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1 Charles Johnson  Sun, Jan 23, 2011 2:56:13pm

Rachel Corrie was a naïve young woman from Washington state who fell in with the International Solidarity Movement, an extreme left-wing group that has documented ties to Palestinian organizations the State Dept calls terrorist groups. The ISM deliberately uses people like Corrie for maximum propaganda effect -- they admit this openly. They stage them in dangerous places, and if they get hurt or killed they immediately begin building anti-Israel agitprop around them. In this case, they sent Corrie to Hamas-dominated Gaza, right into the middle of a military operation clearing houses used to hide smuggling tunnels.

Corrie certainly didn't deserve to die in the accident that killed her, but she doesn't deserve to become a hero, either. It's a tragic story but not a heroic one. She was used by anti-Israel ideologues in her life, and they're still using her.

2 M. Dubious  Sun, Jan 23, 2011 3:03:09pm

re: #1 Charles

Damn straight.

3 researchok  Sun, Jan 23, 2011 3:03:43pm

Corrie 'fell in' with ISM, as CJ notes. They deliberately exploited her and continue to do so to this day.

She will be forever associated with racists, bigots and hate mongers- and that is another tragedy in itself.

4 Charles Johnson  Sun, Jan 23, 2011 3:06:15pm

And that, by the way, is exactly what my opinion on Rachel Corrie has always been. She was the subject of posts at LGF because I was pushing back against a flood of anti-Israel propaganda, much of it based on lies.

5 eastwald  Sun, Jan 23, 2011 3:26:05pm

Wrong is still wrong, even in the face of injustice. Having seen the incident on video, there is no way she should have been run over. She was obviously a naive girl, but is asking people to call a movie theater showing this movie really the best idea? The movies not hurting anybody. I'd be directing my anger directly at the ISM, who instigated this whole thing.

6 What, me worry?  Sun, Jan 23, 2011 3:57:25pm

re: #5 eastwald

Wrong is still wrong, even in the face of injustice. Having seen the incident on video, there is no way she should have been run over. She was obviously a naive girl, but is asking people to call a movie theater showing this movie really the best idea? The movies not hurting anybody. I'd be directing my anger directly at the ISM, who instigated this whole thing.

It was an accident. It wasn't intended and that a woman lost her life is awful. I said that. What is worse is to exploit her evil cause. If the same theater was running a play that glorified the KKK and justified their killing of Blacks in this country, would you be offended?

There were a number of websites at the time that had many pictures from inside the bulldozer to give you an idea of the kind of vision an operator has. Corrie was sitting on the ground in front of shovel. He never saw her. Here is the IDF bulldozer (Catipillar D-9) that was used.

I think the movie drives home the notion that Israel, and thereby Jews, are evil.

7 What, me worry?  Sun, Jan 23, 2011 3:59:13pm

Thanks, Charles :)

8 What, me worry?  Sun, Jan 23, 2011 4:05:47pm

re: #6 marjoriemoon

I should say a picture of the kind of bulldozer that was used. I doubt this was THE one used at that time.

9 Prideful, Arrogant Marriage Equality Advocate  Sun, Jan 23, 2011 4:13:37pm

That photo you have up of the forgotten Rachels is heartbreaking.

10 Velvet Elvis  Sun, Jan 23, 2011 4:44:41pm

Regardless of my views on Israel, I'm not one to support censorship regardless of the topic or who is offended. I'd just as strongly support the playhouse's right to show this film as I would to show one depicting the Likud POV.

11 What, me worry?  Sun, Jan 23, 2011 4:56:42pm

re: #10 Conservative Moonbat

Regardless of my views on Israel, I'm not one to support censorship regardless of the topic or who is offended. I'd just as strongly support the playhouse's right to show this film as I would to show one depicting the Likud POV.

I'm sure you didn't mean to say that the Likud POV is anti-Israeli or anti-Semitic. The ISM is. Any group to ally with Hamas is.

I do not support any place that promotes lies and propaganda and I'll make my voice known about it wherever I see it.

