The Reverend Ed Pinkney Stands With JWPF

The Reverend Ed Pinkney, fighting a battle of land theft and appropriation in Benton Harbor, came to stand with members of JWPF, who protest the theft and appropriation of Palestinian land. Whirlpool Corporation and Harbor Shores are the aggressors in Benton Harbor, and European and American Jews are the aggressors in Palestine. Ed and I share the belief that people of conscience ought to band together in common cause: No to genocide in Palestine; No to injustice in Benton Harbor.

We have a few “mild” signs in our stash, and these were offered to Ed and his wife, because of the first time nature of their visit. No way, said Ed, and picked up “Our Tax Dollars Should Not Support Genocide” sign. Then, in typical Pinkney fashion, he started barking out orders about how we should face the traffic. I’m sure, if you look up the word “fireplug” or “freedom fighter” in your lexicon, you’ll most likely see a picture of Ed Pinkney. We celebrated his appearance by an after-vigil meal at a local Arab restaurant, then said goodbye to our Guest Celebrity Vigilers.

And did we mention that Ed boosted our attendance to 12?* The first time JWPF has seen double digits since last March. Here’s our group photo:

http://www-personal.umich.edu/~hersko/Photos/Ed%20Pinkney%20Visit/CIMG1592.JPG

An interesting sideline: We wonder why the People’s Tribune refuses to cover Palestine, when they so thoroughly cover Ed’s battle for stolen land in Benton Harbor. [See “Zionists Have a Friend in the People’s Tribune“, from our 08-07-10 Report] Even in their September edition, they accurately quote Larry Pinkney (from Minnesota and no relation to Ed), who spoke at the Harbor Shores opening day protest. Larry exhorted the crowd to rise together to fight the common enemy. “I want to see unity. We must have unity. Black, white, red, brown, yellow. You must link the issues. It’s all about divide and conquer. We will not be divided and Lord knows we will not be conquered.”

So how about it, People’s Tribune? If the Pinkneys can see the worth in uniting common struggles, why can’t you print articles about US-backed Jewish land theft in Palestine?

Jerusalem Quartet Protest Plans Begin

OK, we now know the date, time and place of the protest, which is called by Jewish Witnesses for Peace and Friends:

Date: Thursday, October 21, 2010
Place: Rackham Auditorium, North University Street, Main Campus
Time: Protest starts at 7:00pm, will go till 8:30. Concert starts at 8:00
Note: There are two entrances to Rackham, affording high visibility to protesters, so we need people to hold signs at both locations.

And we know the names of the Boycott-Breakers (one’s a substitute):

Alexander Pavlosky, violin
Sergey Bressler, violin
Amichai Grosz, viola
Kyril Zlotnikov, cello
Guy Ben-Ziony, viola

What we don’t know at present is who in this group is currently serving in the Israeli Occupation Forces, who is in the Reserves, and who is not serving. Any material in this regard will be helpful to us, please contact this writer to advise.

Israel: A Jewish – not a Zionist – State
Henry Herskovitz
Jewish Witnesses for Peace and Friends
* Also present was former college roommate L, who chatted us up, and joined the luncheon – thanks!

High Holiday Draws Large Attendance

Saturday was the Day of Atonement (aka Yom Kippur, the Sabbath of Sabbaths) and attendance at Beth Israel Congregation was high. A little rain kept some vigillers at home, but we still managed to put seven Witnesses out there. As reported earlier, our new sign, created expressly for this event, suggested to congregants “Atone for the sin of supporting genocide”. It was placed strategically on the windshield of one of our cars.

A young woman rode up to us on her bicycle, and initiated a conversation. We always welcome sincere conversation on the public property we stand upon, and we believe this woman was at least sincere. She wanted to know if we knew the importance of this particular day, and we said we did. She asked if we didn’t feel our presence disrespectful, and we replied that we didn’t, given the disrespect the Congregation shows when they support Israeli attacks on children with banned weapons like white phosphorus.

