Pro-Israel and Pro-Palestinian Demonstrations Gauge American Support

http://www.wrmea.com/archives/junejuly2002/0206014.html

Rallies held a week apart in Washington, DC provided American Jews and
Arab Americans with an almost test tube case to analyze the strengths and
weaknesses of both causes. The results were surprising—particularly for
Arab and Muslim Americans.

The Israel lobby seemed almost desperate to show its vaunted strength at its
hastily called April 15 rally. Jewish Americans were deeply concerned that
current events on the ground resulting from Israel’s invasion of the West Bank
would turn into a public relations nightmare. As atrocities committed by Prime
Minister Ariel Sharon’s troops came to light, they feared, it might become
increasingly difficult to sell the idea that Israelis were the underdogs. Hence
the need to portray “Bulldozer” Sharon’s ruthless actions to cripple the
fledgling Palestinian state into the daring deeds of a sympathetic,
terrorist-fighting character. Jewish American supporters of Israel used every
trick in the book to increase their numbers on the national capitol Mall.

Many Jewish day schools were given the day off and buses chartered to
transport the entire student bodies of these dozens of schools from all over
the East Coast. Kids from public schools who were Jewish simply took the
day off to add to the numbers, and hundreds of pro-Israel interns from all
over the United States appeared en masse. Adults from the East Coast and
as far away as Minnesota and Georgia—and even some well-heeled
delegations from the West Coast—converged on the Capitol grounds.

The result was a good turnout, which the pro-Israel lobby estimated at
100,000 people. The problem was that the turnout was just about 100
percent Jewish. If there were any bystanders who were not Jewish, they were
few and far between. The American Jewish community gave its all, in short. It
had no more.

Less than a week later, on April 20, was the demonstration in sympathy with
the Palestinians. Because so many Arab Americans were frightened as a
result of the Sept. 11 shock and its aftermath, it was anticipated that many of
them might be too intimidated to show up. That prediction, however, was
totally wrong. It turned out that Arab Americans, even many who had not yet
completed their citizenship requirements, were determined to take part. What
surprised people on the Mall, and in smaller sympathy demonstrations in other
parts of the country, was the astonishing turnout of people who never had
demonstrated before.

Organizers planned to have a number of students lead the parade. This was to
set the tone for those who followed and to keep the demonstration orderly
and relatively decorous. Just before the group set off, however, some
Palestinians said they would like to lead the demonstration. Without hesitation
the parade marshals said, “Let the Palestinians take the places of honor and
we’ll be privileged to follow.” The planned march then commenced.

A woman in a wheelchair led members of her family. Another marcher asked
why, given the physical impediments of such a long march, the woman felt
obliged to take part. The octogenarian replied simply, “I was very active in
the protest movement against the war in Vietnam.” Now, she said, other
members of her family understand how important such a demonstration is.
“We all knew a little of what was happening in Palestine,” she explained.
“Now we know what we should be doing.”

Arab Americans were determined to take part.

Early in the route, the marchers found themselves at an impasse. They had not
planned for the fact that their route included an automobile tunnel under
Dupont Circle. There was a moment of confusion, until two senior police
officers said helpfully, “Just follow us and we’ll get you where you want to
go.” As the marchers headed down into the tunnel, they discovered that the
walls amplified their chants, drumbeats and the other musical percussion
instruments. As the leaders emerged from the tunnel it was clear that some of
the shouters hated to leave because they were having so much fun with the
sound effects they were creating.

A few Arab-American demonstrators from Libya had planned to meet and
march together. A newly married couple had come too late to find their
relatives and friends, and realized they would have to join in at random. As
the march progressed and they spoke to the other marchers they saw that the
crowd around them were all “unhyphenated” Americans. By the time the rally
broke up they saw that not just Arab Americans but everyone, regardless of
background, felt just as strongly about Palestine.

Some tourists from Virginia made an even more spontaneous decision. One
of the volunteer parade marshals was helping them find their bearings and
pointing out the various groups they might be looking for. When the volunteer
finished her set speech, the tourists told her, “We weren’t really planning to
meet anyone there. We just asked how to get to one of the museums. But
what you’re doing sounds much more interesting and we do believe that the
Palestinians are deeply misunderstood. Could we join your parade?”

Estimated Numbers

There were many additional details. For example, the marchers in support of
Palestine took a long route that dispersed them. Hungry, thirsty and tired after
walking for miles across Washington, DC, most looked for places to eat
afterward. As a result it was very difficult to estimate the numbers of that
crowd compared to the one for Israel.

Although some U.S. media understated the number of pro-Palestinian
protesters, aerial photographs and reporters on the ground indicated that each
rally attracted about 100,000 supporters. The April 15 marchers, however,
comprised only Israelis or Jewish Americans, while the April 20 march was
the biggest such pro-Arab demonstration in U.S. history. There were no
arrests from either side.

There were, however, problems two days later, on April 22, when the
American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) held its annual three-day
convention in Washington, DC. This year, however, the two demonstrating
groups outside were too close together. Things became heated several times
when pro-Israel demonstrators tried to enter the pro-Palestinian throng. At
the end of the event, a pro-Israeli participant announced that he had been
spat upon. Fortunately, policemen on the scene said there had been no such
incident. This would have been unremarkable except that seasoned reporters
noted that similar allegations have been reported every time an AIPAC
banquet has taken place.

All this was just background noise, however. The important thing was to
contrast the two events. It appeared that the Israelis were going all out to
impress their own supporters. But, as has happened before, the lobby can go
only so far because its base constituency is so minuscule. There are only so
many Israeli Americans to draw from, and the American Jewish community is
declining precipitously because of intermarriage and disinterest. Israeli
Americans realize that half of each generation of American Jews ends up
marrying non-Jews. Arab Americans, on the other hand, whether Muslim or
Christian, are increasing.

Judging from the two rallies—one purely Jewish and the other made up of
Americans of conscience, of every religion and heritage—Israel-firsters might
want to take a hard look at the current American political landscape. It would
behoove them to quit while they are still ahead, and begin to back Saudi
Arabian Crown Prince Abdullah’s offer to share the Holy Land with
Palestine.

http://www.wrmea.com/archives/junejuly2002/0206014.html