Israel is ‘Considerably Weakened’ — As BDS Finds a Home in the Democratic Party

   Again, though, this is because of Israel’s waning power in the United States. Netanyahu was able to dictate policy to the Democratic Party thanks to the Israel lobby. No more. The days when Haim Saban would script Hillary Clinton on BDS are over. The days when the lobby could knock off Israel critics are over. Every single one of the 25 cosponsors of Rep. Betty McCollum’s 2019 legislation to restrict aid in defense of Palestinian children were reelected in 2020, Rashid Khalidi said in an appearance with the Arab American Institute last week. “The Squad has become a Battalion,” James Zogby said.

Published on Portside (https://portside.org/)

Israel is ‘Considerably Weakened’ — As BDS Finds a Home in the Democratic Party

Philip Weiss

June 21, 2021

Mondoweiss

The news from the political convulsion in Israel is that power has shifted. Israel is no longer dictating terms to the United States, the United States is in a position to dictate terms to Israel.

So much is clear from a number of events. The recent Israeli onslaught on Gaza ended after 11 days and not 51 or 22, because Joe Biden told Netanyahu to stop. And that was because Rashida Tlaib told Biden to make it stop. For once there was political pressure on the White House from the Israel-critical lobby.

Now Netanyahu is gone and Israel’s new prime minister is to the right of Netanyahu on the West Bank, but it doesn’t matter. Naftali Bennett won’t dare to go too far, whatever that means.

Yes– what does it mean to go too far? For the first time this is the discussion taking place inside the Democratic Party. What is our line going to be?

Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions, or BDS, is plainly a burgeoning movement inside the Democratic base. Seven leftwing candidates for New York City Council seats endorse BDS (Jewish Insider reports). While rightwing Republicans are leading the opposition to BDS because they see it as a wedge issue to divide Democrats.

Liberal Zionists respect (and fear) the Democratic base. Last week Americans for Peace Now came out for conditioning American aid to Israel over its “human rights violations,” including bombing Gaza and killing 67 children — and APN bragged that it was the first liberal Zionist group to make the call.

Even more significantly, Randi Weingarten, the American Federation of Teachers leader and a stalwart at J Street, is cracking. Some AFT locals have voted in support of BDS and when old guard Israel lobbyist Jonathan Greenblatt of the ADL expressed alarm, Weingarten wrote him a letter refusing to come down on them. Weingarten said that while her union doesn’t support BDS, it supports “dialogue, debate and the free ability to express a range of viewpoints” and “the national union does not override locals over differences or questions of policy” (per the Jewish Journal).

 

Randi Weingarten (R) meets with Meretz Leader Nitzan Horwitz (L) on trip to Israel in June 2021. Weingarten’s wife Sharon Kleinbaum is at center.
From Weingarten’s Facebook Page  //  Mondoweiss

It can’t be long before IfNotNow endorses BDS as the only answer to apartheid, and J Street moves left with Americans for Peace Now.

In a call last week Nadav Tamir of J Street said that as far as Israelis are concerned, the Squad runs the Democratic Party.

Most Israelis think we have a very progressive Democratic party that is pushing Biden in the wrong direction and he is holding. They tend to see Sanders and the Squad as the whole Democratic party. Any mention of restricting aid is very frightening.

Israelis are keenly sensitive to American politics. Arguably this is how Naftali Bennett became prime minister. Israeli leadership sees the Biden Democratic Party leaving the reservation and it wants to preserve Israel as a bipartisan issue. The Israeli government knows it has to tone things down. Right, left and center agree on that.

Liberal Zionists are hopeful that the non-Netanyahu government will keep Israel support bipartisan in the U.S. Bennett will do nothing to provoke the United States in the West Bank. Differences between the two countries will be handled privately. It’s in both Biden and Bennett’s interest not to go back to the rancor of the Obama-Netanyahu relationship.

So the Iran deal will slide back into place without a lot of angry opposition from Israel.

Again, though, this is because of Israel’s waning power in the United States. Netanyahu was able to dictate policy to the Democratic Party thanks to the Israel lobby. No more. The days when Haim Saban would script Hillary Clinton on BDS are over. The days when the lobby could knock off Israel critics are over. Every single one of the 25 cosponsors of Rep. Betty McCollum’s 2019 legislation to restrict aid in defense of Palestinian children were reelected in 2020, Rashid Khalidi said in an appearance with the Arab American Institute last week. “The Squad has become a Battalion,” James Zogby said.

The two factors on our side are the rise of the progressive left and the defections in the U.S. Jewish community. No matter how private Biden and Bennett try to keep their differences, these forces will continue to assert themselves. Republicans will continue to drive the wedge in the Democratic Party.

You cannot sell Israel to American progressives. In Le Monde, the sociologist Eva Illouz writes that Israel is “considerably weakened.” It has lost its sense of purpose and entered a “profound moral crisis” and American Jews are abandoning it.