We also described to her that we have stood on this public property every week for over seven years, and suggested that her comment was not the first one of its type we’d ever heard. She agreed, saying something like “I’m sure it isn’t”. She then was asked to work towards ending the vigils, if she found them so “disgusting”, by suggesting to Rabbi Dobrusin that he remove the foreign flag from the pulpit. That just might do the trick.

But there wasn’t a visible reaction from her indicating she would pursue that route. When I offered my hand as a belated introduction, she said: “I’d rather not”, and bicycled away. The good news is that our ace researcher informs us that next year Yom Kippur falls out on – you guessed it – Saturday. Maybe then we’ll all bicycle to the synagogue in solidarity with this lone spokesperson.

Ann Arbor City Council Misses an Opportunity

The usual suspects of Ann Arbor’s peace community trundled up to the podium at City Council to voice approval of a “Resolution reaffirming religious freedom in response to recent activities and encouraging participation in Religious Freedom Day”, drawn up by the Interfaith Council for Peace and Justice, with support from the Interfaith Round Table of Washtenaw County, Michigan Peaceworks, and others.

JWPF members noted that included in the resolution was reference to our vigils. Casual readers might have glossed over the “whereas” which references an October 18, 2004 Council resolution “recognizing the importance of religious freedom”. This referenced resolution was actually titled: “Resolution affirming freedom to worship without interference and condemning [sic] the picketing of houses of worship”, and is available here. So this seemingly pro-Muslim resolution contained an anti-vigil component we feel worthwhile to identify. Some of the resulting comments on the news article covering passage of this resolution indicated other readers recognized this light slap towards the vigils as well.

But more importantly, we noted that only one speaker raised a concern that no other spokesperson dared mount: that if council were truly interested in speaking out for Muslims, they should craft a meaningful resolution that would attack the funding of trillions of dollars spent here and in Apartheid Israel, to kill Muslims in Palestine, Iraq and Afghanistan.

We recognize the hypocrisy of Council passing such a resolution while criticizing our group, which might be the only group that week in and week out stands up for Muslims and the minority Christian population in Palestine. Passing feel-good resolutions is no substitute for the more difficult work of identifying the perpetrators of crimes against humanity and holding the responsible parties accountable.

With “Allies” like Israel, who needs enemies?
Henry Herskovitz
Jewish Witnesses for Peace and Friends

When JWPF Speaks, the Jewish Community Listens

David Shtulman, the Executive Director of the Jewish Federation of Greater Ann Arbor, is a faithful reader of these reports, and our thanks goes out to him and other members of the Jewish community who listen to our messages. In his Shabbat Message of August 27 David quotes us from our vigil report of 08-14-10 .

In a move that will certainly spark outrage by Jewish Voice for Peace, David focuses on the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which he claims “undermines the façade of seeking peace or justice”. Well, if that doesn’t raise the hackles of JVP, we don’t know what will. Go get ‘im, Barbara!* Explain to him that his suggestion to “invite Palestinian musicians to perform in order to highlight Palestinian culture”, entirely fails the purpose of any boycott, which is to highlight the crimes of the offending entity, and to shun the criminal country performing these crimes against humanity.

Challenge David when he says, of JVP’s efforts to comply with The Call, “the best way to respond to these boycotts is to assure they fail.” Take a line from JWPF, when we were successful at implementing a boycott of the local Hiller’s grocery chain. Tell David we know boycotts work, and JVP supports them.

There is, however, one statement that David makes with which we entirely agree. He closes his Message with “I will see you at the concert”; JWPF looks forward to the meeting.

Reconnaissance Report

Last week we promised a land survey of the new venue for the annual fund raiser for the Federation at Eastern Michigan University’s Convocation Center. The Center is located smack dab next to the EMU football stadium, with plenty of parking and only two vehicle entry points to the building. Traffic appeared light, however, and only speculation leads us to believe that this was the underlying motive for the move. Stay tuned for further information on this event, and its protest.

