Annual Orange County AIPAC Luncheon

This article was first published in Grizzly Groundswell


Dr Judea Pearl




Daniel Pearl



Sunday, I attended the annual Orange County AIPAC (America-Israel Public Affairs Committee)luncheon in Irvine, California. The featured speaker was UCLA Professor Judea Pearl, father of Daniel Pearl.

There were a number of other speakers who preceded Pearl. One was Peter Villegas, a Catholic and Latino pro-Israel activist. Rabbi Mark Miller of local synagogue Bat Yahm described the Israeli rescue mission to Haiti, ironically using the term, "disproportinate response" a reference to the term Israel's critics use to describe the nation's responses to terrorism.

Ester Kurz, the AIPAC Director of Legislative Strategy, spoke impressively without notes about her perspectives on the current situation in Israel and the need for attendees to lobby Congress.

Krista Allen, a young Catholic AIPAC activist from Louisiana State University, also spoke impressively without notes on her involvement supporting Israel.

The most curious speaker, however, had to be Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-CA), whose territory is in Orange County. Sanchez came out and spoke for about 5 minutes. She put on the old happy face as she talked about how often she meets with AIPAC reps in Washington, her work on the Homeland Security committee and so on and so forth.

She said absolutely nothing of substance.

Unfortunately, there was no Q&A possible in such a large venue. I would have loved to ask her about why she just days ago signed a letter from over 50 members of Congress to President Obama asking him to put pressure on Israel to lift the border blockade with Gaza. I would also have loved to ask her how much money she has received from CAIR. (If you are wondering what I am talking about, check the posting immediately prior to this one.)

Of course, Sanchez said nothing about these things. I found her presence at this event puzzling to say the least.

Of course, the featured speaker was Judea Pearl. Dr Pearl is the father of journalist Daniel Pearl, who exactly seven years ago was murdered in Karachi by Islamic terrorists. Dr Pearl recited his son's final words, "my father is a Jew. My mother is a Jew. I am a Jew."

He also went on to describe and explain Israel's historic and legitimate right to the land on which they live. There was very little bitterness in his words, yet he did refer to (unspecified) hateful statements that have been made on the UC-Irvine campus along with a reference to a couple of history professors at UCLA. (No names were mentioned.) Dr Pearl concluded with a poem dedicated to his son followed by a joint Hebrew song with local cantor Ruti Braier.

I am not a member of AIPAC-nor any other organization since I like to maintain my independence. Yet, they are the largest and most powerful American pro-Israel organization; thus, I support their mission. Besides, any organization that Jimmy Carter criticizes must be doing something worthwhile.

Did Rajendra Pachauri Conceal the Bogus Himalaya Information?

(Hat tip to Hot Air)

You remember IPCC chief Rajendra Pachauri, don't you? No? Let me refresh your memory.



Well, the Times of London is now claiming that Pachauri deliberately hid the information about those melting Himalayan glaciers error until after the Copenhagan Conference and only when forced to acknowledge the error by the Times' reporting.


http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article7009081.ece

Here's my prediction: Sometime in the next 5-25 years, we are going to all realize that this global warming, climate change, or whatever you want to call it is the biggest hoax in world history.

I think the time has come for someone to launch an investigation into the agenda behind all these lies. In addition, we need to know who is getting rich off this movement. We could start with Al Gore.

A Letter from Congress to the President on Israel

Below is a letter signed by more than 50 members of Congress to President Obama asking him to address the issue of the protective wall that Israel has built to keep out terrorists (Hat tip to Investigative Project on Terrorism).

http://www.mpac.org/docs/Gaza-letter-to-Obama.pdf

While giving lip service to Israeli concerns for safety against terrorists, they call for a lifting of a blockade that would prevent certain items like construction materials and fuel from entering into Gaza. I am not familiar with each and every name, but all the names I recognize are Democrats.


Below is a list of members of Congress who have received donations from the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). Read and compare the recipients with the signatories to the above letter.

-Source: Wall Street Journal/Market Watch





FROM the Senate:
Barbara Mikulski – D-MD
Paul Durbanes – D- MD
Debbie Stabenow – D-MI
Dick Durbin – D-IL
Kent Conrad – D- ND

From the House:
Joe Sestak – D-PA
John Conyers – D-MI (#4)
Keith Ellison – D-MN
Jesse Jackson, Jr. – D-IL (#6)
Danny Davis – D-IL
Gary Miller – R- CA
Loretta Sanchez – D-CA
Linda Sanchez – D-CA
Jan Schakowsky – D-IL
Gregory Meeks – D-NY
Albert Wynn – D-MD
Betty McCollum – D-MN
Lois Capps – D-CA
Bill Pascrell – D-NJ
Benjamin Cardin – D-MD
Elijah Cummings – D-MD
Gerry Connelly – D-VA
Anna Eshoo – D-CA
Bob Filner – D-CA
Wayne Gilchrest – R-MD
Mike Honda – D-CA
Dennis Kucinich – D-OH (#5)
Barbara Lee – D-CA (#7)
Zoe Lofgren – D-CA
John Dingell – D-MI (Tied #7 w/Lee)
James Moran – D-VA (#2)
Nick Rahall – D-WV (#1)
Charles Rangel – D-NY
Dutch Ruppersberger – D-MD
Pete Start – D-CA
Chris Van Hollen – D-MD
Andre Carson – D-IN
Shelia Jackson Lee – D-TX (#9)
Adam Schiff – D-CA
Mary Jo Kilroy – D-OH
Darrell Issa – D-CA (#3)
Carolyn Kilpatrick – D- MI (#8)
Jim McDerrmott – D-WA (#10)
Nancy Pelosi – D- CA

Numbers beside name are the top ten cash recipients.



Note that there are two Republicans on the list (Gary Miller-CA and Wayne Gilchrest-MD). In addition, Darrell Issa is incorrectly listed as a Democrat. The rest are Democrats. Do you detect a trend here?

Anti-Semitism in Malmo, Sweden

Ilmar Reepalu-Mayor of Malmo, Sweden


I am cross-posting this entry from the Orange County Independent Task Force on Anti-Semitism on the current situation in Malmo, Sweden. I have posted past articles on Malmo. It appears the Jewish residents are not only unsafe in Malmo, but do not have a sympathetic mayor.

http://octaskforce.wordpress.com/2010/01/29/malmo-sweden-jewish-sites-defaced-threats-against-jews-have-increased-many-young-jewish-families-are-leaving/

Here is the original report (in Swedish) in the Skanska Dagbladet newspaper.

http://www.skanskan.se/article/20100127/MALMO/701269748/1057/*/reepalu-israel-har-skapat-en-varbold---------------------------------------------------------------------

Fousesquawk comment: And the mayor had to make this statement on International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

There is one important point missing in the article. It is not just Jewish families who are leaving Malmo; may non-Muslim residents have decided to get out of a city in which the Muslim population has all but taken over. It is not just their presence that is a problem because a peaceful Muslim population would be no cause for concern. Yet, the city is no longer safe and Muslim demonstrations have often turned violent.