[E]merging from Netanyahu’s long reign, Israel is considerably weakened. The Diaspora and the American Democratic Party, which have always been its mainstay, are pulling away and a perhaps irreparable split within the Jewish people is occurring.  

What Israel has gained in territory it has lost in legitimacy, not just in the eyes of the nations but in the eyes of a part of the Jewish people themselves.

The legitimacy crisis won’t end: Democratic Party values and Israeli values are incompatible. The most revealing comment I heard during the recent Israeli election season was Barak Ravid’s analysis that the reason Bennett could include the Palestinian party Ra’am in his governing coalition was that 130,000 Israelis went to Dubai for Hanukkah vacation under the normalization deal with the UAE and got to see Arabs as real people.

“They were doing their vacation in an Arab city, listening to Arabic all day around them, eating Arabic food… listening to Arabic music,” Ravid said. “In Israel when people walk in the street and hear Arabic, some of them freak out.”

What more do you need to know about the illegitimacy of a society built on the ruins of Arab villages? Where Arabic is a second-class language under the law? That leading human rights groups describe as an apartheid state?

I’m hopeful about the inclusion of Ra’am: that it will lead to full equal rights for Palestinians in Israel and Palestine. But that will only happen with continued American pressure.

Democratic progressives have the opportunity to push BDS, and they will do it. And they will change the power map of the conflict forever.

h/t Donald Johnson and Robert Herbst and Michael Arria.

Philip Weiss is Founder and Senior Editor of Mondoweiss.

Source URL: https://portside.org/2021-06-24/israel-considerably-weakened-bds-finds-home-democratic-party

Donations can be sent to Max Obuszewski, Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 431 Notre Dame Lane, Apt. 206, Baltimore, MD 21212.  Ph: 410-323-1607; Email: mobuszewski2001 [at] comcast.net. Go to http://baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com/

"The master class has always declared the wars; the subject class has always fought the battles. The master class has had all to gain and nothing to lose, while the subject class has had nothing to gain and everything to lose--especially their lives." Eugene Victor Debs

 

 

Baltimore Activist Alert -- June 25 - 26, 2021

62] White House vigil – June 25

63] Rally for Tamir Rice – June 25

64] Demand Voting Rights – June 25

65] Peace and justice vigil – June 25

66] International Day in Support of Victims of Torture – June 26

67] Rally to Defend Peruvian Sovereignty -- June 26

68] Bus to Washington for the Support the For the People Act – June 26

69] Pressuring the Nuclear Weapons Profiteers – June 26

70] Black Lives Matter” Motorcade – June 26

71] Food Pantry and Food Donation Center – June 26

72] Witness against Torture -- June 26

73] Freedom Ride for Voting Rights – June 26

74] Vigil for the 40 Muslim Men in Guantanamo -- June 26

75] Call West Virginians -- June 26

76] Get over to Lake Montebello – June 26

76] Call West Virginians -- June 26

77] Interdependence Day at the NSA – July 5

78] Caregiver needed for Eddie Smith

79] Jonah House needs a car

80] Tell JHU no more weapons contracts

81] Beauty Fades /Stupid Lasts Forever and The Trial According to Alan Barysh 82] Read Dave Eberhardt’s book "For All the Saints- a Protest Primer"

83] New Book: “Confessions of a Radical Academic”

84] Two Berrigan Books still in print

85] Contribute to the Lin Romano Peace and Justice Scholarship

86] Do you need a doctor?

87] Donate books, videos, DVDs and records

88] Do you need any book shelves?

89] Join the Global Zero campaign.

90] Peace Park Antinuclear Vigil

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62] – The Dorothy Day Catholic Worker will host a peace vigil at the White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, WDC, on Fri., June 25 at noon.  Contact the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker: 202-882-9649 or artlaffin@hotmail.com.

63] – Zillah Wesley, DMV Coordinator, The Poor People's Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival [zillah@poorpeoplescampaign.org] sent out a reminder about the Rally for Tamir Rice on Fri., June 25 at noon.  Note that the "One Wish: Justice" rally honoring Tamir Rice will happen on the day of what would have been his 19th birthday. There is a need for marshals to help out at the rally. CALL IF YOU CAN HELP - (202) 320-7361.  His mother Samaria Rice has only one wish: justice. Organizers and supporters in both Cleveland and Washington DC are rallying behind her and will hold demonstrations to amplify her call for the DOJ to reopen the case against Tamir’s killers.  Gather at the Navy Memorial Plaza, Washington D.C. to show support. To send a letter to the DOJ please sign here: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/justice-for-tamir-2021.

64] – Join a "For The People" - Overpass Fridays on the Gorman Road Overpass over Route 95, Laurel 20723 on Fri., June 25 at 3:30 PM. Demand Voting Rights - For The People Act HR1/S1 at Gorman Road at I-95. Indivisible Howard County is building support for H.R.1/S1, the "For the People Act." This is the most important and comprehensive pro-democracy legislation in over half a century - led in the House by one of our own member of Congress, John Sarbanes. It has already passed the House, and if the Senate passes the companion bill (S1), we could see installed these vital democracy measures. RSVP at https://act.indivisible.org/event/attend-local-actions/162950/signup/?akid=72353%2E839288%2EcWr_8A.

