Aspiring Local Politicians Fear Jewish Power

Background: In the fall of 2004 the Ann Arbor City Council abdicated its responsibility to uphold the Constitution. Rather than support our exercise of our freedom of expression, they caved to Dr. Barry Gross and the local Jewish community by “condemning” our nonviolent, silent vigils at Beth Israel Congregation.

Currently: There will be an August 3rd primary election in Ann Arbor for Mayor and Council members in all five wards. Recently, Patricia Lesko, candidate for Mayor, and Lou Glorie, candidate for Fifth Ward Council, were asked the following question:

“As you might know, five years ago Mayor Hieftje and eight members of City Council issued a resolution condemning our group’s exercise of our First Amendment Right to freedom of speech. If elected, would you support our efforts in overturning this resolution, and recommitting Council to its sworn support of the US Constitution?”

To their credit, both Lesko and Glorie responded to our question. In fact Ms. Glorie called me over to her home to discuss the matter. She responded to our offer to write a few lines about our conversation, and they are included below signature.

Ms. Lesko writes, “In the face of the fiscal and management issues that the city is dealing with at the moment, I would be hard-pressed to justify devoting time to this resolution.” When I countered that Council in 2004 likewise had their business plate full, yet they made time to publicly condemn our vigils, she had no further comment. To be fair, she might have limited time to correspond with us, but her initial answer implies no change to be expected coming from the Mayor’s office.

Ms. Glorie strikes us as a caring, yet conflicted person. She expressed concern that our democracy has been stolen from us at the federal level, due to corporate/lobby influence, and that influence extends through the state level. She contends that the last chance democracy has in the US is at the local level. But sadly, even she recognizes the damage the Jewish community can inflict upon local candidates. It’s clear from her message that though she supports our vigils, she feels the need to remove discussion of Palestine from the agenda. Our lesson for today: when democracy at its most basic, grassroots level, squares off against Jewish power, there is only one victor.

Jewish State, Jewish Murderers

As JWPF members partook in a few rallies called to protest the murders committed by Jews on the high seas, we invite our co-protesters taking part in these reactive collectives to join us week-in, week-out, “israeli” atrocity-in, and “israeli” atrocity out on the Sabbath to hold the guilty Jewish Zionist community accountable for their support of this bloody-handed excuse for a sovereign nation.

Are Jewish-identified peace groups promoting full liberation for Palestine, or are they just working damage control? Consider Paul Eisen’s implied question:

“The crime against the Palestinian people is being committed by a Jewish state with Jewish soldiers using weapons displaying Jewish religious symbols, and with the full support and complicity of the overwhelming mass of organized Jews worldwide. But to name Jews as responsible for this crime seems impossible to do.”

The answer appears more and more obvious that Jewish peace groups will never allow Jews to be implicated in the crimes of the Jewish state. They will elevate allegiance to Jewish sensibilities over that of true solidarity with Palestinians. Paul, this is why naming Jews as responsible seems impossible to do. Jewish-controlled peace groups won’t let us.

Short Change We Can Believe In

An unarmed American citizen – Furkan Dogan – is killed by a foreign power in international waters on a lifesaving humanitarian mission, and our standing President expresses “deep regret”, but no condemnation. We are reminded of the silence emanating from George Bush in response to the murder of Rachel Corrie seven years ago. Seems the more things “change” the more they stay the same. According to Ray McGovern:

“On Monday, President Obama spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by phone about the incident. Afterwards, the White House said Obama had expressed “deep regret” over the deaths, but declined further comment, citing “the importance of learning all the facts and circumstances” as quickly as possible.” See Obama’s Timidity and Deaths at Sea.

This from a guy who’s tough enough to send 30,000 extra troops into Afghanistan, but rolls over like the poodle he is, when it comes to the crimes of the Jewish state. But wait! Why are we surprised, when this same guy stood mute when Jews celebrated their Hanukkah Massacre, claiming impropriety at commenting when another wolf held the office?

The peace community can serve justice well by removing this wolf in sheep’s clothing and replacing him with a wolf in wolves’ clothing in 2012.

Seven Vigilers
American peace activists are shot four times in the head because Jews want the land
Henry Herskovitz
Jewish Witnesses for Peace and Friends
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From Lou Glorie, Candidate, Fifth Ward City Council

“The issue of Palestine is not one that I will take up in my campaign for city council. I’m not saying that it is unimportant or that it has no effect on us in Ann Arbor. What I will say is that I believe in the constitutional guarantee of free speech and the right of my fellow citizens to act according to their conscience. I do not believe that people exercising this right should be censured unless they be in violation of the law or are causing harm. To discomfit is not, per se, harmful. Open, honest discourse is an essential element of a civil society. The suppression of unpopular opinions cannot rightly be sanctioned by any democratic government.”