Adam Shapiro is with the ISM, which promotes and organizes nonviolent direct action in Palestine. ISM is an activist network that brings together Palestinian and int'l activists and grassroots orgs to work towards freedom and an end to Israeli occupa
Producer: Old Lady Scar Arms Uploaded by: V-Man
This interview has caused quite an uproar. A local "activist" who holds a different view on the Israel/Palestine conflict posted a summary of this interview to a website called "HonestReporting.com" FRSC has recieved at least 100 hate letters and phone calls from pro-zionist readers of "HonestReporting.com" Not one of the hate letter writers has actually HEARD the interview, of course! Only read a biased summary. In the interest of fairness, we wanted to give them an opportunity to listen FOR THEMSELVES to what was said in the broadcast.
Here is the post made to "HonestReporting.com" :
BASHING IN SANTA CRUZ When it comes to Palestinians, some people in Santa Cruz, California, can't bend over far enough to defend them. On January 5, Free Radio Santa Cruz 96.3FM broadcast an interview with Alison Weir and Adam Shapiro. Weir is the founder of If Americans Knew, an anti-Israel group, and Shapiro is an American Jew who gained notoriety last spring by sneaking into Arafat's Ramallah compound for breakfast -- just a few weeks before Shapiro married his Palestinian girlfriend. Astonishingly, the Santa Cruz broadcast happened 7 hours after the horrific double-suicide bombing in Tel Aviv. Neither of the guests mentioned the massacre, though they spent much of their time bashing Israel. "When people say Israel has a right to exist, it means Israel has a right to discriminate," Weir declared. The show's host, Old Lady Scar Arms, asked, "Well, isn't Israel justified in having all these military arms? Aren't they surrounded by Arab nations who are hostile to them?" Weir's answer: "They would not need such a strong military if they gave human rights to everyone." She then explained that Arab countries have no desire to attack Israel, and that with one exception, Israel attacked first in the wars of 1948, 1956, 1967 and 1973. Weir says that in Israel "There is an enormous apartheid system." Yet she doesn't explain that Israel has an 18 percent Arab population who enjoy religious freedoms and full citizenship rights -- as well as 12 members of Knesset. Just like apartheid? Really.
And here is a sample of the hate mail we've been getting:
From: "charles segelbaum" To: <frsc@cruzio.com> Date: Wed, 15 Jan 2003 Subject: Palestine, my ass !!! free radio? Bullshit. Just a bunch of anti-Israel anti-semitic nazis. Shame on you. Your station is a disgrace to the great State of California. There is NO SUCH PLACE AS PALESTINE . No history, no language, no customs, just indigenous arabs coming in to cash in on Jewish brains and labour. The so-called palestinians sole contribution to the world - the suicide/homicide bomber. There never was, there isn't now and, if those pally assholes join with Iraq, THERE WILL NEVER BE A PALESTINE ENTITY, INSH'ALLAH Long live Israel, with all of Jerusalem her eternal undivided capital. Charles
From: "ADAM KLEIN" To: frsc@cruzio.com Date: Tue, 14 Jan 2003 Subject: Go Adolph Go! Remember this, wicked witches of the west! We Jews NEVER forget our enemies! You will reap what you SEW! Gad I love that!
From: "asrs6319" To: <frsc@cruzio.com> Date: Tue, 14 Jan 2003 Subject: to the editor Next time , I think, it would be appropriate by the standards of your radio station to invite UBL to "explain" to us the reason for his murderers attack. Mr. Albert Epshteyn.
From: "Lisa Kates" To:<frsc@cruzio.com> Date: Tue, 14 Jan 2003 Subject: lack of objective reporting perhaps you shaould take a history lesson before you continue to sprout out all sorts of lies. truth will always rule my dear. just look at history. the jewish people have always had enemies, it is just sad that they are among our own people. you will pay one day for all your untruths that you are spreading remember that
From: hirsch To: <frsc@cruzio.com> Date: Wed, 15 Jan 2003 Subject: Objectivity of your reporting I hope that the God of Israel will soon bring you to judgement as he did to Hitler.
AND FINALLY....
From: "Jonathan Gross" To: frsc@cruzio.com Date: Wed, 15 Jan 2003 Subject: WEIR-ED
People, Uh, I don't mind maniacs on the air...Just give equal time to maniacs with an opposing rant...