NOVANEWS
by Ariadna Theokopoulos
A lucky few had front row seats at Great Berlin’s Oyer and Terminer cybertrial. The hall was packed and it was standing room only for most attendees. Hushed whispers, excited twitters, and face-to-face exchanges in the back seats created an ominous droning sound.
“What did she do exactly?”
“You don’t know?! She posted a video.”
“So?”
“No, I mean one of those.”
“No friggingfreespeech way! She didn’t clear it with anyone?”
“No, she claimed it was not supposed to be widely disseminated; she probably knew it might create a furore, but it somehow got sent out of the Freegaza account.”
“But someone said it was just one of those stupid videos that bark up the wrong tree, chewing the old cud about the Zionist Jews’ role in the holocaust.”
“No, it is a lot worse. It is one of those provocative videos, like David Duke’s. You know the BDS saying: “You post, you’re toast.”
“That’s an incredibly dumb video though. Like there isn’t enough current stuff to talk about regarding the role of the Jews in the banking collapse, for one thing.”
“That would not be an approved video either. In fact worse. One of these days I swear I’ll see you up there in Greta’s box. Don’t you get it? It can’t be about the Jews, only about zionists and some Israelis, and not all of them, only the bad ones, like Netanyahu.”
“Did she say that she liked the video and approved of its content?”
“That’s another silly question. What’s wrong with you today? It does not matter that she did not say that. It is bad enough that she watched it and/or sent it on. If we all did stupid things like that where would we be? We’d all be watching and reading anything and discussing it!”
We cannot afford to… wait, how did he put it?
“Who?”
“Can’t remember his name exactly Steve Damsel or Hamsel from Jerusalem, formerly from the US. In his blog called Desert Peace he called her “a witch” and said “we can’t afford to alienate anybody.”
“ Smart guy. He is right: what kind of protest movement would we be if we upset people?”
“I read Emily Hauser in the Daily Beast. She explained that Greta harms the Palestinian cause and Emily knows her onions. Her Palestinian onions, as it were, because she said she was talking “as a Jew, a Zionist, and an Israeli.” She even added “as a pro-Palestinians activist I’m pretty pissed off.”
“Shhhhhh@! He is coming!”
“Who?”
“Ali Abounimah. Don’t you recognize him by his limp?”
“What happened to him?”
“Atzmon caught his you know what in a revolving door.”
“What ‘you know what’?”
“I don’t know if the word is on the approved list. In Yiddish it’s beitsam. I guess I can say it in Spanish: cojones.
And since you still look clueless I’ll tell you the revolving door was the business with Ali saying culture does not matter.
Well, Atzmon turned the revolving door back on him with Goldhagen or something and Ali has been limping ever since.”
“Oh, no, he’s coming closer to Greta and sniffing her. He can sniff Atzmon on anybody from a mile away. He looks ready to pounce on her.”
“How can he pounce while limping and wrapped in that djellaba?”
“It’s a judge’s robe but he had it cut like a djellaba: makes him look more Palestinian.
“I hear Naomi Klein resigned from the FG advisory board. A way of saying she can’t be associated with an organization that watches videos. Those videos.“
“Who will speak for the accused? Will someone say anything about her contribution, or that doesn’t count? She founded FG, didn’t she?”
“Maybe, but only in the introduction prior to reading her charges. Makes them, you know, balanced.”
“But the Palestinians? I mean the Palestinians in Palestine, especially Gaza?”
“What about them? What do they have to do with this? Leave them out of this discussion. This is far more important. It’s all about racism, that is, its worst form ever, anti-semitism.
Which is why Ali monitors discussions of a group of 1,000 members or more. You can’t have people flapping their jaws on their own.”
“You’re right. Greta was on probation anyhow. She went off the reservation by saying Atzmon had been ‘demonized.’ I swear that’s the word she used. I think Ali will tear her flesh off the bone, just watch.”
“How do you know?”
“ Haven’t you read Harry’s Place? They’re challenging Ali to prove he is not an anti-semite, and giving him a list of the next candidates for Oyer and Terminer.
Here, read this copy:
“I’m not sure he really believes what he’s saying.
The thing is, Ali Abunimah’s website isn’t much better at all. Abunimah encourages antisemites of similar stock to Greta Berlin, to write for the Electronic Intifada.
Electronic Intifada still lists Sonja Karkar as an author.
…
Electronic Intifada recently published Stephen Salaita.
Stephen Salaita is a fan of the antisemite Gilad Atzmon.
…
Ali Abunimah himself has condemned Atzmon for years for antisemitism. Whilst dismissing Atzmon, Abunimah claimed “We must protect the integrity of our movement”. But he still lets one of Atzmon’s admirers write on his blog.
Abunimah also publishes the antisemite Ben White.”
“Some say this is guilt by association and they say it like there’s anything wrong with it as an accusation. Harry’s Place called Ali a “weird and creepy guy.” Next stop: anti-semitesville. So Ali has to, you know, put out.”
“But why isn’t it starting?”
“They’re waiting for Avi Mayer, you know who he is, the head honcho of the Jewish Agency for Israel.”
“But what is he doing here? He is not FG. In fact he says the Free Gaza Movement endorses violence against Israel.”
“No, in this he is with us. In a manner of speaking. It’s complicated.
At any rate, this is the kind of video that should not be circulated at all, so when the FG deleted it from their tweet account, Avi Mayer used a screenshot he had taken of it and posted it.”
“Why?!?”
