Protesters slam Israel for ‘assault’

A rally — held at midday July 25 in downtown Asheville calling for U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan, D-N.C., to end her support of what CODEPINK protest leaders termed the “Israeli assault on Gaza” — was met with a cold shoulder.

Specifically, Hagan’s office, just across Patton Avenue from the Pritchard Park rally, was inexplicably closed — and the senator, who the protesters lambasted for characterizing herself as “a liberal,” was nowhere to be seen.

“They might have figured we were coming,” Madea Benjamin, a cofounder of CODEPINK who spearheaded the rally, said with a laugh afterward, regarding her thoughts on a possible rationale for Hagan’s office closure.

Despite ascertaining the office closure at the beginning of the rally, the 25 to 30 protesters nonetheless carried on their hour-long event, enthusiastically waving signs bearing anti-Israeli and pro-Palestinian sentiments, as various speakers led chants and were applauded as they shared viewpoints that reflected the opinions on their signs.

The protesters marched, chanted and waved signs from the park to the sidewalk outside Hagan’s office to a special temporary Veterans for Peace bell tower memorial in Pack Square, in downtown’s hub.

At each stop, impassioned speeches were given, enhanced by a bullhorn.

Two young Palestine natives — a man and a woman — were among those who spoke.

Amru Elayan, an Asheville resident who later told the Daily Planet that “most of my family resides in the West Bank,” urged the crowd to “stop the oppression and end the siege” — and that if the Israeli action persists, “it will not end well” for Israel.

Meanwhile, Meira Yasin, an Asheville nurse, spoke passionately about the Israeli military — with its bombings — “just killed babies” — and asked her fellow protesters if that was acceptable. “No!” her compatriots shouted back, equally passionate.

As for possible solutions to the crisis, Elayan told the Daily Planet afterward that “I’d like to see, at the very least, a return to the 1967 borders as stipulated” by the United Nations. “

Also, I would favor a one-state solution,” giving Israelis and Palestinians “equal responsibilities and equal rights.”

When pressed further for his views, Elayan said, “Zionism has nothing to do with Judaism,” in reference to his belief that Israel’s actions reflect Zionism. “I have no problems with Jews... There are good Israelis.” However, he added that “this (Israeli bombing) is completely disproportionate” to any perceived provocation by Palestinians — and that creates an untenable situation.

At the rally, Benjamin, the protest leader, voiced the most numerous and repeated fiery criticisms of Hagan, other American politicians — and, most of all, of Israel. However, she gladly shared the bullhorn with other protesters wanting to speak. No pro-Israeli comments were heard.

During the two marches, among the most repeated — and apparently popular — chants were “Not another nickel, not another dime, no more money for Israel’s crime!” and “Brick by brick, wall by wall, Israeli apartheid has to fall!”

The stated intent of the rally, according to a CODEPINK press release, was to “call for (an) end to (the) senator’s support for Israeli assault on Gaza.” (CODEPINK bills itself as a women-initiated grassroots peace and social justice movement working to end U.S.-funded wars and occupations — and challenges what it terms “militarism” in general. The name CODEPINK plays on the former Bush administration’s color-coded homeland security alerts.)

What’s more, the release noted that the protesters, upon reaching Hagan’s office, would express opposition to “the brutal Israeli bombing campaign of Gaza and call for a end to the ongoing siege.” Activists are dismayed that both Sen. Hagan and Sen. (Richard) Burr from North Carolina voted, along with the rest of the (U.S.) Senate, to support the Israeli assault on Gaza. Protesters will call on both senators to condemn the attacks and show compassion for the Palestinians.

“It is outrageous that the Senate unanimously passed a resolution endorsing Israeli war crimes,” Benjamin stated in the release. “Why does Senator Hagan, who is generally a progressive Democrat, support sending over $3 billion in military aid to Israel to enable this violence when that money is needed here in North Carolina?”

Benjamin added that, “according to NPR (National Public Radio), as of July 25, 718 Palestinians have been killed by Israel’s ongoing assault on Gaza. Even hospitals are being shelled by Israeli forces, and on July 24, a U.N.-run school was bombed. As U.S. citizens whose tax dollars are underwriting this carnage, we call on Senator Hagan to take a stand and call for an end to the bombing now.”

The release added the “action is timed to coincide” with the National Veterans for Peace Conference and the CODEPINK Activist Training Camp, both of which were going on in Asheville, too. “Activists from Asheville and across the country will be present at the protest.”

After about 15 minutes in Pritchard Park, the group marched to Hagan’s office, where various speakers verbally jackhammered the absent Democratic senator for what they termed her hypocrisy in being a “liberal” in many spheres, except when it comes to criticizing Israel.

Hagan, along with most elected American leaders, was excoriated for their fear of being perceived as anti-Semitic and for being unable to resist the alleged big donations to their re-election campaign war chests by “the Israeli lobby.”

At their brief stop at Hagan’s closed office, Benjamin told the protesters that, “whether you’re a Democrat or a Republican doesn’t seem to matter” when it comes to U.S. elected officials supporting Israel’s current actions.

“Why is it there’s this ‘liberal on everything — except on Palestine?’” She reiterated that big campaign donations from the “Israeli lobby” and fears of being labeled “anti-Semitic” were behind otherwise “liberal” elected leaders’ support for Israel’s actions.

“Do you know how many millions of people around the world hate Israel for what they’re doing?” Benjamin asked. “The only thing these senators care about is the money from the pro-Israel lobby... We’ve got to step it up,” via sit-ins and other actions. “End the siege of Gaza!”

At the bell tower memorial at Pack Square, Roger Ehrlich, speaking on behalf of the Veterans for Peace conference, began by noting that “while it’s not a place for slogans, but for respect,” but then praised the protesters for their efforts on behalf of peace.

While the protesters were at the memorial, the names and ages of a number of the Palestinian babies and youths killed in the Israeli bombing in the two weeks prior to the rally were somberly read, as the protesters, along with a few veterans, stood with their heads bowed, amid the bustle of otherwise-happy-looking tourists passing by in apparent puzzlement at the grave proceedings.