Holding the Israeli flag won’t help

I’ve been writing over the last week about tonight’s performance in Melbourne of the play Seven Jewish Children. I’m hearing reports that the event was beyond packed, with hundreds turned away; a real thirst to hear open debate about the Middle East. More news as it comes to hand.

But, Melbourne blogger Benjamin Solah reports on a group of Zionists protesting outside the event:

As I went to leave, I found a mob of racist Zionists with Israeli flags protesting outside of the play – as expected – and they had surrounded another activist and were making those same disgustingly false claims of anti-Semitism.

They label any criticism of Israel as anti-Semitic. It’s a clever tool, to try and shut us up, to make us back away from attacking Israel as the racist state that it is. But we weren’t going to be silenced.

Supporters of the play that couldn’t get in remained outside chanting things like, “Stop the killing, stop the hate! Israel is a racist state!” and “You can kill, you can lie! Palestine will never die!” I can’t explain the anger that built up in me at seeing these people, supporters of killing Palestinian children, try to label us racist, to try and shut down our criticisms. It’s a complete joke!

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