| Submit your comments on this article |
| Fifth Column |
| Anti-semites to gather at Rutgers |
| 2003-07-10 |
| The nation’s third college - and the first on the East Coast - to harbor a national anti-Israel hate-fest, featuring tips for destroying the Jewish state and speeches from notable anti-Semites, will not be Columbia or NYU. A student group at Rutgers University, no slouch in the destroy-Israel department, has snagged the third annual National Student Conference of the Palestine Solidarity Movement, to be held Oct. 10-12. The event, which organizers expect to draw at least 500 Israel foes from the world over, is to include classes designed to teach kids how to pressure their universities to stop investing in companies that do business with Israel. Expect workshops in nonviolent resistance. Or so we hope. Organizer Charlotte Kates told me peaceful resistance is the fest’s guiding principle. Yet she noted that she, as well as the sponsoring organization, the New Jersey Solidarity Movement - an offshoot of International Solidarity - supports Palestinian homicide bombers. "Palestinian resistance in all its forms has been a very powerful tool of justice," said Kates, 23, a Rutgers law student. "All forms, from armed struggle to mass protest." And does Israel have a right to exist? "Israel is an apartheid, colonial settler state. I do not believe apartheid, colonial settler states have a right to exist." At the two previous conferences, at Berkeley, Calif., and the University of Michigan, pro-Palestinian rhetoric "crossed into virulent anti-Semitism," said Shai Goldstein, director of the New Jersey Anti-Defamation League chapter. The university said the show will go on, despite 230 letters of protest. As a state school, Rutgers bestows public funding to Solidarity, said a spokeswoman. Sent the following e-mail to the Governor of New Jersey,I urge all who read the article to do the same. How can you allow these people to use and abuse Rutger’s University. |
| Posted by:Raptor |
| #1 New Jersey's governor has announced that he will be meeting with the University's President about this conference. My e-mail to both pointed out that they would not allow the KKK or Aryan Nation to have a conference at this public university, so why allow these virulant anti-semites? Yesterday, Ms. Kates is quoted as saying: Israel is an apartheid, colonial settler state. I do not believe apartheid, colonial settler states have a right to exist. Today, wrapped in an American flag, Ms. Kates is quoted: "I certainly hope the governor will recognize the freedom of speech, freedom of political affiliation and academic freedom," Kates said. "It is completely inappropriate for him to dictate what student organizations do at this university." This was covered over at Little Green Footballs. Ms. Kates has quite a trail in the Web, and coca puffs all the way. |
| Posted by: Chuck 2003-7-10 9:52:16 AM |