12 Bob Levin  Sun, Jan 23, 2011 5:21:59pm

re: #10 Conservative Moonbat

I see this phrase a lot--the Likud POV. How do you understand that phrase?

13 Velvet Elvis  Sun, Jan 23, 2011 7:14:47pm

re: #12 Bob Levin

I see this phrase a lot--the Likud POV. How do you understand that phrase?

I'm basically using it to refer to the "hold on the the occupied territories and continue to settle them no matter what" position.

I'm aware that it's a lot more complicated than that, but it's better that misusing the word "zionist."

14 Bob Levin  Sun, Jan 23, 2011 7:33:45pm

re: #13 Conservative Moonbat

I'm still confused. The only agreement that I'm aware of that delineates territory is the Oslo accord. In that agreement, the PA controls 2 of 3 areas of the West Bank, which was arbitrarily divided into 3 areas.

The odd thing about all of this is the term 'occupation' is pretty vague. It implies that another nation held the West Bank, still has sovereign claims to it, but can't administer it. This isn't at all what has happened. Israel gave back the Sinai to Egypt, left Gaza to no established country, but rather to terrorist organization, and can't give the West Bank back to Jordan even if they wanted to.

You do understand that behind all of this there is still a concerted effort to kill all of Jews living in Israel, right?

15 What, me worry?  Sun, Jan 23, 2011 7:50:32pm

re: #12 Bob Levin

I see this phrase a lot--the Likud POV. How do you understand that phrase?

I haven't heard of it! You had me pondering this evening.

Now this film would be a better alternative, even as a play. If you don't get at least teary-eyed over this article, you have no heart.

[Link: www.israelfilmcenter.org...]

This movie is called "Precious Life" and it's based on the real live events of a young Palestinian mother with her newborn son suffering from an immune deficiency disease. There is no treatment for the baby in Gaza so Israeli doctors offer to help him in Israel where he can be given bone-marrow treatments.

About halfway into the film, the mother confesses that if her son recovers from the procedure and becomes a violent extremist, she would not object. This politically charged statement infuriates the director and he contemplates abandoning the documentary altogether. Though her words may be caused by extreme fatigue, they still highlight the complex inextricable link between the personal and political.

How could anyone, after being helped by the Israelis, still wish to destroy them? How is it possible to mend a relationship that is fraught with fear and suspicion so that even apparent acts of kindness are misinterpreted? The film suggests that the only way forward is to balance raw emotion with reason and intellect, which will lead to a mutual exchange of ideas.

Now that's a film about reality.

16 Flavia  Sun, Jan 23, 2011 7:59:24pm

I don't believe she was killed by accident - I believe the ISM deliberately maneuvered her into just that sort of position. THEY are the ones who benefit from this - no one benefited from her playing at "freedom fighter" & then going on her merry way. The fact that the driver stopped when she STOOD in front of him, & could be seen. It was only when she upped the ante (persuaded?) and SAT on the debris he was pushing that anything happened - and that's where the avalanche of lies started - you want to tell me how someone can be CRUSHED by a bulldozer - but survive to die in the hospital?

I pity her for having been so naive, but I also pity her parents, because they know whose fault her death really is - how many 23 year olds do YOU know who are still living at home w/their parents, going to school with no aim in sight? & how do you think she got to be so ill-equipped to deal with the actual world? Yep - we're NEVER going to see her parents give up on this. They will go to their graves blaming Israel, because it beats acknowledging the painful truth.

17 Velvet Elvis  Sun, Jan 23, 2011 10:25:41pm

Anyway, my point was about my support for anyone to express any viewpoint, particularly in the form of art, no matter how strongly I agree or disagree with it.

Censoring the arts is one of the most totalitarian gestures a society can take.

18 Bob Levin  Sun, Jan 23, 2011 10:32:26pm

re: #17 Conservative Moonbat

That's true. Ideally, you want folks to be enlightened enough to raise the bar of truth, beauty, health, ideas, and all kinds of good stuff.

19 Cheese Eating Victory Monkey  Mon, Jan 24, 2011 12:38:59am

re: #13 Conservative Moonbat

I'm basically using it to refer to the "hold on the the occupied territories and continue to settle them no matter what" position.