"O Jews-The army of Mohammed is returning."

The scene above is from last March when Muslim protesters forced a Davis Cup tennis match between Sweden and Israel to be played in an empty arena. I also posted the below clip about Malmo last March.



How sad. During the Second World War, Denmark smuggled most of their Jews across the Baltic to Southern Sweden rather than hand them over to the Nazi occupiers (unlike many occupied countries that cooperated with the Germans in rounding up their own Jews for the death camps). It would be expected that the Swedes would be more supportive of their small number of Jewish residents. Alas, however, it is the squeaky wheel that gets the grease. The Muslims are more numerous, more vocal and many are ready to resort to violence and intimidation to get what they want from the host country.

And make no mistake; they are succeeding.

The Big Diggers Are Back

Kudos to CNN for letting the public know today about the scandal surrounding Boston's infamous Big Dig, that tunnel that goes through downtown. According to CNN's "Stimulus Desk", the Dig was rife with corruption, much of it centered around the company that laid the cement-Aggregate Industries. It seems the cement was poorly mixed and the composition concealed from inspectors. Now keep in mind, the Big Dig is a tunnel and inferior cement could result in ceilings caving in on drivers.

This brings to mind the years I spent in Bangkok, when road construction was subject to similar shenanigans. The result was potholes big enough for a truck to fall into during monsoon season (I am not exaggerating.)

Any, so the story goes, the State of Massachusetts brought charges against Aggregate, which resulted in a $50,000,000 fine. The stipulation was that Aggregate would not be excluded from future government contracts. CNN even showed a copy of the agreement on the screen. But did you notice who signed off on the agreement as state attorney general?

"Yeah, Ah did."


Martha Coakley!!

Result? Aggregate has received recent contracts in the Stimulus Package for $10,000,000 worth of jobs!

California Fights Global Warming-No More Free Parking

Alan Lowenthal, one of the loony Democrat state senators in Sacramento, has proposed a bill that would cure California of its pollution problems and fight global warming; no more free parking spaces in California.

That's right (and this bill has already passed the State Senate).

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-free-parking29-2010jan29,0,6147903,print.story

You see, the reasoning goes like this: More people drive cars because California has too many free parking places! That's right. That means that the abundance of free parking spaces in our state causes more people to drive cars instead of taking public transportation. Take away the parking places and everybody will take public transportation especially in cities like Los Angeles, which is just bursting with efficient buses, taxis, subways and monorails waiting for people to use them.

Plus don't forget all that revenue to the state from parking meters. Win win situation!

What's next? A parking meter in my garage?

John Edwards-"The Politician"

John Edwards at Raleigh-Durham Airport, December 11, 2009 after returning from Bunny Mellon's Virginia farm on a Mellon private plane.



http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/35123602/ns/today-today_people/

More revelations are coming out of Andrew Young's book ("The Politician"), which is all about the John Edwards scandal. Granted, I have not read the book, and in fairness, we should not forget that Young was a close aide to Edwards and participated in this scheme to hide the North Carolina senator's love affair and illegitimate child. His own credibility should be considered.

Having said that, there is still a big legal cloud hanging over Edwards in connection with all that money that went to Rielle Hunter. Where did it come from? Did it come from campaign donations?

Now the name Bunny Mellon comes out. According to Young, Bunny (of the famed Mellon dynasty) contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to Edwards which went to support Hunter. We also know that Edwards personally visited her a month before conceding he was the father of Hunter's baby.

Even assuming that Ms. Mellon is one-hundred per cent alert and lucid, how unseemly is this that Edwards is personally asking her for all this money? Did she know what it was for? Was a 99-year-old rich woman manipulated by Edwards into funding this cover-up? What was said during that Virginia meeting between Edwards and Mellon? Why was there such a meeting in the first place?

There may be a perfectly legitimate explanation for all this, or perhaps better stated one that is not a technical violation of law, but....

What a guy!

Zionist Organization of America Opens Orange County Chapter

On Thursday evening, I attended the inaugural event for the new Zionist Organization of America chapter in Orange County, California. The featured speaker was my friend and colleague Susan Tuchman, who is the chief of ZOA's legal division in New York. Also present was Steve Goldberg of ZOA's Los Angeles office. If you are wondering why ZOA has decided to open up an Orange County chapter, let me just say that the main topic of discussion tonight was UC-Irvine.

Of course, I have written extensively about the on-going issues at UCI surrounding the Muslim Student Union's advocacy of the Palestinian cause and the virulently anti-Israel speakers they routinely bring to campus. No need to repeat most of that here. Ms Tuchman spoke eloquently about the history of how ZOA got involved in the allegations of anti-Semitism at UCI. She spoke about the lawsuit ZOA brought against UCI with the Dept. of Education Civil Rights Office, a suit that ended unsuccessfully not on its merits, but because the agency decided that Jews were a religious group not covered under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act protecting ethnic and racial minorities. The decision is still under appeal.

Ms. Tuchman spoke movingly of individual Jews who had been intimidated because of their Jewish identity and support for Israel. She spoke of Jewish students who appealed to the administration and got no results. She spoke of Jewish students who gave up and left UCI rather than continue to put up with the tense atmosphere on campus. She spoke of one past Jewish student who some years back was accosted by pro-Palestinian students as she passed by what was supposed to be a silent protest and was screamed at. She wrote a letter to the (previous) chancellor complaining about the incident. She received no reply from the then-chancellor but instead received a reply from a lower official suggesting she go to the counseling office and get help in dealing "with her own issues".

Tuchman also described the on-going controversy over George Galloway's visit last year in which funds were raised for Viva Palestina that resulted in a convoy of supplies, materiel and funds to Gaza. ZOA is still awaiting a response from UCI on the results of an internal investigation into whether campus fund-raising rules were violated. The Department of Justice has also been requested to investigate.

Many questions came from the audience regarding the administration's lack of response to charges of anti-Semitic harassment at UCI. Ms Tuchman advised the audience that the university's position is that it is a matter of free speech. True enough, but Tuchmann said that the university has a responsibility to use its own right of free speech to condemn hateful speech when it occurs on their campus.

It was good that Ms Tuchman and Mr Goldberg traveled to Orange County to show their support. It was also good to renew my acquaintance with Susan and pledge to ZOA whatever assistance I can offer in fighting anti-Semitism.

True Love Department-John Edwards

"Let me call you sweetheart,
I'm in love with youuuuuuu...."


