Earlier this month I attended a lecture in Fairfax, sponsored by a group calling itself 14 Friends of Palestine. Approximately 30 to 35 people showed up to hear If Americans Knew founder and director Alison Weir present “Israel-Palestine: What the Media Leave Out.”
Although not a huge group, it is no surprise that Weir found a receptive audience in Fairfax. Fairfax, the self-proclaimed “most progressive” town in Marin County, has the most Green Party members in the Bay Area. Fairfax Greens apparently support their party’s call for divestment from — and boycott of — Israel until the “individual and collective rights of the Palestinian people are realized.”
Many Fairfaxians also share Weir’s zeal for Israel-bashing and demonizing the United States for supporting Israel. For the last few years, stickers and fliers have been plastered all over town declaring, “U.S. and Israel: Partners in crime in Iraq and Palestine.” In November, anti-Israel propaganda pamphlets published by If Americans Knew were displayed at the checkout counter of the used-book fair during Manor School’s (the Fairfax public elementary school) Winter Faire celebration.
While the so-called pro-Palestinian lobby has a right to free speech, there are some especially troubling factors both about Weir’s presentation and the people who organized the event. If Americans Knew claims that its goal is to “provide full and accurate information.”
However, the material Weir presented was not only distorted, but dishonest. Even advertisements for the event were deceptive. While the location was listed as “The Meditation Center,” there was no mention that 781 Bolinas Road is the address of the Redwood Mosque.
Despite the implication that Weir’s talk was intended to inform and spread the truth, only distorted “facts” and slanted opinions were presented: Israel is the world’s major source of instability. Israel is undermining U.S. security. Israel is killing Palestinian children. Israel and the Jewish lobby dominate the White House and U.S. funding.
Weir could barely conceal her own biases. She repeatedly referred to Zionists as fanatics. She stated that Israel lobby groups, e.g. AIPAC, operate “fraudulently” and “illegally,” but offered no evidence to back up her claims. Weir also stated that Israel is so adept at “divide and conquer,” that it is responsible even for dividing the Palestinians (because Israel “nurtured” Hamas).
Weir’s entire presentation was more indoctrination than education, replete with what appeared to be attempts at subliminal messaging. Any time I — or my friend — asked a question, Weir would not only evade answering, she would run her slide show at high speed over and over again, showing “statistics” citing dead Palestinian children.
When I asked Weir to address the issue of suicide bombers — whom she referred to on at least one occasion as “freedom fighters” — murdering people in restaurants, hotels and discotheques, she didn’t bother to answer at all, just ran the slides. However, a member of the audience (an African American woman who referenced the civil rights movement) began to rant about Israel being held responsible for killing children.
When I tried to say that Dr. Martin Luther King equated anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism, the same woman replied, “I read that.” She went on to say that Dr. King did not have “the facts” and that if he had known what “we” did, he would have been on “their” side.
When my friend suggested that Palestinians (who live peacefully with their Israeli neighbors) are victimized when militant Islamic fundamentalists dismiss them as “collaborators,” not only did the slide show resume, but catcalls and “boos” erupted. At least one woman exclaimed that Israel has no right to exist. Weir assumed an air of superiority and told my friend it was clear that she was buying into AIPAC propaganda.
Since we were in a mosque, I attempted to remind people that the Koran has suras (sections) supporting Israel. I read excerpts from Nonie Darwish’s Web site (arabsforisrael.com), which asks Arabs and Muslims to “Reject hate, embrace love … Make the Holy Land truly holy by giving Israel and the Jewish people the respect they deserve.” I asked the audience to look toward the Torah, the Koran and the Bible for insight.
My comments were met with more shouts — including from a woman with a foreign accent (possibly European) — saying, “I am not Muslim, Jewish or Christian.” It made me realize that although we were in a religious center, the people who came to hear Weir were not people of faith. Many were not American and quite a few were British. Others appeared to be Europeans from other countries. I suddenly felt like I was in the midst of a neo-Nazi rally.
There was one person in attendance, Jack Williams, who identified himself as a Muslim. He said he was the program director for the mosque. Although he told me and my friend that he felt bad we were so uncomfortable — and that he “loved” us and invited us to schedule our own program at the Redwood Mosque — I wondered if Imam Khorasani (who had apparently donated the space to the Friends of Palestine) condoned or was even aware of how his mosque was being used to disseminate lies and hate.
I also wondered how many people understand how groups such as Weir’s have usurped the “peace and justice” agenda, or if people realize how dangerous it is when blatant and vile anti-Semitism is veiled as humanitarian support for the Palestinian people.
Cindy Ross lives in Fairfax with her family.