IsraelNN.com- Arab students disrupted a pro-Israel event at the campus of the University of California at Berkeley Thursday night, unfurling a large Palestinian flag in front of a crowd of hundreds of supporters of Israel who were enjoying a pro-Israel hip-hop concert. The event was sponsored by the Zionist Freedom Alliance student group.
The Arab students unfurled the large flag on a balcony above the outdoor site where the concert was taking place, inciting a provocation right in front of the concert-goers, who were enjoying the event as part of the campus’ Israel Liberation Week. Several Jewish concertgoers went into the building to ask the Arabs to remove the flag – but were viciously attacked, with one male concertgoer knocked down from a blow on the back of his head, witnesses said.
College alumnus Gabe Weiner, who was helping run the concert, was assaulted by the leader of the anti-Israel group, Husam Zakharia, who also attacked one of the performers, Yehuda De Sa. The fight was finally broken up by John Moghtader, a senator in the UC Berkeley student organization. Police were called in and arrested Zakharia along with others from his group, charging them with battery. Witnesses said that the Arab students shouted anti-Semitic curses and epithets throughout the incident, calling the Jews “Nazis” and “dogs,” and threatening to kill them. According to one witness, as many as 20 anti-Israel students participated in the attacks.
UC Berkeley? I mean, should anyone be shocked, by these happenings? Is any of this out of the ordinary? Is there anyone who doesn’t understand that the purvayors of hate here are the supposed “Palestinians”?
Tags: arab students, arabs, Gabe Weiner, IsraelNN, John Moghtader, nazis, palestinian flag, UC Berkeley, uc berkeley student, university of california at berkeley
November 18th, 2008 at 11:49
Gabe, thanks so much for this very important post. You forgot to mention a few things, for example that you and your fellows asked the SJP activists to remove the flag by saying we’ll take care of these Arabs” and that you were cited three times by the UC policy for attacking them, but nevertheless, I think it is excellent that you report on those sad incidents.
As an Israeli, I would be very interested to hear why you were insulted so much by the flag they put on the balcony. Israel has recognized the PLO and the Palestinian national symbols in 1994. Since then, there have been constant negotiations between the Palestinian and the Israeli sides. Why do you think you represent Israeli interests by opposing the right of Palestinian students to present their flags in campus?
Again, thank you for the post.
November 18th, 2008 at 13:34
Gabe? Who’s that?
And if they were cited trhee times by UC policy, then perhaps UC policy is in question?
And are you really going to try a ‘moral equals’ argument with this?
November 18th, 2008 at 14:53
Oh, I’m sorry; it’s the first time I read this blog and I was sure it’s Gabe Weiner’s.
To your question: are you claiming that you’re the only one who REALLY knows what happened there? i.e. that the witnesses, the police, and the Daily Cal are all wrong?
I’m not sure if I got what you mean by “moral equals”. I didn’t mention morality anywhere.
November 18th, 2008 at 15:29
Bull. I’ve been doing this for longer than you ahve, sonny, and I know how that game gets played. I’m going to tell you this once… leave it at the side of the road.
So after 40 years of watching this crap, I’m to think that this situation was any different than every other time?
Hehe… clearly, the moral issue of what you’re discussing never did enter your head.
November 19th, 2008 at 1:19
Bull. I’ve been doing this for longer than you ahve, sonny, and I know how that game gets played. I’m going to tell you this once… leave it at the side of the road.
Excuse me?
So after 40 years of watching this crap, I’m to think that this situation was any different than every other time?
Can you please be more specific?
Hehe… clearly, the moral issue of what you’re discussing never did enter your head.
It’s probably only me, but I have no idea what you are talking about.
November 19th, 2008 at 8:39
No, I don’t think I will.
You come in here with a moral equivalence act, the usual ‘all opinons are valid’ bull squeeze… as if we’re supposed to respect the so-called ‘Palastinians’. Yet somehow when that respect doesn’t get returned, as in this case with the Israeli students, it’s apprently all good to you.
Try a little experiment. Reverse the roles. Let’s say an Israeli flag gets raised at a concert given in support of Hamas. What happens, do you suppose? And perhaps just as import to this discussion, how do you react?
You know full well the reactions would be far different.
November 29th, 2008 at 22:09
Thank you for the concrete example. I think it’s an excellent one. As you well know, there have been many cases in which the Israeli flag was raised during activities of SJP and other palestinian organizations in Berkeley and nobody attacked the pro-Israeli activists physically. In this respect I absolutely agree with you: reactions were different. Unlike the Kahana-oriented Tikva and Israeli-Freedom-Whatever, SJP (which, BTW, is not affiliated with the Hamas or any other particular political movement) does not react in violence.
In this respect I do NOT play any moral equivalence argument. I think that you folks are immoral, whereas non-violent student cells, such as SJP, Israel Action Committee, the Muslim Student Association, and Hillel are not.
November 30th, 2008 at 11:50
Actually, no, I know of no such thing; Documented examples wouodl be helpful.
Really? Clearly, someone didn’t get the memo.
December 31st, 2008 at 7:33
Great. Today, some dozen of pro-Israeli activists demonstrated in the middle of a pro-palestinian mass in Montgomery St. Nobody touched them and their opinions were respected. Is that good enough an example?
(Bit Responds: No. Not even close.Try something substantial..)