News item: Elizabeth Edwards confirms that she and John (Two-American Families) Edwards have separated. Meanwhile, John has issued the obligatory statement about how much he cares for Elizabeth.....

"Let me call you sweetheart,
I'm in love with youuuuuuu...."


Yes, folks, another chapter in the on-going saga of the man who could have been our president. Phony fathers, hiding in hotel mens' rooms, trying to buy off DNA results, used diapers, sex tape, money trails.....

"Let me call you sweetheart,
I'm in love with youuuuuuu......."

Obama's State of the Union

President Obama's speech last night may have been a sign that state of the union speeches are not designed for great orators-which Obama apparently used to be. With few exceptions, it might as well have been Gerald Ford up there speaking. All in all, Obama's speech was technocratic, delving into such exotic items as the economy, jobs, and other minutia. I don't see this as an event that will turn Obama's fortunes around. I think within the next few days, it will drag his ratings down lower.

A couple of signs that the speech wasn't going to go well were when Harry Reid was caught on camera in the first ten minutes about to doze off. Loretta Sanchez (D-CA) was also caught texting during the speech.

Off topic: If you ask me, that blue carpet on which the President walks down the aisle on his way to the podium should be renamed "Brownnoser Blvd."

And did you get a load of Nancy Pelosi and Joe Biden? Memo to White House: Never put the president in front of those two characters. The TV audience had to have been distracted by those two clowns, Biden resplendent in his bright purple tie and Cheshire smile with Pelosi matching in her lavender dress and Cheshire smile. Actually, Pelosi wasn't there. Madame Tussaud sent over a wax effigy with strings attached to pull her up and down Howdy Doody style for the applause lines.

And where was Hillary?

Well, she was over at some conference in London telling the Yemeni government that they need to cut down on corruption. Add that to her list of "accomplishments".

And how many of you noticed as the camera scanned the audience how old and decrepit those faces were? I hate to sound partisan, but the worst were the Dems. Can we say "term limits"?

Remember a few days ago in Ohio when Obama said, "It's not about me"? Well, his speech last night was ALL about him. How many times did he use the words, "I", "me", "my"? How many times did he use the term "invest", which really means "spend"? Did he say something about a partial spending freeze? Yes, he did. How's that gonna work?

He also spoke out against earmarks. Has he forgotten those 9,000 or so that were in his stimulous package?

But the worst was when he called out the Supreme Court for their recent decision against McCain-Feingold. As he scolded them like school children, his Democrat minions stood and applauded while the justices sat silently and sullenly. Sam Alito was actually caught on camera, silently mouthing the words, "that's not right or "that's not true". Alito was apparently referring to Obama's statement that foreign corporations could now contribute unlimited funds into American elections-a totally false claim.

Watch CBS News Videos Online

Or maybe Alito meant, "that's not right what you are doing to us".

Watch for this moment to be talked about nationally until Obama issues some sort of apology, which he should. On the other hand, the Dems are already lining up to condemn Alito. First out of the box is that horse's ass from Vermont, Patrick Leahy, who talked about "when justices stayed out of politics". For crying out loud, Alito didn't say anything. He winced and mouthed it to himself. What's next? Will we watch to see if his eyes contract? The point is that the President did something to my knowledge unprecedented. He castigated the Supreme Court in front of Congress and a national TV audience while they were sitting right there-and mis-characterized the decision to boot. He was wrong and should apologize to the entire court.

Off topic: Speaking of the Supreme Court, did you see Ruth Bader Ginsburg last night? Not looking well.

Obama really gave it a half-hearted effort when talking about the econonmy and jobs. Ditto for national security. While acknowledging that business is the biggest engine for creating jobs, he went right into what the government should do. The truth is that Obama's silly claim to have saved millions of jobs with his stimulus package is bogus. He created or saved GOVERNMENT jobs and did zilch for the private sector. But now he is calling for a JOBS BILL!! Along the way, of course, he attacked the banks, insurance companies, CEOs, and Wall Street. I didn't hear him say anything about Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and their misdeeds. Did he mention Barney Frank's name? No.

War on terror? We're going to leave Iraq. Nothing about sending top terrorists to New York for federal trials. Nothing about the Justice Department's decision to give the Detroit bomber an attorney and put him into a federal court.

And of course, he indirectly slapped George W Bush around by talking about how horrible things were when he came into office. Well, nothing's changed and he has been here a year now.

What was the classiest moment of the night? That would be when he gave the obligatory salute to the First Lady. Michelle graciously simply smiled and motioned for the crowd to sit down. Classy.

Quite unlike a former first lady I could name but won't. (You know who.)



And Chris Matthews said what????


Somebody please give that man a washcloth.

Kalifornia Releasing 6,500 Prisoners to Save Money

Kalifornia's safe streets


In another one of Governor Katzenjammer's great collaborative ideas with the Kalifornia legislature, the state has begun releasing 6,500 prisoners in order to save money.

This was first proposed last year, and the trolls up in Sacramento even had the chutzpa to tell us it was going to make our "streets safer"! Then they were talking about releasing 27,000 prisoners until the public outcry became too loud. Any way, now it is reality, albeit it a lesser number.

Funny thing is nobody has thought of cutting prison costs by reducing the vast prison bureaucracy. The reason is that the California prison guard union is one of the biggest and most powerful of the all-powerful public employee unions that really run California. There will be no layoffs, no reduced benefits, no slashing the executive positions here, folks.

Result? Over 6,000 prisoners back on our streets. All in the name of saving money-until they commit their next crime, of course. Think this move will lead to increased court time and legal expenses when these mopes are re-arrested?

But it gets even better. In recent days, Katzenjammer has floated the idea of Kalifornia building prisons in Mexico to house illegal aliens who commit crimes in the US (wink, wink, nod, nod). That one was quickly laughed out of town, so Arnold dropped the idea.

The good news is that Katzenjammer is termed out this year, and we will have a new governor. The bad news is that it will probably be good old Jerry Brown.

Another Robert Gibbs Classic

Robert Gibbs, White House Press Spokesman and professional comedian, has done it again. Watch as he tells Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday how Scott Brown's Senate victory in Massachusetts was an expression of support for Obama's policies-or something like that.

Alfred E. Newman Sues Fousesquawk

I have been notified by the attorney representing Alfred E. Newman that a lawsuit is being filed against Fousesquawk on Newman's behalf for defamation of character.

According to an affadavit filed by Newman's attorney, the basis for the lawsuit is two photographs of Newman that have appeared in Fousesquawk in the past week. Here they are:

Alfred E. Newman pictured with Anjem Choudary



Alfred E. Newman pictured with George Galloway


As a result, I have formally apologized to Mr. Newman, who now says I can leave the photos up.

