Anti-Israel ‘Day of Rage’ protests sweep across US, Canada
The BDS movement organized a series of anti-Israel rallies across North America where protestors called for another Intifada and the destruction of the Jewish state.
All last week, marches and caravans took place in several American cities and in Canada, replete with hate-filled rhetoric against Israel.
Boycott Divestment Sanctions activists took advantage of the ongoing protests against police brutality in the aftermath of the death African-American George Floyd, 46, on May 25 in Minneapolis police custody. They equated the struggle of African Americans with Palestinians calling it the “Black Intifada.”
“There can be no Palestinian liberation without Black liberation!” said Nerdeen Kiswani, from Within Our Lifetime at the protest in New York which drew 1,000.
The U.S. rallies were organized by Al-Awda: The Palestine Right to Return Coalition.
“Al-Awda and other hate groups that organized these rallies are dedicated to ending Israel’s existence and promoting anti-Semitic propaganda,” Roz Rothstein, CEO of non-profit pro-Israel advocacy organization StandWithUs, said. “While there is nothing wrong with having an open and vigorous debate about Israeli policies, that is not what these events are really about. We are answering hate with a message highlighting the urgent need for Palestinian leaders to choose peace negotiations over hatred and violence.”
Some 300 protestors turned out in Boston.
“The protesters hijacked legitimate outrage over the death of George Floyd to justify an ugly display of hostility towards Israel and Jewish organizations on the streets of Boston,” said Dexter Van Zile, an analyst at Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis (CAMERA). “This wasn’t about changing American police policies, but about coarsening and brutalizing the discourse around Israel and Jews through the exploitation of black suffering.”
A speaker for BDS Boston led the large crowd in chanting, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” — a call for Israel’s destruction.
