PRO-ISRAEL PROTESTERS VENT THEIR
RAGE HERE
By SIMON CRITTLE and NEIL GRAVES
April 1, 2002 -- As the Mideast
conflict took yet another turn for
the worse yesterday, emotions
boiled over at two pro-Israel
rallies in New York.
Hundreds of angry protesters
massed outside the Israeli
Consulate in Midtown to show
support for Jews living in the
violence-ravaged country, while a
large crowd also demonstrated at the Palestinian
observer mission to the United Nations on nearby East
65th Street.
"My friends, today Israel is in a state of war," said Shay
Rubinstein, president of the student activist group
Betar, which organized the consulate rally.
"Our enemies have only one purpose: to exterminate the
Jewish people."
"But if history taught us one lesson, it is that if Jews
are united, no one can defeat us."
Protesters outside the consulate waved Israeli and
American flags, and brandished placards, including one
held by a small boy that read "Arafat will bring suicide
bombers here."
At one point, a 76-year-old woman became enraged at
the sight of a Palestinian flag, which was hacked to
pieces by another demonstrator.
The crowd also vented its anger at the United Nations -
which over the weekend demanded Israel withdraw
troops from Palestinian-controlled territories - and
marched on its headquarters.
Speakers at the rally condemned New York humanitarian
worker Adam Shapiro, branding him a traitor. Shapiro,
30, of Brooklyn, is Jewish, and spent Friday night
treating wounded Palestinians inside Yasser Arafat's
besieged West Bank compound.
"Shapiro is a traitor, a piece of garbage, and we are
going to make his life and his parents' lives a living
hell," said Betar spokesman Ron Torossian.
He told the crowd that Betar would hold protests this
week outside the Sheepshead Bay apartment building of
Shapiro's parents.
Teenage protester David Ambinder, from Monsey,
Rockland County, said he was saddened by the turmoil
now gripping Israel.
"I am very upset and I wish I could do more," said the
17-year-old.
Meanwhile, at the Palestine U.N. observer mission, more
than 100 gathered to protest the bombings in Israel.
Protest organizer Rabbi Avi Weiss said the beleaguered
nation was on the right track in using its military to
wreck the terrorists' infrastructure.
"If they get away with the [suicide bombings] over there,
a lot of people will come over here - or may already be
here - and try to do the same," Weiss said. "To me, this
is not only Israel's fight, it's America's fight."
> ----------
> From: pms
> Reply To: lbo-talk at lists.panix.com
> Sent: Thursday, April 4, 2002 11:27
> To: lbo-talk at lists.panix.com
> Subject: Shapiro's parents
>
> Yesterday I read a scary story about Adam Shapiro's parents having to
> leave
> their home because of death threats. Mentioned flyer in their neighborhood
> urging attacks on them. His brother said he didn't feel safe in Ny. Now I
> can't find it though I've googled. Anyone know anything about this?
>