I'm aware that it's a lot more complicated than that, but it's better that misusing the word "zionist."

I can see why Bob asked you that question. I find it to be a pejorative, since Likud has undergone a transformation towards the center since the 1990s and there are diverse views within that party. By the way, Labor governments continued to build up settlements when they governed, Likud hasn't built a settlement in over 15 years, and the former leader of Likud evactuated Gaza and smashed all the settlements there.

Anyway, if you compare Likud to today's GOP, the former is less intransigent on all sorts of issues.

20 What, me worry?  Mon, Jan 24, 2011 10:00:14am

re: #18 Bob Levin

That's true. Ideally, you want folks to be enlightened enough to raise the bar of truth, beauty, health, ideas, and all kinds of good stuff.

I'm not trying to give the impression I'm against showing the dark side of humanity. I am, however, against any media (film, TV, etc.) which lies and spreads propaganda of any kind towards any group of people.

In this movie, the ISM is depicted as a caring, non-violent group which is an outrageous lie. That's only the tip of it.

Or read this website for the truth.

[Link: rachelcorriefacts.org...]

21 Bob Levin  Mon, Jan 24, 2011 11:16:55am

re: #20 marjoriemoon

You're right about the ISM. Ideally, no one shows up and buys tickets. That's the goal. Any attempts to stop them just gives the illusion that they are telling some kind of truth. That's just the present state of human psychology right now. But somehow, psychology changes. We've seen it happen several times in our lifetimes, not always for the best. The task is for the change to occur for the very best.

That's the gig. ;-)

22 What, me worry?  Mon, Jan 24, 2011 2:35:26pm

re: #21 Bob Levin

You're right about the ISM. Ideally, no one shows up and buys tickets. That's the goal. Any attempts to stop them just gives the illusion that they are telling some kind of truth. That's just the present state of human psychology right now. But somehow, psychology changes. We've seen it happen several times in our lifetimes, not always for the best. The task is for the change to occur for the very best.

That's the gig. ;-)

If no one speaks out, no one knows the other side of the story and the theater owners can walk away with a clear conscious. Knowledge is power. Believe the truth or not, but once you are told it, you can't UNhear it.

All that mess about when good men do nothing...

I've been trying to work with my family in Tucson to organize a protest, but not sure if that is possible given what's happened there recently. But there should be a protest, either physical bodies in front of the theater, by e-mail or by phone.

23 Bob Levin  Mon, Jan 24, 2011 3:54:50pm

re: #22 marjoriemoon

Yes, so the question is about education and communication. I'm not big on protests, which usually produce people sounding slogans and waving placards--no communication there.

I doubt that many attending will be neutral on the subject, expect quite a bit of resistance. The Forgotten Rachels leaflet might be the most effective tool. It's pretty self-explanatory. The anti-Semites in attendance will make comments that these other Rachels deserved it, so expect some of that. And let those remarks go by like water off of a duck's back. The film will not be only about Rachel Corrie. It will be about an hour or so of the good old fashioned blood libel--which means that folks will come out of theater with their basest emotions fully stirred. Not exactly the most teachable moment.

The most effective action might be to contact the theatre owner and simply ask why they have chosen to show this particular film. However, you might get the same treatment that Gregory Peck got in Gentleman's Agreement, when he went to the Flume Inn. On the other hand, they might not know that they are showing a virulently anti-Semitic film. This would be a teachable moment. Attending the film, writing a literate and logical review would be good, and then submitting this review to the newspaper might be helpful.

To me, this is what the Torah is about, and why I think Jewish institutions have done a miserable job of teaching. We go through years of school, and come to moments like this, and we're stumped. Heck, we even have courses about the Holocaust, thousands of hours, and when we're facing something that could come right out of the 1930s UFa studios, we still don't know what to do. I think your frustration is very common among all Jews right now. We see it [It] happening again and we feel almost powerless.

I think we have to start from scratch, and figure out what it means to be Jewish, and approach the Torah as if we've never seen it before. This, by the way is exactly what Purim is about.


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