Remembering Swedish Diplomat and UN Mediator Folke Bernadotte

Yesterday was the 42nd anniversary of the assassination of Folke Bernadotte by Jewish terrorists in Palestine. Travelers to Apartheid Israel will see a plaque at Yad Vashem dedicated to the memory of Counte Folke Bernadotte, who is credited with saving many European Jews during WWII, but is not listed as one of the “Righteous Among the Nations”. What they don’t tell you at Yad Vashem is that right after the Count said: “It would be an offence against the principles of elemental justice if these innocent victims of the conflict were denied the right to return to their homes, while Jewish immigrants flow into Palestine” he was murdered for speaking such a truth. As Mazin Qumsiyeh puts it:

“For this outspoken support of basic human rights, Zionists assassinated Bernadotte in Jerusalem September 17, 1948. The head of the Stern terrorist gang, Nathan Friedman-Yellin, was sentenced to five years imprisonment for the murder but was quickly pardoned and in 1950 was elected to the Israeli Knesset. In the same year, the Knesset introduced laws to ensure refugees are not allowed to return. A massive media campaign was then launched to ensure that the world did not get the real story about those unfortunate victims of war and repression.”

Seven Years of Holding the Jewish Community Accountable

JWPF notes the completion of seven years holding non-violent vigils at Beth Israel Congregation. We thank our supporters, including the University of Michigan Athletic Department, which insures us of steady, increased traffic flow on these Saturday mornings. Go Blue, indeed!

Six Vigilers
No Jewish State
Henry Herskovitz
Jewish Witnesses for Peace and Friends

* Barbara Harvey, JVP member and regular spokesperson

Hey! Where ‘Ya Going?

The Jewish Federation of Greater Ann Arbor has moved up its annual fund raiser yet another month (to October 12th) and this year changed its long-standing venue. The date change can be considered a slick fund raising technique, i.e. a year’s donation is now 11 months, yielding an 8.3% increase, but we wonder about the venue change to Eastern Michigan University’s Convocation Center.

For the past seven years or so, the Federation held this “Main Event” at EMU’s swank Ypsilanti Marriott at Eagle Crest location. And for as many years JWPF has peacefully protested this unabashed display of wealth in the support of the Jewish terror state ($5,000 per family to attend a dinner with keynote speaker Judea Pearl).

Eagle Crest provided JWPF with a unique venue from which to protest the Federation. Huron St. is heavily trafficked, serving as an exit for the crowded I-94 highway, and its single road access to the hotel allowed for all the attendees to see our signs. In fact, the traffic light would force donors to queue up in the left turn lane, where they would see upwards of 30 people of conscience holding signs telling them how their money was spent on the genocide of the Palestinian people.

We have yet to survey the new location, but note that it’s on Hewitt Road, which dead ends one-quarter mile to the north. A reconnaissance report will be provided next week.

Guest Celebrity Vigiler On the Way

We are happy and proud to announce the arrival of the Reverend Ed Pinkney to our vigil on September 25th. Ed is a tremendously effective organizer from Benton Harbor, Michigan, and has exposed Whirlpool Corporation in its recent theft of land (sound familiar?) of Jean Klock Park, so that the newly opened Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course at Harbor Shores could be constructed.

Ed knows the value of supporting the struggles of other groups, and the effectiveness of banding together. We welcome this fighter for human rights into our group and look forward to seeing him soon. Please join Ed as he joins us on September 25th. And also review our Report of August 7th where his struggle against Harbor Shores is explored in detail.

Al-Quds Day Rally Report

About 250 people showed up at Dearborn’s City Hall to gather for a few speeches and to lend support to Palestine as it resists the ruthless onslaught by forces of the Jewish state, now in its 63rd year (or 113th, depending on how you define the initiation of Zionist colonization).

