Cinnamon Stillwell covers this weekend’s poorpalestinian propaganda conference in Chicago at Front Page Magazine. Turns out the anti-Israel forces are meeting at the Wyndham O’Hare in Rosemont, Illinois, even as we speak. Probably just a coincidence that it’s the weekend of Tisha b’Av. Let’s see what we’re missing.
Friday afternoon, while we Jews were cleaning house and making challah, these folks were “Immortalizing [their] Narrative” and watching a film series on the “global Palestinian refugee experience.”
At candlelighting time, they were hearing poetry by Tamim Barghouti, the palestinian poet equivalent of American Idol. He probably recited his most famous poem ... about Jerusalem.
While we sat in shul on Shabbos morning, the enemy was choosing which workshop to attend.
- Transforming Narrative ... into Action
- Public Art / Culture of Resistance and Return
- Engaging Elected Officials
- Empowering the refugees to resist
- Inserting Palestine into high school curricula in the US
- Children’s Workshop (“intended for children aged 7 to 14")
As we listened to the rebuke of Moses (“So I spoke to you, but you did not listen, and you rebelled”) and the vision of Isaiah (“Your princes are rebellious and companions of thieves; everyone loves bribes and runs after payments”) -- attendees at the conference were hearing a panel of Israel-haters on the subject of “palestinian political prisoners in the U.S.”
According to Stillwell:
When my family and I moved from shul into “the new social hall” for a kiddush luncheon in honor of an upcoming marriage, the anti-Israel forces in Chicago were also having lunch. And listening to Dr. Rabab Abdelhadi‘s keynote address.
After lunch we walked home for a Shabbos shluf, as the enemy was taking part in a Town Hall meeting to discuss “What Comes Next” - and breaking afterwards for “Salat (prayers).”
Then, after napping, as I cozied up to read with my little Yidlet, the conference was breaking into afternoon workshops.
- Media 101: How to get a job in the industry and get heard
- The imperative of building community-based networks
- Hip-Hop and spoken word
- Break the siege on Gaza [live video from the ISM boatniks]
- (in Arabic) Finding new ways to collaboration to move forward
- Children’s Workshop: Mapping out Palestine
While we enjoyed our Third Meal which would have to tide us over through the coming fast, the conference broke for prayers again and then went into their third workshop session of the day.
- The Imperative for working with mainstream churches
- Dabkeh 101: folkloric dance
- Institutionalizing youth and student activism
- Past, present and future of palestinian activism in the U.S.
- Solidarity (with other liberation struggles) workshop
- Children’s Workshop: Arab-Black indigenous relations
Finally, last night, while we sat on the floor in shadow and listened to our Lamentations, our cousins the Ishmaelites held a “Cultural Banquet,” complete with keynote speakers, performances of hip hop, poetry, and folkloric music, followed by an art auction.
Enough, yeah? You can read today’s program for yourselves. The good news is that, since you’re fasting, you’re less likely to vomit. I think.
If you want me, I’ll be at shul.