From the Greek “Terminal 119 collective” in Thessaloniki, Greece:
Anti-Zionism is Anti-Semitism
A week ago we wrote a text with the title “Is Anti-Semitism going to achieve what truncheons did not?”, noting that an evident anti-Semitism had started being manifested in various places within the country, hidden behind the anti-Zionist veil of opposition to the bombardments in Gaza. Our main concern in that text was to prevent any kind anti-Semitic outburst in Greece, something that would wash out any right attempts with a direction towards ‘inside’ (the creation of the ‘domestic enemy’), caused by December’s riot 2008 against the Greek state’s structures. While writing that text we could not imagine that we would soon face such a direct realization of the text’s title, something that happened three days ago in front of Larisa’s synagogue, during a rally. While a large group of riot police was standing at one side of the synagogue holding their truncheons, at the other side there was a battle taking place between some people who wanted to remove the Star of David from the synagogue’s entrance and those who wanted to protect it. Indeed, at this specific moment there was no external suppression. The problem was within the rally.
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The ‘real opponents’ of antisemitism are constantly warning against ‘crying wolf.’ It makes it difficult for them to call out the ‘real antisemites’. Now, a group attempts to blow up a couple synagogues in the Bronx, and they are described as ‘idiots’, ‘losers’, ‘dumb fools’ and ‘clowns’ – anything but antisemites.
Revealing the depoliticization in the term ‘losers’, one person responded: “One of the defendants had several indie rock records in his collection therefor[e] rendering him quite cool I assure you!”
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The verdict is in. The attempted attack on New York synagogues yesterday was a hoax. There is some conspiracy here and the critics are working hard to get to the bottom of it. It was either produced internally by the Obama administration to garner support for his softened position on torture and Guantanamo. Or it was concocted by Netanyahu to strengthen the war on terror. Either way, Jews are not in danger and should stop manipulating the public for their own political and financial gains, we are told. That’s the word from the critics on the world wide web.
A couple snippets for your enjoyment:
Veritasor on Huffington Post sees it as an internal Obama administration plot, with Jews playing a secondary, hidden role: “What a coincidence? When President Obama is speaking on the very subject. Apparently, it gives some a chance to play victimhood, and scare a few innocent again… Who is really trying to harm US so doing?”
Samlas on Huffington Post on the other hand accuses Jews of playing the primary role: “This is such a joke, Netenyahoo told Aipac, ‘hey listen guys we gotta stir up some fear and confusion because Obama is unrelenting and wants a 2 state solution’ Aipac said ok will get a couple of prisoners bribe them with something and get it done.’”
In the documentary film, “Young, Jewish, and Left”, a story from a Jewish anarchist, Jna Shelomith, perfectly illustrates the U.S. anarchist movement´s troubled relationship to the Shoah and to Jewish issues.
So, me and two gentile comrades decided to hit Eastern Europe, post Berlin Wall falling. And we had connections with anarchists and autonomen people across Eastern Europe.
So after doing some really incredible anarchist political work with my friends we went to Birkenau and we also went to Auschwitz and I shut down, completely stopped talking. And we had been traveling for at least 3 or 4 weeks at that point. And the next day, we were on the train and one of my comrades said to me, “if you don´t snap out of it, we´re not going to be able to travel with you anymore.” And there really wasn´t any room for me to have the visceral reaction that I had had from being at the camps.
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From http://topf.squat.net/
The squat in Erfurt/Germany is located at the area of the former company Topf & Soehne. During the period of National-socialism in Germany this company produced crematories as well as parts of the gas chambers for concentration- and extermination camps like Buchenwald and Auschwitz.A part of the area was squated on April 12th, 2001 and since then it is used for various projects. The examination of the history of the area and the spreading of informations about it is one of the constant tasks of the squat. So we organize guided tours for the area, information tables, lectures and workshops about the history of the area. However, other issues like antifascist engagement, actions or lectures about the criticism on racism, antisemitism, sexism and capitalism are part of the reality in this project. We participate in the interfering of fascist demonstrations as well as in e.g. the actions against the racist exhibition of african people in an animal-exhibition or in an initiative against the nationalist campaign “You are Germany”.
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From the Jewish Times
Five Austrian teenagers were arrested in connection with a neo-Nazi attack on Holocaust survivors. The survivors and others were attacked while commemorating the 64th anniversary of the liberation of a concentration camp near Salzburg on May 9. Two people were wounded in the attack, in which teens allegedly fired plastic bullets from air guns and harassed visitors verbally, according to reports.
According to an Austrian news service, one of the arrested youth is a member of the Socialist Party of Austria’s youth group, the Red Hawks.
Austria’s foreign minister called the attack a provocation against Austria.
At hagalil.de, he is quoted as saying:
This is an unacceptable provocation, which will hurt Austria’s international image and the tourism of the country. One should not allow such acts to effect the openness and the hospitality of our country.
Following last week’s incident of a Vienna Jewish family being refused a room under an Austrian hotel’s “no-Jews” policy, the country’s openness and hospitality is already in question, especially when Jewish Austrians themselves encounter such hostility. According to the Hotel owner, “Jews make problems.” And the Mayor explained that “every Hotel owner has the right to decide, who to rent a room to and who not.”
Responding to the attack on the Holocaust Survivors in Ebensse the Chairman of the youth group is calling to immediately establish an antifascist project.
Antifascism as marketing strategy to save the national reputation?
Reassuring potential German critics that there is no reason for concern over his new Nazi-themed musical debuting soon in Berlin, Mel Brooks sets the record straight. “Germans tend to misunderstand ‘The Producers’ as being about Nazis and the Third Reich, when in fact it’s about two Jewish crooks trying to get rich.” Hey, Mel. Who exactly are you trying to relieve?
In a New York Times interview Hamas leader Khaled Meshal gives advice on how the groups’ political program and ideology should be treated:
[Meshal] urged outsiders to ignore the Hamas charter, which calls for the obliteration of Israel through jihad and cites as fact the infamous anti-Semitic forgery, “The Protocols of the Elders of Zion.” Mr. Meshal did not offer to revoke the charter, but said it was 20 years old, adding, “We are shaped by our experiences.”
READ: Antisemitism is for internal Palestinian consumption; Hamas will continue to deploy ethno-cultural-religious hatred as a political mobilizing tool. Externally, however, it is a liability and fellow-travelers are encouraged to “ignore” it.
