jewish activists lock-down and get arrested at jewish community federation in s.f.

Its pretty exciting when you type "jewish" in the search line on google news and you get "Arrests Made at SF Protest" with four hits as the most relevant and current documents.

The article (on all major Bay Area television news) reports:

Police arrested 14 men and women Tuesday after they blocked the doors of the Jewish Community Federation in downtown San Francisco in protest of U.S. involvement in Middle East conflicts.

Bound together by ropes and metal tubing, six of the protesters sat directly in front of the building's glass doors, which had been covered by adhesive posters and handbills.

...

"I am a U.S. Jew and a taxpayer," one protester yelled as police carried her into the van. "And I am against the Israeli occupation of Palestine and Lebanon."

Inside the building, as the posters were ripped down, men in suits watched as the demonstrators were carted off.

Yitzhak Santis, a spokesman with the Jewish Community Relations Council, a public affairs organization representing the Jewish Community Federation, said the protesters were part of a "tiny fringe of the Jewish community."

"The Bay Area Jewish community overwhelmingly supports Israel and stands with Israel against terrorist organizations, such as Hezbollah and Hamas," Santis said.

He also said that the Jewish Community Federation, which represents 80 different Bay Area groups involved with charity and fundraising, supports sending a multi-national force into Lebanon to prevent Hezbollah from rearming.

But Samantha Litman, a spokeswoman for the demonstrators, said they were disputing a claim that all Bay Area Jewish organizations promote a blanket policy of supporting Israeli military action.

"We're appalled by what we're seeing happening in Lebanon and Palestine," Litman said. "Killing civilians, attacking government institutions and destroying the infrastructure of modern society is an immoral course of action that will ensure security for no one."

BAY AREA JEWS STAGE DIE-IN IN TO PROTEST JEWISH INSTITUTIONS’ SUPPORT OF ISRAEL; 14 ARRESTED

Condemning Continued Israeli Military Aggression in Lebanon and Palestine, Jewish Americans Say to JCRC and JCF: “You Don’t Speak for Us”

Coordinated Actions Carried Out in NYC, Los Angeles and Philadelphia

SAN FRANCISCO Fourteen Jewish Americans were arrested today in downtown San Francisco for participating in a nonviolent civil disobedience in front of the building that houses the Jewish Community Federation (JCF) and the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC). The protestors were drawing attention to the role that JCRC and JCF play in rallying unconditional political support and financial aid for Israel and defending Israel’s attacks against Lebanese and Palestinian civilians. Coordinating with the group in San Francisco, Jews in New York, Los Angeles and Philadelphia staged similar events throughout the morning.

“JCRC and JCF use expensive PR campaigns and scare tactics to equate Jewishness with the uncritical support of Israel,” explained Dr. Susan Greene of San Francisco. “We are here to say loud and clear that the JCRC and the JCF do not speak for us. There are hundreds of thousands of silent Jews who believe in justice and oppose Israeli policies and it's time we stand up and speak out. If 5000 Israelis can demonstrate against Israel’s policies, so should I.”

With a recent raid by Israel inside Lebanon this weekend, and hundreds of cluster bombs scattered in civilian areas, it has become clear that Israel is not abiding by the cease-fire.

“Israel has already violated the U.N. cease-fire resolution and continues to violate international law and basic human rights on a daily basis in Gaza and the West Bank,” said Micah Bazant of Oakland. “As American Jews of conscience, we cannot stand by silently as crimes against humanity are perpetrated in our name. We call on U.S. Jewish Institutions to stop funding Israeli terror and start funding the rebuilding of Lebanon and Gaza.”

Protestors were a multi-generational group of more than thirty Bay Area Jewish-Americans including Americans with strong family ties to Israel and those speaking out against Israeli military action for the first time. Echoing a similar protest that took place in Boston, MA on August 1st, protestors staged a “Die-in”, lying down on the ground, creating a harrowing scene reflecting the large civilian death toll in Lebanon and the aftermath of war.



Six of the protestors sat down in front of the JCF building and literally locked themselves together, blocking entrance to and exit from the building. The 14 total protestors who were arrested were with charged with misdemeanor counts of trespassing and resisting arrest.

“Killing civilians, attacking government institutions and destroying the infrastructure of modern society is an immoral course of action that will ensure security for no one,” said Samantha Litman of San Francisco, “Israel is unsuccessfully challenging a simple truth: no one is secure while others live in terror.”

Participants expressed outrage at JCRC and JCF’s support of what whey believe is a failed and immoral Israeli policy backed by the U.S. in Lebanon and Palestine. The JCF reports giving $2 million in aid so far to Israel for their 2006-2007 campaign. The burden of Israel’s U.S.-funded Israeli military action has fallen overwhelmingly on civilians and civil society, with over 1,000 Lebanese and 175 Palestinians killed since June 28 and over $3.5 billion worth of damage to Lebanese infrastructure.

For photos and videos from other Jewish actions in the US check out http://www.myspace.com/jewishconscience and http://jewishconscience.blogspot.com/

Comments

[Rosie Karkari]

As a Canadian-Lebanese I am overwhelmed with joy to see this kind of action and courage. I thank you from the core of my soul for speaking out. Teary eye and ecstatic when I came across your organization.
AN END TO WAR & OCCUPATION PLEASE

Rosie Karkari Vancouver BC CANADA