The photo below shows one of our signs in the capable hands of two veteran peace activists.

http://www-personal.umich.edu/~hersko/Photos/Al-Quds%20Rally%202010.jpg

August 28, Six Vigilers
September 4, Five Vigilers
Peace … or Jewish Supremacist State in Palestine … Our choice
Henry Herskovitz
Jewish Witnesses for Peace and Friends

JWPF Members Learn a Valuable Lesson

University of Michigan football fans may remember last November 21 as day of the sixth defeat in a row by the Ohio State Buckeyes, but we remember that day because Vigiller G was assaulted by suspect David A. Fauman of Ann Arbor. The lesson we learned is to always face potential assailants head-on, if only for later identification purposes. It was our combined failure to positively identify Fauman that led First Assistant Prosecutor Konrad Siller to conclude that he could not “prove identity beyond a reasonable doubt” (source: FOIA report requested by JWPF). Fauman works at the University of Michigan as “Information Resources Assistant Senior”, according to www.umich.edu.

Fauman wears distinctive clothing as he walks to either the Chabad House, an orthodox Jewish synagogue, or the Hillel Foundation, a Jewish political/cultural group, both on UM’s campus. Fauman sports a black fedora, almost like a cowboy hat, and a long “Marlboro Man” brown coat. His identity, therefore, was centered in his garb, not his facial features. Note to all protestors: focus on the face, height, weight, etc. Don’t rely on your assailant’s clothing or vehicle as your only source of identification.

However, there is an up-side to distinctive clothing. Two months after the assault, Vigiler S and I were driving on the east side of Ann Arbor, when we spotted the cowboy hat and Marlboro-man coat. Ascertaining an address was as easy as following Fauman to his door, albeit at a safe distance. Having completed our junior sleuthing, we informed the Ann Arbor Police Department (AAPD), who did a reverse address lookup to provide Fauman’s name.

Fauman’s M.O. was to walk past the early-arriving vigilers, and harass us with claims of “Atta boy, people, kill those Jews; throw them into the sea”. On first encounter, I offered my hand, identified myself and asked him his name. Fauman did not identify himself, and would always keep shouting and walking.

Our mistake was ignoring him in subsequent passes down Washtenaw Avenue. On the day of the attack, both Vigiller G and myself were busying ourselves with set-up chores, and had our backs turned. My first awareness of the assault was when G yelled in anger and pain. “Did he hit you?” I asked, and she replied “Yes”. I shouted at Fauman to never raise his hand to us, and we filed a complaint with the AAPD around noon.

Kudos go to Detective A. of the AAPD for the excellent follow up work she compiled. This included a first (and only) meeting with Fauman, who exclaimed “I refuse to speak without the presence of my attorney”. And on April 17, 2010 Detective A. received a letter from Michael J. Vincent, of the law firm of Vincent and Fifelski, P.C., “requesting that you do no interview or talk to my client unless I am present.”

As we reported two weeks ago, “JWPF will not countenance physical attacks on individuals; every assault will be reported to the authorities and prosecuted. We welcome sidewalk conversations, even slightly heated ones. But those pedestrians and motorists who cross the line from verbal to physical should be advised that we will protect ourselves and our right to free speech.”

Business is Business

The owner of a downtown sandwich shop was asked to support the International Day of Quds, by allowing a small poster be placed in the window. Kindly refusing to do so, the owner explained that “Business is business”, and their policy is to refrain from posting political announcements.

Yes, business is business, and no one does business like Jewish Zionists as they complete their ethnic cleansing of Palestine. In spite of this man’s reluctance to join the fray, we remind readers to attend the Al Quds Day rally and speeches in Dearborn, Michigan next Friday, September 3rd at City Hall, 2:30 PM. See you there!

Seven Vigillers
Anti-Zionism means No Jewish State
Henry Herskovitz
Jewish Witnesses for Peace and Friends

JWPF Supports Al Quds Day

Jewish Witnesses for Peace and Friends have joined with the National Lawyers Guild, Arab Student Union (U. of Michigan), Students Allied for Freedom and Equality (U. of Michigan and Michigan State Univ.) and others as official supporters of The International Day of Quds. Our friends from The Jerusalem Committee (Dearborn, MI) have organized this local event as part of the international effort. Attendees will hear speeches by Sr. Fatima Mohammadi (Gaza Flotilla survivor) and Br. Dawud Walid (CAIR – Michigan). Dearborn City Hall, September 3, 2010 at 2:30 PM. See flyer here.

