In the words of Yitzhak Santis, “We were blindsided.”
The JCRC’s director of Mideast Affairs had an unexpectedly long lunch break on Tuesday, Aug. 22. A troop of left-wing Jewish activists showed up on his doorstep, plastered the S.F.-based Jewish Community Federation’s headquarters with fliers critical of Israel and proceeded to either die (symbolically) or lock themselves to the doors (literally).
With a brief forewarning, Santis and others had gone outside, where they stayed until the ruckus ended. No one was able to enter or leave through the front doors for roughly two hours.
The noontime demonstration caught Santis and other staffers of the Jewish Community Relations Council (which is housed in the JCF building at 121 Steuart St.) off guard; members of multiple newspapers and radio and television stations, however, had been invited to the proceedings via a widely circulated press release.
Between 30 (according to the JCRC) and 50 people (according to the demonstrators) showed up to protest Israeli actions in the Palestinian territories and Lebanon and what protesters describe as the JCRC’s unconditional support for the Jewish state. One of the afternoon’s many chants was “JCRC don’t you see? You do not speak for me,” and a banner reading “U.S. Jews say to JCRC: Stop defending Israel” was unfurled across the building’s blockaded entrance. Fourteen demonstrators — all Jews, according to organizers — were arrested.
All were charged with obstructing a business, with 10 receiving additional charges of resisting arrest. Both are misdemeanor charges; at worst the protesters could spend several months or even more than a year in county jail.
“We are saying loud and clear [the JCRC and JCF] do not represent us and many Jews who have been silent out of fear of being alienated and outcast from the community. In Israel, 5,000 people demonstrated and I think it is our Jewish responsibility to stand up for justice in this case,” said Samantha Litman of San Francisco, one of the protesters.
Added Oakland’s Kate Raphael, who was arrested and charged with trespassing, “We wanted to do something really clear as Jews. We feel like we want to be clear: In our community there isn’t a consensus. We know we speak for at least three times as many people who weren’t out there.”
Santis, not surprisingly, was unmoved. He wrote off the protesters as “a tiny fringe of the Jewish community,” and expressed scorn that not one sign or chant lamented the Israeli dead, Hezbollah’s terrorism or the billions in damage caused in Israel.
“The JCRC represents 80 Jewish congregations and organizations in the Bay Area on public affairs. That is our role. Thirty individuals standing in front of our building does not make for a groundswell of support for Hezbollah in the Jewish community,” he said.
According to several protesters, the demonstration was organized by a group of Jews cobbled together from various left-wing organizations. Raphael said there were members present from Jews for a Free Palestine, the International Solidarity Movement and A Jewish Voice for Peace, though Mitchell Plitnick of A Jewish Voice for Peace denied the group’s leadership had made any organized decision to plan or attend the rally.
Raphael laughed off Santis’ “fringe” comment.
“Of course they’re going to say that. It’s really important for them to speak for all Jews just as it’s important for the state of Israel to represent all Jews. But we know the truth,” she said.
The demonstration was part of a national “day of action” that saw similar protests in New York, Philadelphia and Los Angeles.