Is Harry Reid Finished?

"He looks so peaceful."

"Yes. Almost as if he were asleep."

(Apologies to Henry Waxman for blocking out his haaandsome face.)


Let's be honest. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is not the most charismatic guy in the world. Far from it. When Reid walks into a room, the paint on the walls starts peeling, flowers die, babies cry and dogs growl. Even Nancy Pelosi cringes when Reid puts his arm around her.

Yet, this guy has risen to the top of the Senate. Just goes to prove that old adage about things that rise to the top.

Now, it looks like Reid is nearing the end of his Senate career and about to embark on his new career as a lobbyist. (You heard it here first.) Facing an election next fall, Reid's poll numbers show him some 30 points behind his Republican competitor-whoever that is. Hell, a recent poll even showed Reid lagging behind that other famous Nevada resident, O.J. Simpson, were he to declare his candidacy. (Just kidding.)

The fact is with Reid leading a Democratic majority and a far-left president in office, the public has finally realized what a shifty-deal-making goof Reid really is. The nation has spoken rather loudly and clearly on the subject of health reform, yet Reid is still scheming to ram this deal down our throats because-or rather- if he can. Hell, he's the parliamentary expert, he has the majority and if there's a way to do it, he's gonna do it, by golly. Buy off a couple of senators with sweetheart deals that apply only to their states? Let's do it (Louisiana-Nebraska). Change the procedure to get that 51 vote majority instead of that pesky 60-vote majority? (Reconciliation). Let's do it. What we have here is a deal-maker-and not much else.

Of course, ten months is a long time in the electoral process, and things could change between now and November. More deals could be made, ACORN could escape its, uh, legal predicament in Nevada, and thus, be freed up to uh, shall we say register enough people to vote for Reid, and voila! Another great victory for the Democrats. Hopefully, the sparsely-inhabited state of Nevada doesn't have enough cemeteries to produce enough voters for Reid. Of course, they could always round up all those guys on the Vegas streets who pass out porn flyers to passers-by. They could make the difference, you know.

But if things continue along their present trend, which I think they will, Harry Reid will take his deal-making skills to Washington's famed red-light district on K Street* come 2011, helping out his sons who are already DC lobbyists. (You didn't think he was going back to Searchlight, Nevada, did you?)

What, you say? He would have to wait two years or something like that, according to the law? Silly me. Reid will have to call himself a "consultant". Pardon my goof.

*K Street- Where many of Washington's lobby firms are located.

James O'Keefe Busted

Guess who has been busted along with 3 other people. Remember that guy, James O'Keefe, who posed as a pimp and secretly recorded visits to several ACORN offices with his purported prostitute?

Well,it looks like O'Keefe and others are now charged with "attempting to tamper" with the phones of Senator Mary Landrieu's New Orleans office posing as telephone repairmen. (Man! I thought his pimp ruse was weak.)

At this point, we don't know much else-namely, who else is involved in this scheme. While on the treadmill a few minutes ago, I was watching MSNBC's Chris Matthews soiling his pants in glee as he discussed the case with Patrick Buchanan and liberal commentator David Korn. (Can you imagine what Olbermann will do with this? Oh, he's on? Yes, there he is talking about it now.) Anyway, on Hardball, the subject of Watergate, the infamous break-in of some 38 years ago, was brought up as if this might be a second Watergate.

Well, Chris, only if this leads right to the president's office. If it leads to some political operative, it would be something on a lesser scale.

"That's right!"

(Back so soon?)


All of which led David Korn to comment,

"What did the far-right blogosphere know, and when did they know it?"



Well, let me say something about that. First of all, O'Keefe's previous mentor, guide or whatever you care to call him, Andrew Breitbart, has issued a statement on his Big Government blog that he only became aware when he heard the news and has no connection to this latest adventure by O'Keefe.

As for me, let's see. What I know is what is in the media reports. When did I learn it? I would say about 3 pm (PST) when I saw it on the Internet. That takes care of my alibi.

To be a little more serious, I freely admit that I posted, most, if not all, of O'Keefe's ACORN stings on this blog. I have no plan to remove them. I think what O'Keefe did was good, OK? (as long as he didn't violate any state taping laws.) As a former DEA agent, I have participated in countless bugs and telephone taps-all legally court authorized. I am fully aware of how serious a crime illegal bugging is. If O'Keefe and his cohorts are guilty then they should go to jail. Similarly, whoever else put them up to this should be exposed and go to jail as well.

A Little Tolerance, Please?

Imam Hassen Chalghoumi


The two below articles describe disturbing events in Egypt and Paris. In Egypt, Christians are being attacked, while in Paris, an imam who was trying to bring peace and good relations between Muslims and Jews has been attacked and threatened with death by co-religionists who don't share his ideas of peace and tolerance.

liveshots.blogs.foxnews.com/2010/01/26/christian-in-egypt-they-try-to-kill-us/

http://jta.org/news/article/2010/01/26/1010340/islamic-extremists-threaten-jewish-friendly-imam

The Paris incident is of particular importance to me because in the US, there are many inter-faith events between Muslims, Jews and Christians. In the past two years, I have attended a couple of such events, mostly out of curiosity and also because I wanted to pose some hard questions to the imams representing Islam. While I applaud the idea and sentiment behind such events, I am a little suspicious of the motives of the Muslim contingents-not all certainly- but some-given the Islamic concept of taqqiya (deception). One of the aforementioned imams I encountered has a rather checkered profile when it comes to the idea of moderation. On both occasions, I was less than satisfied with the responses I got to my questions.

That being said, while I know nothing of the Paris imam in question, if he is truly interested in building bridges, then he deserves our support-especially when he is confronted with the hateful elements. This strikes me as similar to other Muslims-and ex-Muslims-who have spoken out against radicalism, terror and hate at great risk to their lives.

These two stories merit the attention of CAIR, that US-based group that is always ready to pounce on any anti-Muslim incident-real or manufactured. I have commented on a few such incidents in the US and expressed concern. One of them turned out to be a hoax, the second appears to be a hoax and the latest (in southern California) is unsolved (the defacement of an Islamic display during the recent holidays).

The fact of the matter is that in spite of everything that is going on, Americans have been remarkably tolerant toward our Muslim neighbors-with a few exceptions. We should continue to do so, but tolerance is a two-way street. It appears that there is a shortage of tolerance in Egypt and Paris.

Who is Ellie Light?

"Today, the president is being attacked as if he'd promised that our problems would wash off in the morning. He never did. It's time for Americans to realize that governing is hard work, and that a president can't just wave a magic wand and fix everything."