“Obvious: so everyone can see what they better not watch and pass around.“
“I am beginning to pity her, if he cross examines her.”
“I know, he is merciless.”
“No, worse: I am told he has a killer halitosis.”
“Quiet now, they’re ready to begin.”
12 Responses to Greta Berlin in Salem, MA
October 7, 2012 at 9:54 am
It seems that she posted the video as an example of “the terrible propaganda that could be spewed on websites”, intending it for the eyes of a small discussion group only.
Derfner is satisfied that it is not the case that “she believes in this psychotic, frothing-at-the-mouth garbage about Jews
Free Gaza’s defence is that Facebook did it:
oh dear, oh dear, oh dear…
October 7, 2012 at 10:50 am
Ali (Anti-semite finder General) Abunimah, I am reminded of this instructive piece on a related matter of finding witches, anti-semites and other heathens.
http://www.deliberation.info/how-to-recognise-an-anti-semite/
October 7, 2012 at 1:42 pm
I’m sure Harry’s Place and his co-campaigners such as Avi Meyer would join him. Greenie would be able to kosherise it and everyone could feel safe and smug.
Except possibly the Palestinians – but hey they don’t appear to be the priority any more….
October 7, 2012 at 3:06 pm
But seriously….
It seems to me that the activism movement is being divided in to the kosher approved form and everthing else which has been loosley categorised (falsely so) as anti-semitic in nature.
October 7, 2012 at 6:16 pm
that’s how it is done. divide and conquer, jp edition.
October 8, 2012 at 2:00 am
I am not going to waste my time trying to liberate Palestine by prosecuting Greta Berlin for the offense of – in essence – turning onto a one-way street against the traffic.
Doing so gets a lot of attention, and the drivers heading towards you will say a lot of nasty things. However, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you secretly harbor a desire to sabotage the traffic or that you are part of a movement to end one-way streets. It means that you weren’t paying attention to the road signs.
Greta has apologized for the error. According to Ali Abunimah, however, “many people” want to “dispel the doubts” by having Greta publish the full conversation in which the offending video link occurs.
What doubts?
This is not a rhetorical question. What exactly is the accusation, if any? I have to stretch my imagination quite a bit to even guess the intention of this statement. That Greta is a closet racist? A spy?
Or is this just a fishing expedition? A grand jury? A House Unpalestinian Activities Committee investigation, looking for anything that might lead to an indictment?
What Ali and Co. are asking (to continue the analogy) is to know who else was in the car, what the contents of the trunk (boot) may have been, the car specifications and legal ownership, any outstanding liens, the time of day and weather conditions, etc.
I disagree with Greta on substantive issues and other real concerns, but that is just the point. Let us disagree on and discuss substance, not this foolishness. There is enough disunity already. Can we please set these matters aside and just liberate Palestine?
October 8, 2012 at 2:17 am
This is a traffic court trial that carries deportation as a penalty.
The traffic violation charges seek to establish if
–she turned into a one-way street (a) on purpose; or (b) by mistake because she dod not see the sign
–she shone her headlights on the sign (a) on purpose; or (b) by mistake.
Gilad says the sign itself is a violation and scorns the militia who patrol the street.
http://www.gilad.co.uk/writings/abunimah-did-it-again.html
October 8, 2012 at 3:22 am
October 8, 2012 at 2:51 am
In the meantime:
10 Palestinians Injured By Army Missiles In Rafah
IMEMC – Palestinian medical sources reported that ten Palestinians were injured, on Sunday evening, when the Israeli Air Force fired several missiles into Rafah, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. Some of the wounded residents are in serious conditions; an infant is among the wounded. …
Ansar 3 Convoy Arrives In Gaza
IMEMC – The Ansar 3 Jordanian solidarity convoy managed to enter the Gaza Strip, Sunday, through the Rafah Border Terminal between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, the Palestinian Information Center reported. …
Soldiers Attack Palestinian Farmers Near Hebron
IMEMC – Palestinian medical sources in Hebron, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, reported Saturday that dozens of Palestinian villagers, picking their olive trees west of Hebron, were treated for the effects of teargas inhalation after being attacked by Israeli soldiers. …
October 8, 2012 at 8:20 am
I’m sure Ali the Anti-Semite Finder General can feel the hairs standing up on the back of his neck……
Meanwhile, even Gilad was surprised by Ali the Bookburners haste:
October 8, 2012 at 1:48 pm
stock-photo-dachshund-with-a-surprised-look-3587871.jpg
“Piloerection, or the hair standing on end at the shoulders or from the shoulders down the back is a sign of arousal or excitement associated most often with fear. In addition to the bristling hair, the pupils are likely dilated, or open wide.
Although the look is aggressive,it is a sign of fear. The more hair that is standing on end, the more nervous or fearful. Piloerection is more visible on short, stiff hair. A slight raising of the shoulder hairs can progress to hairs raised up and down the back and even down the tail. Some severely frightened dogs, for example, resemble cats with all of their hairs bristling and tails that look like bottle brushes.
Adrenalin triggers contraction of the arrectores pilorum muscles in the skin. They contract and push up the hair follicles causing the hair to stand away from the body. The term comes from the Latin pilus meaning hair and erection meaning elevated.
In addition to being an involuntary reaction, piloerection has the added advantage of making the dog look bigger.”
http://searchlight-germany.blogspot.com/2012/10/greta-in-berlin.html
The title is Allah’s Willing Executioners. I am sure it should have been
Ali’s, not Allah.