I'll be participating in: Marxism and Israel: Left Perspectives on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

I will be participating in an interesting panel discussion: Marxism and Israel: Left Perspectives on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
Monday, November 15, 7pm 
Thomas Hunter Hall, 930 Lexington Avenue, Room 414

Take the Quiz! Israel: 

Perception & Reality

Part 1. The Origins of the State of Israel, the Palestinians, and the Holocaust
Background to This Quiz:
Much of the material for this Revolution quiz comes from or was updated from a fact sheet about the state of Israel that appeared in a previous issue of this paper (when the name of the paper was the Revolutionary Worker). In the spring of 2006, a student at the School for International Training in Vermont posted that fact sheet to an online discussion group. The Dean of Graduate Studies called for a campus forum—not to debate the content of the fact sheet, but to criticize the student who sent it for violating the school’s policy on "appropriate use of the electronic media" by posting "material that may be or may be perceived as harassment"! Apparently a simple examination into the actual history of the state of Israel was verboten. The incident is alarmingly indicative of the atmosphere on college campuses and intellectual centers, where a number of prominent universities have "disinvited" or driven off campus everyone from poets to historians who’ve criticized the state of Israel.

Get the quiz here

Talking with Michael Slate about taking out "After the holocaust..."

This was a chance to talk about a whole range of experiences taking out Bob Avakian's quote "After the holocaust, the worst thing that has happened to Jewish people is the state of Israel." We particularly focused on some of the conspiracy theory stuff I've run into that argues that Israel is NOT a strategic asset for the US in the Middle East and the world, but .... conflicts with US interests.... is a product of the corruption and manipulation of the system by the Israel lobby or "the Jews".... etc, and the actual reality embodied in the quote. Listen

"After the holocaust..." at USSF


I was part of a panel (with Pam Bailey, who has a very powerful presentation on the current situation in Gaza). I talked about "After the holocaust, the worst thing that has happened to Jewish people is the state of Israel" (Bob Avakian). Controversy, as always. I showed a clip from taking this out on the streets because its good for people to actually 'experience' the experience of taking this out - 3 min clip with rough subtitles at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeUlZfCN8I0.

Radio interviews on experiences with "After the holocaust, the worst thing that has happened to Jewish people...

I was interviewed on Fred Nagel's Classwars show on the Vassar College station about experiences taking out "After the holocaust, the worst thing that has happened to Jewish people" (Bob Avakian) -- among other things. I thought it was an interesting conversation -- I brought in experiences taking this out to the Holocaust Museum, KAMP, and Michael Lerner's Network of Spiritual Progressives Conference. Why is Israel something terrible that *happened to* Jewish people? Can something be morally wrong when done to one group of people, and morally right when done to another? What are the actual lessons of the holocaust? Fred had some interesting insights and did a great interview - it didn't even feel like being on the radio. Plus we chatted about meals in Cairo:

 http://www.classwars.org/jun17.mp3

I mentioned to some of you that I was on a one-hour call-in show in Atlanta a couple of weeks ago engaging with a mainly African-American audience on similar themes. A lot of deeply felt solidarity for the Palestinian people, and a lot of confusion about who actually runs the world, set up Israel, and the historic role of oppressors using scapegoating to misdirect the anger of those they oppress. That station doesn't keep archives, but I'll try to get an audio to post.

Stay in touch. anyone going to the US Social Forum in Detroit?

Alan Goodman

At KAMP -- with "After the holocaust, the worst thing that has happened to Jewish people is the State of Israel."

At KAMP -- with "After the holocaust, the worst thing that has happened to Jewish people is the State of Israel." 3 days after the massacre on the Mari Marvara

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4njYREbLVCs