-Ellie Light

This is a "letter to the editor" that has been showing up in numerous newpapers around the country. Here is a quote from Hot Air:

"Editors all over the country found Light’s message strangely compelling. It was reprinted at The Politico; the Philadelphia Daily News; the San Francisco Examiner; the Washington Times; and a USA Today blog. In addition, the letter has appeared at literally dozens of small-town papers across the country, with names like the Los Banos Enterprise, the North Adams Transcript, and the Danbury News-Times."

-Hot Air

Hot Air's report on this is accompanied by a picture of President Obama's top advisor, David Axelrod. (I wonder why.) You remember him-the same guy that used to send e-mails from the White House to millions of every-day Joes like me-until somebody blew the whistle.

"Olly Olly Oxenfree"- "Ellie Ellie Axelrod"


So how is it that newspapers all over the country are getting this same message from one "Ellie Light" claiming to be a local resident and defending our president?

"Easy."

Geert Wilders' Opening Statement

Video by Vlad Tepes Blog-hat tip to Klein Verzet


Above is Dutch parliamentarian Geert Wilders' opening statement at his trial in The Netherlands on charges he has incited hatred against Muslims and immigranmts. It is in Dutch with English sub-titles.

I feel it is an eloquent statement in defense of frredom of speech. I recognize that European countries have laws governing speech which are often not as absolute as our laws in America. Yet, it is frightening that this man might go to prison for his words. To my knowlege, Wilders has never advocated violence against any group, nor hatred toward any group as a people. He feels that Islam represents a threat to Western ideals of freedom. He does not attack Muslims as people, yet he has pointed out that Islam has tenets that conflict with Western ideals of freedom. For that, he risks going to prison.

One might note that on this blog, I have often attacked the words of others, including those I consider Islamic radicals who preach hate against non-Muslims. Yet I have never advocated that those whose words I condemn be arrested and imprisoned for those words.

That is exactly what is happening to Geert Wilders today in The Netherlands. I think it is shameful, and I hope that the final verdict will be that Wilders has a right under Dutch law to express his opinion.

Fighting Over Viva Palestina Money

George Galloway and his Viva Palestina Friends


The below article comes to us from Steve Emerson's Investigative Project on Terrorism and concerns a reported squabble over money delivered to Gaza (Hamas) by your friend and mine, George Galloway and his Viva Palestina gang. It contains an article from the Fatah-run news organ, Voice of Palestine (Fatah is a rival of Hamas.)

http://www.investigativeproject.org/blog/2010/01/true-beneficiaries-of-viva-palestina-aid

What catches the eye is the word "funds". It appears that the squabbling (not surprisingly) is not over food, medical supplies or ambulances, but funds.

Cash.

My question is- how much cash came out of the US? Isn't there a reporting requirement when you take more than a certain amount of money out of the US?

"Uhhhh.......yeaaaah."

Yeah!


Has Viva Palestina complied with this requirement? That is up to our government agencies in Justice, Treasury and Homeland Security to find out, and that should be rather easy. (That is unless Tim Geithner tries to do it all on Turbo Tax, but I digress.)

And that doesn't even get into the question of all that cash (if the Fatah story is true)that has gone right to Hamas-a US-designated terrorist organization.

The Ft Hood Report-Disgraceful

Togo West


With all due respect to Togo West's military service, his report on the Ft Hood massacre was a disservice, both to the American public and to the military.

West's report is a product of the same political correctness that led to the massacre in the first place. It says nothing about what caused the killings in the first place-Islamic Jihadist terrorism. One can only suspect that someone verrrry high up in the government told him what not to say in the report.

It seems that what West is recommending is more bureaucratic reporting requirements that would only make the situation worse.

Recommendation: "Develop a risk-assessment tool for commanders."

The problem in the military is that Major Hasan was kept in the Army and promoted instead of being kicked out because of political correctness. He was a Muslim-and a very militant and vocal one at that. Despite all the warning signs, the Army was afraid to take the necessary action because they knew that Hasan would yell racism and bring in CAIR to file lawsuits galore. It is clear that even those above Hasan, the colonels and the generals, were afraid of discrimination complaints and/or lawsuits. And you know what those things lead to in an officer's career? Bad fitness evaluations, loss of promotions and being forced to retire.

It reminds me of when I was a young military policeman in Germany. What did unit commanders fear more than anything? DRs. (delinquency reports). What that meant was that if soldiers from their units got driving citations or were picked up by the MP's and charged with some offense, that was a "DR" that was hung on that unit. Too many DRs were a negative reflection on commanders' efficiency reports.

Noted that I am talking about the Army in the 1960s, and I don't know what has changed. It seems to me, however, that Major Hasan posed a problem for the Army, and nobody wanted to do anything about it. Had Hasan been a white, Anglo-Saxon, Protestant male with an attitude problem, that attitude would have been "adjusted" quickly and decisively.

Now comes Togo West' vanilla report that talks about this incident as if Pvt. Charles Mansen got drunk one night and shot up the post, and how can we prevent this from happening again? Well, you can't prevent it from happening if you refuse to acknowledge the threat and from where it is coming.

West's report has only highlighted and compounded the problem of political correctness that exists in our military. If it is not addressed and corrected quickly, we can only await the next attack.

This is Just a Test....

This is just a test. I am experimenting with adding some new artwork to my blog. The reader should infer no facts or associations with this picture. It is just a test.

"Apologies" to Anjem Choudary and his friends.

So how do you like it?

(Not you, Choudary-you bum.)

Dutch Protest for Wilders

(Video by Vladtepe.com)

This video shows Dutch protesters outside the courthouse showing their support for Geert Wilders, who is on trial in The Netherlands for criticizing Islam. Their comments are translated from Dutch to English. These people cannot be dismissed as racists. They have real concerns over what is happening to Wilders as well as their country.

Could it be that the Dutch are waking up? Given what has happened in Switzerland and the public opinion polls in Europe supporting the Swiss, could it be that the Europeans have finally woken up?

More Global Warming "Bolshoi"

The "Bolshoi Ballet" performed by the IPCC


(Hat tip to Maggie's Notebook)

For my Global Warming friends and other assorted "peer reviewers", here is the latest on that disappearing Himalayan hoax from the Daily Mail (UK).



http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1245636/Glacier-scientists-says-knew-data-verified.html

No peer review???


Rajendra Pachauri- IPCC head, Nobel prize winner, friend of Al Gore and all-around fraud


I should point out that in some cultures, Mr Pachauri is stating in the photo, "I am an A-Hole", which is currently under "peer review".

What's the old adage about putting lipstick on a pig? In this case, you can put lipstick on a bull, and what you have is still "bolshoi".

Obama Whining in Ohio

This posting first appeared in Grizzly Groundswell on 1-25-10.



