While Saudi Arabia wages ruthless war on Yemen and beheads or otherwise dismembers its own dissidents, Israel continues its brutal onslaught of Gaza, suppresses internal dissent and hounds BDS activists around the world. Both get massive military aid from and work closely with the U.S. and, especially since 9/11, have been forging closer ties with each other.
Recent revelations that some local Jewish Federations (so far including Los Angeles and San Francisco) have been funding Canary Mission, a shadowy online blacklist that posts political dossiers on students who advocate for Palestinian rights, have brought long-simmering tensions within the Jewish diaspora in the United States more out in the open. And here in Portland this past Sunday, the Mittleman Jewish Community Center hosted a Jewish Federation of Greater Portland Gala Dinner to celebrat the 70th anniversary of the founding of Israel. It featured Ehud Barak, who as Defense Minister led the Gaza War in 2008-9 in which over 1200 Palestinians were killed and which helped start the spiral of violence in Gaza which continues to this day. As Prime Minister he continued the vast expansion of illegal Israeli settlements on Palestinian land.
Our guests today are, by phone, Ariel Gold, national co-director of CODEPINK, a women-led grassroots organization working to end U.S. wars and militarism, support peace and human rights initiatives, and redirect our tax dollars into healthcare, education, green jobs and other life-affirming programs. She has been a vocal activist in the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, to pressure Israel to come into compliance with international law and human rights standards and to stop the siege of Gaza, among other goals. Earlier this year, she was deported by Israel for her pro-BDS stance.
In the studio we have Elana Goldman, who recently established a new chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace at Portland State University. At PSU, she is studying women's studies and child and family studies.
- KBOO