Hasidic anti-Zionists in Montreal

Can you imagine getting coverage of a counterdemonstration like this in the
US media?  Take the time to visit the website version of this article --
police would not protect the Hasidic Jews from physical attacks by the
Zionists, so there's a photo of Palestinian youth in checkered scarves
forming a cordon to protect the Hasidic Jews.

John Lacny

**********
http://www.canada.com/montreal/montrealgazette/story.asp?id={D1F4A5A4-B58B-4
7EA-B4B2-85A2C91894FA}

Montreal Gazette, Thursday, April 18, 2002

Jewish state's 54th marked
 
by LEVON SEVUNTS

Celebrations of Israel's Independence Day turned into a display of raw
emotions as thousands of Montreal Jews marched through downtown streets
yesterday to show support for Israel and celebrate its 54th anniversary.

Phillips Square, where the crowds gathered for a march toward Place du
Canada, was a sea of white-and-blue Israeli flags dotted with posters
denouncing terrorism, the Palestinian Authority and its chairman, Yasser
Arafat.

At the eastern edge of Phillips Square, the sea of blue-striped Magen David
stars was flanked by few Palestinian flags and a row of about three dozen
black-robed ultra-Orthodox Hasidic Jews holding signs denouncing Zionism and
the state of Israel. Metal barricades arranged into a rough square separated
the two crowds, with riot police in the middle.

Most participants sang and danced to Jewish folk music or listened to
passionate speeches by leaders of the Montreal Jewish community.

But there was a nasty sideshow on the sidelines.

The sight of Hasidic Jews standing side by side with Palestinian activists
sporting trademark checkered scarves touched a raw nerve in some people.

"Hitler hasn't finished with you," an angry man shouted at Jacob Gold. "But
don't worry - there will be another Hitler just for you."

Unperturbed, Gold, a Talmudic teacher from Boisbriand, kept passing out
leaflets proclaiming, "Israel 'celebrates' 54 years of heresy and
bloodshed."

"Jews will return to Israel but not with force," Gold said.

"God will send a Messiah and he will decide when we go back." The creation
of a Jewish state is clearly forbidden by the Torah, Gold said.

Robert Silverman, a founding member of Jewish Alliance Against the
Occupation, said he supports the right of Israel to exist but is outraged by
the actions of the Israeli army in the occupied territories: "Not in my
name, I say. Sharon and others claim to speak in our name but they don't. I
speak as a human being, but also as a Jew."

Lou Stern, a Montreal businessman, expressed his disdain for such views by
furiously slapping an old Hasidic man on the head. "They never worked a day
in their life," Stern said, shaking with rage. "This supposed Taliban come
to my office every day for charity and I as a fool give (it to) them."

As two groups of about 150 people each started trading insults, Montreal
police moved about two dozen officers of the riot squad to separate them.

Larry Rosenthal said the Hasidic Jews at the protest against Israel
represent a small fringe minority who don't believe the Jewish state should
exist.

"Count the numbers on this side and count the numbers on the other side,"
Rosenthal said, pointing to the fact that the 100 or so protesters were
outnumbered about 100 to one. "I don't believe they can side with people who
are holding Hezbollah flags."

While Rosenthal was speaking, another man sporting a yarmulke charged the
row of Hasidic Jews, tearing down their anti-Israel posters and hitting them
with the wooden sticks.

Ironically, as these hit-and-run attacks went unnoticed by the police, it
was the Palestinian activists who had to intervene to defend the Hasidic
Jews from attacks by pro-Israeli Jews.

At about 1 p.m. the main body of participants, oblivious to what was
happening on its eastern flank, started moving toward Place du Canada, where
another rally was held.

About 10,000 people listened to emotional speeches by Jewish community
leaders and Israeli officials, calling on them to support Israel by donating
money and participating in a rally to be held on Parliament Hill Sunday.

Michael Melchior, deputy foreign minister of Israel, said his country isn't
fighting against the Palestinian people but against terrorists.

He called on all democratic countries to unite in a coalition of
civilization against "a coalition of hatred."

"The difficulties are so large, we may not see the light at the end of the
tunnel," Melchior said. "But we believe in the future of the Jewish people."

Montreal Rabbi Reuben Poupko lashed out at UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan
for saying the whole world can't be wrong in accusing Israel of human-rights
violations.

"The whole world can be wrong," Poupko said, to cheers and applause.

He said the whole world was wrong when it largely ignored the rise of Hitler
in the 1930s, which led to the Holocaust, and it's wrong today.

"The Jewish state defends itself with the highest norms of ethics and
morality. We have nothing to apologize for and nothing to be embarrassed
about."

Levon Sevunts's E-mail address is lsevunts@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


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