Things have not been going well for President Obama lately. Poll numbers are down, and government health care is on the ropes again after the stunning defeat in Massachusetts. So it looks like the President has decided to go back into campaign mode (as if he ever left it). His speech this past week at a town hall meeting in Ohio was more in the old campaign style. It flopped-again. Could it be that as the Muddy Waters song goes, "the thrill is gone"?

Obama's speech was an exercise in whining. He is still trying to play the class-envy game. He attacked the banks, but he never blamed Barney Frank, who is responsible more than anyone for creating the mortgage mess. He never blamed the quasi-government entities known as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. He blames Bush for all "the problems he inherited when he took office." Yet, he, who was elected to fix said problems, has been president for a year. He talks repeatedly about jobs, but except for creating lots of high-paying government bureaucratic jobs, he creates none for the private sector.

The most ironic point Obama tried to make was when he claimed that, "it's not about me....", then proceeded to talk about himself. You see, it's all because he is a strong leader who wasn't afraid to tackle the problems and try to solve them. The reason his numbers are bad is because he chose not to "kick the problems down the road". He is a whiner now. He can't acknowledge that the majority of people in this country do not want his massive power grab for himself and his Democrat-run Congress. They don't want this massive government health care take-over, and they are letting him know it. Already, the cracks in Congress are starting to to appear. A handful of Democrats are hinting it's time to take a step back. Nancy Pelosi says the Senate bill doesn't have the votes in the House.

But Obama is too busy talking to listen. He doesn't realize that the audience has started heading for the aisles. Now he thinks it is time to ratchet up the oratory that worked so well on the campaign trail. It seems now, however, that people find his oratory boring.

As I've said before, Barack Obama is like the con-man who can talk his way right in your front door-then proceeds to talk his way right out the back door.

New Jewish Blood Libel is Making the Rounds-Now Haiti

The old Jewish blood libel is being resurrected by the enemies of Israel. The claim about Israeli military forces killing Palestinians in order to harvest their body parts is now being spread to Haiti. This is thanks to some loon named T. West, who heads a black solidarity group called Afri Synergy. West has produced a video warning Haitians that the Israeli rescue workers and doctors may try to steal the body parts of their loved ones. In the above video, you can watch and listen as West makes his charges-without any corroboration.

Nevertheless, the claim is gaining currency among those who hate Israel-and who hate Jews in general. One by one, they are pouncing on this. The Iranian-run English-language Press TV is running the story, which you can check out below. One of Press TV's "journalists" has been British radical and Muslim-convert Yvonne Ridley. I wonder if she subscribes to this latest pipe dream. I guess I will add this to all the previous questions I have posed to Ridley on this blog.

http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=116613§ionid=351020706

Then there is the anti-Semitic web-site La Voz de Aztlan, run out of Los Angeles by a couple of guys who think the US Southwest belongs to Mexico and who hate Jews in general. One of their so-called reporters accompanied George Galloway to Gaza last year with one of his Viva Palestina convoys. This hateful website is running with the story, showing West's video and adding their own "inside information".

"Already a reporter said that a medical container with human corneas was noticed at the IDF tent hospital."

- La voz de Aztlan
http://www.aztlan.net/idf_harvesting_organs_in_haiti.htm

So my question would be who is the "reporter" who said this and who "noticed" this container, etc. Hell, the National Enquirer wouldn't even run a line like that without proof or some type of corroboration. You couldn't put a dog in the pound with that kind of evidence.

But while you are on the Aztlan site, I invite you to peruse the myriad of articles attacking Jews as people with or without any connection to Israel.

More serious than the accusation against the Israeli volunteers who are saving lives and giving medical aid to people in Haiti (something few if any of their enemies are doing, by the way) is the resurrection of an old anti-Jewish accusation that Jews were killing Christian children to use their blood in the making of matzo. It was a despicable lie that persevered for ages only out of Jew hatred. It is like the fictitious "Protocols of the Elders of Zion" story concocted by elements of tsarist Russia to convince people there was a worldwide Jewish conspiracy to dominate the world. This preposterous fraud, though long debunked, still has currency in the Middle East.

Now, in the middle of a humanitarian crisis of epic proportions, the anti-Semitic hate-mongers in the Middle East, Europe and America are coming out from under their rocks in an effort to discredit a heroic effort on the part of the Israelis.

It is beyond despicable.

Former Prime Minister of Malaysia Attacks Jews

Mahathir Mohamad
"If they can make Avatar, they can make anything."

(Hat tip to American Thinker)

The Jakarta Globe article below reporters comments by former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad about the US and Jews. In the article Mohammed, speaking at at Islamic conference this week in Kuala Lumpur, accuses the US of staging 9-11 in order to go to war against Islam then goes on to attack Jews.

http://thejakartaglobe.com/home/if-us-could-create-avatar-it-could-fake-911-attacks-mahathir/354031

Is this guy nuts too? Here we have yet another fool who thinks the US faked 9-11 and that Jews deserved what has happened to them in Europe. It is beyond disgusting.

These comments come in the wake of recent attacks against Christian churches in Malaysia in reaction to the country's Supreme Court ruling that Christians in Malaysia can use the term "Allah" in reference to God.

For years, we had considered Malaysia to be a moderate country. (I visited Malaysia in the 1970s.) Now we must wonder. This, of course, is the same nation that historically has gone on anti-Chinese rampages when times were bad. For them, the Chinese residents were the scapegoats. Now, it appears that they have found new scapegoats.

It's only a matter of time before this character shows up speaking on US university campuses.

Global Warming and "Peer Review"

In the wake of recent Global Warming studies that have turned out to be....shall we say deficient, you hear a lot of talk about "Peer Review". When the East Anglia University emails surfaced, Global Warming advocates told us that the key was "Peer Review". The studies they relied on were subject to "Peer Review", you see. Thus, the "science is settled" in the words of Al Gore. Well, recently, we have seen surface another "scientific study" in California that was apparently "reviewed" by some of the people who had participated in the study. So I must say that I am less than impressed by all this talk of peer review.

Here is how the whole process works as I see it:

Step 1: The study is submitted.


Step 2: The study is reviewed:

"Looks OK to me."


Step 3: The study is reviewed again by a panel of "peers".

"It's unanimous, gentlemen. The science is settled."


Step 4: The results are published.




Step 5: Nobel Prizes are awarded.


Step 6: Laws are passed.



Step 7: Then we find out it's all.....


All one big vicious circle if you ask me.

Oh, by the way, you simply MUST read this wonderful book. I reviewed it myself. Two thumbs up as they say.

UN Report on Global Warming- False

Remember that UN (IPCC) report on global warming that led to a Nobel Prize last year?

"Uhhh....yeaaaaah."


Well, guess what.

It turns out that now the IPCC is apologizing because a critical part of that report was bogus.

