CARTER INCONSPICUOUS IN BERKELEY

Probably the most anaemic description of such an event ever: http://www.dailycal.org/sharticle.php?id=24935 .


Quote: Oakland resident Jane Courant, who held a poster that said “Jimmy Carter Represents Jewish Views”, said Carter’s book fairly described the conflict, but understood some students’ objections.

“Nothing in Carter’s book was inappropriate, but I could see how the word ‘apartheid’ was objectionable,” she said. “But I think he’s just speaking the truth about how people are living.” "

Clearly Jane Courant is not a particularly critical reader – my reactions to Carter’s book are not yet as bad as my reactions to portions of Rav Shneer Zalman’s Tanya, but as I get further into it, it looks increasingly likely that I will do what Dorothy Parker suggested should be done with a book of which she disapproved – it should not be put aside lightly, but “hurled with great force”.

It is repulsive.

Seventy pages in and nearly every page-margin has my pencil scribble. This drecky shtik polemic is destined to become the new protocols. There is not a page without either an objectionable comment about Jews or Israelis, or some factual omission that glares like a greasy forehead.
Not even the Palestinians come off well - unless being portrayed as good natured and somewhat simple-minded nonentities with no real role other than the noble savage is considered 'well'.

Only someone from a background in the racialist era of the Deep South, steeped in the attitudes of that age, could have written such an apologia.


I did not see any mention of any manifestation in Sproul Plaza in the Daily shrdlu – did neither Hillel nor the Carter camp notify the SF Chronicle? If so, how odd.

I guess this is what happens when, against our better judgment, we allow the campus Hillel to set the tone for the response. So insignificant an expression of opposition to Carter achieves naught.


This is what Berkeley Hillel sent out:

UC Berkeley Pro-Israel Activist students have been working closely with Hillel and other organizations since the announcement of Carter's visit on May 2nd was first made.
We have decided to focus our activism in 3 areas to protest the misrepresentations about Israel contained in Carter's book, Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid.

[Misrepresentations? Or is that a polite understatement? I guess 'Der Ewige Jude' was also mere misrepresentation? Boys, whimpering diplomacy towards someone so wrong so publicly will not have any impact. Perhaps you should try screaming bloody murder as a gambit instead.]


We have organized a press conference/gathering on Lower Sproul Plaza at 3:30 this coming Wednesday, May 2nd, just prior to the address. At the rally we will express our feelings about Carter's presence on campus and speak out about his anti-Israel bias.

[Feelings are good! Have you considered crystal-healing to adjust your auras? Forming a circle of loving kindness? Holding hands? Burning sage?]


Members of the community with a connection to Cal are encouraged to attend to support students. They are asked to wear Cal gear and not to bring signs as there will be ready-made signs by the students.

[Ooooh, craft projects! Artistic! Self-expression! What you are actually saying is 'please don't disrupt our teaparty with anything disturbing'.]


Students are encouraged to attend the lecture and to ask tough questions. Questions will be submitted on 3 by 5 cards and the moderator will select which questions to pose to Carter.

[In other words, a tightly managed and staged appearance, with pre-screened questions. You do not want ANYONE to shake the equilibrium of an ex-president (who happens to be wrong) and faculty members attending in hopes of being photographed with an ex-president (who happens to be wrong).]


Toward that end we are providing handbills to be handed out with questions we think should be posed to the former President.

[Not only are the questions to be put to the ex-president prescreened, but you also wish to impress upon everyone the need to abstain from independent thought. Free speech is dangerous.]


We believe that the press conference / gathering with an emphasis on student voices will make the most powerful statement. We strongly discourage separate efforts that may dilute the impact we all seek to make. We urge all community members who are interested in attending to be supportive of and respectful of the pro-Israel students' activist program during the Carter visit.

[Honestly, you didn't make ANY statement. None. So much the opposite of powerfull that it was not even noticeable. Separate efforts (differently put: ignoring your pooferish bleating) would have been much more effective, but we co-operated with you. We dreaded that doing so would turn out to be a mistake, and in that we were not disappointed. But it WAS a great mistake. ]


Dear Berkeley Hillel, the next time you wish to organize a teaparty, please don't. And don't ask us to respect you either. We're kinda upset with you at present.

A period of introspection is in order. Please examine your karma for bald-spots. And seriously consider a high colonic saline - it's cleansing.