“Al-Quds is the Arabic name for the holy city of Jerusalem. Al-Quds Day is a day of solidarity with Palestinians living under military occupation by, or as second-class citizens in, Israel. It also extends beyond Palestine to support all oppressed people in their struggles around the world. All over the world rallies and marches are held on Al-Quds Day, the last Friday of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, in order to pledge solidarity with those seeking peace through justice.” [source: action alert from the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs]

Presentation at St. Joseph Parish

Parishioner Jon Heffelfinger showed an excellent, home-made video of Michigan Peace Team’s trip to the West Bank in 2005 to an attentive audience in Dexter, Michigan last Wednesday. Jon is a professional videographer, and his skills as a peace activist and video producer were evident. He was followed by my Harvard Graphics* presentation, which provided an answer to the overarching question “Why?”. Why did Jon show us photos of a wall? Why was a woman and her small children ordered off a bus? Why was our friend Basem Abu Rahme murdered by soldiers of the Jewish State? Why are armed, Jewish settlers walking the lands of Qawawis?

The nutshell answer, of course, is that all these travesties and atrocities are being committed because international Jews want the land, and want the indigenous peoples thrown (and kept) off that land.

* Harvard Graphics is the non-Israeli option to Power Point. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, at the inauguration of a new research center in Apartheid Israel, said “Microsoft is as much an Israeli company as an American company.”

New Sign for the Vigils

JWPF notes that our regularly scheduled Saturday vigil on September 18th coincides with the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur, aka the Day of Atonement. In addition to our normal display of signs, we will feature the new one, which will advise Beth Israel congregants to”Atone For the Sin of Supporting Genocide”.

UMS Remains in Violation of Palestinian Call to Boycott

The University Musical Society plans to violate PACBI’s call to boycott Apartheid Israel by hosting The Jerusalem Quartet on October 21. Musicians in this racist group are also members of the Israeli Occupation Forces. As the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign writes:

“The members of this Quartet are ’cultural ambassadors’ for Israel and the Israeli army. The Israeli Press Service says: ’For the three immigrants [3 of the Quartet came from Russia ], carrying a rifle in one hand and a violin in the other is the ultimate Zionist statement’. Their record label hypes their status within the army: ’They now enjoy the status of Distinguished IDF, playing for troops thrice weekly when the JQ is in Israel . ’”

Hopefully, one of the groups supporting the International Day of Quds will organize a protest in Ann Arbor. JWPF looks forward to again joining in.

Seven Vigillers
US citizens are killed because Jews want the land
Henry Herskovitz
Jewish Witnesses for Peace and Friends

This “Ground Zero Mosque” non-issue is reaching a fevered pitch. Who knows how it will play out. One thing is for certain. Republican and some Democrat politicians are using the controversy just to get reelected. This in itself is a pretty sad indictment for this country.

The funny thing about all the protest is that it is based on sheer stupidity. Apparently the most common objection voiced is that having a mosque at “ground zero” would be an insult to the families of the people killed on September 11th. Don’t these members of the American brain trust realize that there is already a mosque just a couple of blocks from the World Trade Center site? Maybe we should bulldoze that mosque as well.

In actuality what is being planned for the site in Lower Manhattan is not even going to be a mosque. What is planned is a community center. It’s supposed to include a basketball court and a culinary school. The top two stories will be a Muslim prayer space. I can see how that could have confused some of these people.

What a hot bed of terrorism this community center will be. Terrorist chefs and terrorist point guards planning their next attack. The really awful thing is that all the hatred and nastiness surrounding the protest of this project leads me to believe that those who will use the center have more to fear from us, than us from them.

But hope is not lost. There is one thing that will protect us from the fools who wish to take away the religious freedoms from the minority. Thank goodness the founders of this great nation were wise enough to write our Constitution to protect the minority from the abuses of the majority.

To all my Muslim friends I want to wish you Ramadan Mubarak and asalaam alaikum.

Steve Beikirch
Deir Yassin Remembered Scholarship