As in BOGUS.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article6991177.ece

In the report, the IPCC claimed that the Himalayan glaciers were melting at such a fast pace that by 2035, they would disappear. In that report, they relied on a telephone conversation with an Indian scientist who is disowning statements accredited to him in the report. In addition, they overestimated the size of the glaciers by a few hundred thousand square kilometers.

Oh, and that year 2035? Actually, it was a typo. What they really meant to say was 2350!!!



And here's the kicker. This was the report that resulted in these boobs getting a Nobel Prize!!

And Al Gore?

Unavailable for comment

But this gets even better. In the past week, I have posted about the head of the California Air Resources Board, radical environmentalist Mary D Nichols, who hired a guy named Hien Tran to do a study on the connection between diesel particulate matter in the air and premature deaths. Based on this guy's fraudulent study, California has passed a regulation that is forcing diesel truck owners to re-do their engines at a cost of thousands of dollars and jobs as well. Turns out Mr Tran had a false resume and holds a PHD from a diploma mill in London operated by a US fugitive on the lam for serial child molestation charges. Nichols kept that bit of info hidden from her colleagues on the board as they passed the new regulation.

So now, listen below as Nichols appears on a panel in September 2008 with none other than UN Environmental head Rajendra Pachauri, one of the major actors at Copenhagen, and who accepted the Nobel Prize on behalf of the IPCC. Listen as they dismiss global warming skeptics as "flat-earthers".

http://odeo.com/episodes/23331982-Pachauri-and-Nichols-Are-Humans-to-Blame-for-Global-Warming

It's called "connecting the dots". Two frauds, who have now been linked to phony studies, sitting together and calling skeptics, "flat-earthers".

UN's Rajendra Pachauri-You be the judge.

Still believe in global warming?

"Uhhhhh........"

"Gary Fouse is a Pathetic 'Shabbos Goy'"

George Galloway and friends in Gaza


That is the comment I received from "Anonymous" this morning in response to my latest posting on a Zionist Organization of America press release on the George Galloway/Viva Palestina controversy.

http://garyfouse.blogspot.com/2010/01/zoa-press-release-on-george-galloway.html


I have to confess that I did not understand what the term meant, so I asked a couple of Jewish friends during the day and learned this:

A "Goy" is a Gentile, which I already knew. A "Shabbos Goy" is a Gentile who is hired by Orthodox Jews during the Sabbath to perform certain every day duties that Orthodox Jews are not supposed to do, such as turning electrical appliances on and off. It is a Yiddish term and to Jews is not offensive.

If I get Mr/Ms. Anonymous' bent, however, I would infer that this person is accusing me of being a Gentile tool of Jews because I am criticizing George Galloway, Viva Palestina, defending Israel and speaking out against anti-Semitism. If that is what "Anonymous" is implying, then I wear the label with pride.

In fact, I am grateful to "Anonymous" for making my point-namely that there is an anti-Semitic (Jewish) angle to all the Israel-bashing that goes on. My feud with Galloway began on May 21 of last year when he appeared at UC-Irvine and solicited funds for Viva Palestina to put together convoys to deliver supplies and who knows what else to the Hamas government that runs Gaza. These deliveries have caused demands for the Department of Justice to investigate Galloway's fund-raising in the US in support of a terrorist organization (Hamas). On May 21, Galloway called me a liar when I recounted pro-Palestinian rallies in the US that featured demonstrators yelling things like, "Long Live Hitler" and "Jews back to the ovens". Galloway made a fool out of himself because these incidents are well documented on YouTube and can be found on this blog as well as many others.

The pro-Palestinian lobby in the US, which is made up of Middle-Eastern activists and professors who have joined arms with far-left activists and professors, insists that they are not anti-Semitic-only anti-Zionist. For some that may be true, but for many others, it is merely a semantic game. Make no mistake; there is a strong anti-Jewish element present.

George Galloway strongly denies that he is anti-Jewish. I will take him at his word on that because I have no information to the contrary. Yet, he is firmly allied with forces that are anti-Jewish. Hamas itself is anti-Jewish. If you don't believe me, read their charter. On one of the past Viva Palestina convoys to Gaza, Galloway was accompanied by a "reporter" from the viciously anti-Jewish web site "La Voz de Aztlan", a radical site based in Los Angeles. This handful of Latino radicals has two basic issues; the Southwest US should revert to Mexico and Jews are evil and the cause of countless problems in the world. The anti-Semitic articles in the website go way beyond the issue of Israel; they attack Jews as people.

They have also attacked me in the web page of the UC-Irvine newspaper, New University.

I, of course, have raised the connection between Galloway, Viva Palestina and La Voz de Aztlan both on this blog and the UC-Irvine campus newspaper. I have listed the anti-Jewish articles that this toxic website has published. They are there and speak for themselves.

Now comes "Anonymous" with his/her statement that I am a "pathetic Shabbos Goy". Does this statement make me angry or defensive? Hardly. That is because the statement proves my point about why I got involved in all this controversy to begin with a few years ago. I stand against anti-Semitism and will not stand idly by when anti-Semitic voices come to my campus and spread their hateful poison. It has to be exposed because history shows us where this sentiment can lead.

So to "Anonymous", I say thank you for confirming my argument. You are not the first "Anonymous" to come to my site and make anti-Jewish statements, and you will not be the last. I note, however, that you and your like-minded thinkers have all chosen to remain anonymous rather than attach your name to your beliefs-as I always do. That means only one thing; you are cowards. Yet, I cannot blame you. If I had beliefs like you, I wouldn't sign my name either.

California-Singing in the Rain

In case you have not heard, we are having severe rainstorms in California. Our attorney general, Jerry Brown (remember him?), has declared a state of emergency in certain counties including Los Angeles.

Why is it Jerry Brown is declaring an emergency and not Governor Katzenjammer? Well, Katzenjammer is in Washington begging the federal government for 7 billion dollars in bailout money to help make up the 20 billion dollar deficit- all as a result of the state's out-of-control spending-which Katzenjammer thinks should be made up by tax-payers from the other 49 states.

Meanwhile, it has been reported that the LA City Council plans to declare a city-wide state of emergency-as soon as their next scheduled meeting-which I understand is next Tuesday.

Laffer of the Week- Hugo Chavez Says the US Has an Earthquake Machine

El Loco



It doesn't get any better than this. Hugo Chavez (aka El Loco)is saying the US deliberately set off the earthquake in Haiti.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,583588,00.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+foxnews%2Flatest+%28Text+-+Latest+Headlines%29


We have an earthquake machine!!! Talk about American ingenuity!

So what do we do with Chavez now. My suggestion is-click below.


Can they sing this in Spanish?

