti-Israel agenda of International Answer.
Sunday, March 18th
11:30 AM to 1:00 PM
Justin Herman Plaza (foot of Market St. at the Embarcadero in downtown San Francisco)


BACKGROUND
Once again, A.N.S.W.E.R. will be using opposition to the war in Iraq to attempt to galvanize support for destruction of Israel. Once again, they will try to demonize Israel for defending herself and once again, they will try to link Israel to the Iraq conflict.
Additionally, they demand support for the "Palestinian Right to Return," unsubtle code for the demographic destruction of the world's only Jewish state by flooding it with descendants, no matter how remote, of those that left the area during the Arab instigated war in 1948.

Previous A.N.S.W.E.R. rallies have included calls to support Al-Qaeda affiliates, nuclear arms for Iran, and Palestinian terror groups. They have openly declared their support for "the victory of the resistance", meaning violent terrorist groups. They have also included overt anti-Semitism in their propaganda.
We expect this rally to be no different.


EVENT DETAILS:
StandWithUs/San Francisco Voice for Israel will be standing up for Israel and reminding people not only that the Iraq War is NOT about Israel, but also that Israel has a right to exist and to live free from terror attacks and threats of destruction. We will be educating people about A.N.S.W.E.R.¹s agenda and we will be providing an alternate, pro-Israel voice for both the media and the community at large.


Please remember that StandWithUs/San Francisco Voice for Israel takes no position on the war in Iraq.


Please be prepared to hold signs and/or flags and distribute flyers. Help is needed in crowd control and security. Please contact us at info@SFVoiceForIsrael.org if you are able to help with any of these tasks.


As always, feel free to make your own signs but please no signs or graphics offensive to any racial or ethnic group including but not limited to Arabs, Islam, or Palestinians. Signs in violation of our policies will not be allowed.



StandWithUs/San Francisco Voice for Israel
www.SFVoiceForIsrael.org http://www.standwithus.com/


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Upcoming Events


1.
Please join StandWithUs/San Francisco Voice for Israel to hear Israeli Arab Journalist Khaled Abu Toameh!
Sonoma State University Cooperage 2
Monday Afternoon March 22, 2007 4:00 PM

Khaled Abu Toameh, is an award-winning journalist and television news producer. He has reported from the West Bank and Gaza Strip for more than twenty years for both Palestinian and Israeli print publications, and acts as producer for television news programs in the US and Europe. Having built a reputation for unique and brave reporting on Palestinian affairs, he now produces for NBC and other major TV networks. He is also the Senior Palestinian Affairs writer for the Jerusalem Post.

"One year after Hamas' victory, where are the Palestinians headed?"

Sponsored by
StandWithUS
SFVoiceforIsrael
Sonoma State University Hillel
Sonoma County Israel Action Committee

Here is Khaled's article in the Jerusalem Post: 3/9/07 <> http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?c=JPArticle&cid=1173173957174&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

By the time Khaled speaks, the unity government will be formed, so he'll have much insight on that and the Mecca agreement. He'll also speak about the Israeli Arabs living in Israel such as himself; the feasibility of a two-state solution (or not,) the inner politics of Hamas/Fatah and whether the in-fighting will end, how the foreign press reports on "news" in the West Bank and Gaza (bias and otherwise) and the prospects for peace.


2.
Sunday, June 3rd, 2007 Israel in the Garden.
Expect to counter-protest anti-Israel activists who come every year.


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Do you want to become more involved with organizing our activities? Send a message to
info@SFVoiceForIsrael.org


If you are interested in participating in our campaign to counter anti-Israel speakers, please send an e-mail to
info@SFVoiceForIsrael.org


Join the discussion! Do you have ideas? Classes to announce? Events to announce or discuss? Join our discussion list by sending an e-mail to sfproisrael-subscribe@yahoogroups.com .


San Francisco Voice for Israel is a non-partisan coalition that takes no position on the war in Iraq, the settlements, or Israel's final borders. Our members span the political spectrum and are united only by our commitment to preserving the State of Israel as a Jewish State within secure, defensible borders.


Please send your tax deductible donation to Stand With Us P.O. Box 341069 Los Angeles, CA 90034-1069 Write SFV4I in the memo line.

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WHAT ANTI-WAR PROTESTS LOOK LIKE


Just so you know what to expect, here's what happened at a previous rally:


About 75 of us set up in front of city hall with our Israeli and American flags and enjoyed a brief calm. Then the march arrived.

It did not much look like a march against the Iraq war.

The front of the crowd was mostly Palestinian flags, and signs demanding the "Right of Return" for the descendants of Arabs who obligingly fled in 1948 so that the Arab armies could exterminate the Jews.

From the ranks of ANSWER came the chant "Hitler, Sharon, just the same, the only difference is the name!"

As the police held them back, they screamed at us to go back to Poland or Russia and repeatedly called us Nazis.

Disturbingly, parallel to the angry threats of Jihad from the militant Islamists among them, many on their side insisted upon calling the war a Christian Crusade.


Personal highlights:

1. Being yelled at that we should "go back to Germany so that they can finish the job".
2. Being told that if it weren't for the obedience of the cops to rich Jews, people would "deal" with us, and that we should be very careful going home at night.
3. That we were descended from monkeys and pigs.
4. Being told that we had murdered Christ.


All in all it was disquieting and unreal, and left me feeling both drained and exhilarated.
But I am looking forward to this Sunday.