Fast-Talking Matthews Out-Talks Fast-Talking Dean

What happens when you get two obnoxious, fast-talking East Coast guys in a debate? Well, I guess one guy has to win. Thus, the checkered flag goes to MSNBC's Chris Matthews, who must get paid by the word. Watch above as he throws questions at Howard Dean and doesn't even let him answer before he throws two or three more at him.

What is funny is that Matthews is spending so much time talking and listening to himself talk he doesn't even realize that Dean is insulting him for his obnoxious style. In the end, Dean is laughing at Matthews, who is oblivious because he is too busy talking and making comments like the "voters are crazy" (for electing Scott Brown). Matthews even made Dean look good, which is no mean feat.

I,of course, am no journalist or TV interviewer, but I do have a lot of law enforcement experience in interviewing people. What I learned is that if you really want to get information from people, you have to......listen. Chris Matthews is no listener.

"Snarlin' Arlen Tells Michele Bachmann to "Act Like a Lady"

Check out this audio from the Domm Giordano Show, in which Arlen Spector shows us all how a gentleman talks to a lady.


(Hat tip to Hot Air)

ZOA Press Release on George Galloway Fundraiser at UC-Irvine

"That's him, your honor. He's the one in red. He was there at UCI on May 21, 2009. The guy in the blue? Never seen' em.




(Courtesy of the Orange County Independent Task Force on Anti-Semitism)

Below is a press release from the Zionist Organization of America regarding the on-going controversy of George Galloway's fundraising for Viva Palestina last year in the US. It focuses on the May 21, 2009 event at UC-Irvine.
--------------------------------------------------------------


ZOA Praises Presidents’ Conference For Urging Justice Dept. to Investigate Alleged Fundraising for Terrorist Group Hamas at UC Irvine’s Muslim Student Event


"The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) praises the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations for urging the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate the solicitation of funds for a group called Viva Palestina at a Muslim Student Union event at the University of California, Irvine on May 21, 2009, and whether those funds were provided to the terrorist group Hamas. In a letter to U.S. Attorney General Eric H. Holder, Jr., Alan P. Solow and Malcolm Hoenlein – the Chairman and Executive Vice Chairman, respectively, of the Presidents’ Conference – said, “We strongly support an investigation by the Department of Justice into whether funds solicited were provided to Hamas, which has been designated by the Department of State as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. Federal law prohibits furnishing material support or resources to U.S.-designated terrorist groups like Hamas.”

On May 21, 2009, a registered student group at UC Irvine called the Muslim Student Union featured extremist British politician and Israel-basher George Galloway, who spoke about his group called Viva Palestina and the convoys of supply-filled vehicles that the group was bringing into Gaza. This program was part of the annual Israel-bashing event that the Muslim Student Union sponsors on campus, this one entitled “Israel: The Politics of Genocide.”

There is evidence that at the event, funds were solicited from the audience for Viva Palestina. There is additional evidence – including a 31-page report about Viva Palestina prepared by terrorism experts at Steve Emerson’s Investigative Project on Terrorism – that Viva Palestina’s goal is not charitable but to provide support to Hamas. In fact, during the March 2009 Viva Palestina convoy to Gaza, Galloway stated, “This is not charity. This is politics.”

U.S. Congresswoman Sue Myrick (R-NC), the founder of the bipartisan congressional Anti-Terrorism Caucus, further documented Viva Palestina’s links to the terrorist group Hamas and recently called on the U.S. Treasury Department to “swiftly take action to designate Viva Palestina as a supporter of a Foreign Terrorist Organization, and thus prevent this group from continuing to provide material and/or financial aid to Hamas.” In her letter to U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, Congresswoman Myrick wrote that Viva Palestina “held more than 20 fundraisers in cities throughout the United States between April and June 2009. Galloway traveled around the country and spoke at most of the fundraisers, some held at college campuses. A fundraiser on July 2nd 2009 in Kansas City raised $103,000 in a single evening. That night Galloway also claimed to have raised $2 million for the convoy in the U.S.”

U.S. Congressman Brad Sherman (D-CA), Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade, recently called on Attorney General Eric Holder, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and Internal Revenue Service Commissioner Douglas Shulman to investigate Galloway, Viva Palestina, and an entity called the Interreligious Foundation for Community Organizations/Pastors for Peace (apparently a conduit for the receipt of funds for Viva Palestina) , to determine whether they have been soliciting funds for Hamas, a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization. Congressman Sherman has also urged UC Irvine’s Chancellor, Dr. Michael V. Drake, to thoroughly investigate the Muslim Student Union’s Galloway/Viva Palestina event, and to keep him apprised of the investigation’s status.

Calling the evidence of fundraising “alarming,” Congressman Sherman said, “I believe your investigation will confirm that the UCI MSU [Muslim Student Union] has solicited funds for a terrorist organization (or knowingly aided and abetted such solicitation). After you confirm these facts, I believe you will, at a minimum, prevent the MSU from operating on campus unless and until its leadership is purged of those responsible.”

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has also expressed concern. In a letter to the Attorney General, the ADL urged the Justice Department to investigate whether Viva Palestina has been raising funds “for the purpose of providing material support to Hamas.”

The ZOA furnished evidence about the solicitation of funds for Viva Palestina at UC Irvine and its support of Hamas to the university and to federal law enforcement officials. In response, UC Irvine says that it has referred the matter to law enforcement and initiated its own internal review.

On behalf of the Presidents’ Conference, Alan P. Solow and Malcolm Hoenlein informed Attorney General Holder that “[w]e write in support of the University of California Irvine’s call for an investigation into the solicitation of funds for Viva Palestina on its campus in May 2009. . . . Consistent with our country’s commitment to fighting international terrorism at home and abroad, the Justice Department should ensure that our anti-terrorism laws are not being violated and that our college campuses are not being used to promote or support terrorist groups.”

The ZOA’s National President, Morton A. Klein, echoed these sentiments and commended the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations for speaking out in favor of a federal investigation: “The ZOA strongly praises the Presidents’ Conference for urging that the Justice Department investigate what occurred at the Muslim Student Union event at which funds were solicited for Viva Palestina, and whether UC Irvine was used as a base for fundraising for the terrorist group Hamas. We also praise Congressman Brad Sherman, Congresswoman Sue Myrick, and the ADL for their efforts on this issue. Particularly now, when we are facing danger from terrorists and terrorist groups around the world, including right here in our own country, law enforcement officials must thoroughly investigate all incidents where there is any evidence that groups or individuals are promoting or supporting terrorist groups like Hamas.”


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fousesquawk comment: Amen. I was at the event on May 21, 2009 at UC-Irvine and witnessed the whole thing including the money collection. That was the night Galloway called me a liar when I recounted anti-Semitic chants that had been documented on YouTube during pro-Palestinian rallies.