65] -- There is usually a Quaker Vigil for Racial Justice on Fridays, from 5 to 6 PM, hosted by the Baltimore Quaker Peace and Justice Committee (BQPJC) outside the Homewood Friends Meetinghouse, 3107 N. Charles St.  The next scheduled vigil is on June 25. Black Lives Matter. Stop the Killing. Physical distancing applies. Wear your face mask. Email homewoodfriends@gmail.com or call 410-235-4438. Quaker values call us to speak truth and to seek equality for all people. Aim to follow Bayard Rustin’s wisdom that “we need, in every community, a group of angelic troublemakers” and John Lewis’s call to “make good trouble.” See https://www.facebook.com/events/311508100243529/?event_time_id=311508113576861.3&akid=18263%2E3302379%2Ez6bJVQ.

66] – Join TASSC at 10 AM for a morning of virtual events on International Day in Support of Victims of Torture at https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcsdOqgrD0iE9cxNnPA4VVetY1961Fa4sp1#torture%20#jsw2021%20#junesurvivorsweek.  TASSC was founded in 1998 by Sister Dianna Ortiz after she was captured and brutally tortured while teaching in the highlands of Guatemala.  Upon her return to the U.S. she fasted in front of the White House demanding information about U.S. involvement in her torture.  Tragically, this courageous woman, who not only survived kidnapping and torture but used the experience to become a voice for torture victims everywhere, died of cancer February 19 at the age of 62.  We miss her greatly.  Dianna, Presente!

67] – The ANSWER Coalition DC [dc@answercoalition.org] is hosting a Rally to Defend Peruvian Sovereignty on Sat., June 26 at 10 AM at the Organization of American States, 200 17th St., WDC.  The People Decided, Castillo Won! Sign up at https://www.facebook.com/events/963314161136954. Pedro Castillo, a socialist public school teacher and union leader, defeated Keiko Fujimori, daughter of imprisoned former dictator Alberto Fujimori, in the election for president. Now, Fujimori is waging a campaign to overturn the will of the Peruvian people and install herself as president.

68] – There is a bus to Washington for the Support For The People Act & Freedom Riders 2021 Rally on Sat., June 26 at 10:30 AM.  Park at the Lutherville Light Rail Parking Lot on Ridgely Road, Lutherville. RSVP at https://act.indivisible.org/event/deadline-for-democracy/163215?akid=72353.839288.cWr_8A.

69] – Pressuring the Nuclear Weapons Profiteers will be the topic of discussion on Sat., June 26 from 11 AM to 1 PM EDT.  This Online Event will include Divestment, Direct Action, Media, & International Law. Visit at http://masspeaceaction.org/event/pressuring-the-nuclear-weapons-profiteers/?emci=58de6b30-26d2-eb11-a7ad-501ac57b8fa7&emdi=d773a9dc-8ed2-eb11-a7ad-501ac57b8fa7&ceid=269591. Email vickielson@gmail.com. Register at https://masspeaceaction.org/event/pressuring-the-nuclear-weapons-profiteers/.

70] – “Black Lives Matter” Interfaith Coalition Local History Motorcade will happen on Sat., June 26 at 11 AM in Baltimore, starting at Lake Clifton. Drive past a number of local sites important to our own Black history - and thus to the future of all of our peoples, our communities, and of the city itself.  The motorcade will run until half past noon. Bring your love, your commitment, your passion, and your friends! Contact Ryan Sattler at 717-891-6156 or <ryansattler@comcast.net>.  See https://www.facebook.com/BlmInterfaithCO.

71] – On Sat., June 26 from noon to 2 PM EST, get over to the Food Pantry and Food Donation Center at First and Franklin Presbyterian Church, 210 W. Madison St., Baltimore. This Food Pantry is open every Saturday. Get a grocery bag – breakfast, jelly and peanut butter (a good source of protein) for lunch, the makings for a balanced dinner such as beans and rice, pasta and sauce, soup, vegetables, fruit, and a paper goods. Also added is a little fun food, such as popcorn or cookies, for everyone enjoys a treat.  Contributions of shelf stable foods can be brought to Reid Chapel every Saturday between noon and 2 PM. If shopping is difficult for you, monetary donations earmarked food pantry may be sent to the church.  How else can you help? Volunteers are needed to help collect and distribute food. Contact the church office to volunteer. You can also help by spreading the word to those you know who are facing food insecurity. See https://www.facebook.com/firstfranklinbaltimore.

72] – HELEN SCHIETINGER [h.schietinger@verizon.net] has the plan for Witness against Torture on Sat., June 26 at 1:30 PM ET in Lafayette Park.  Meet at 1:30 PM to be ready for 2 PM sharp at the Lafayette Park Bathrooms along H St. If the park is open, meet on the benches near the bathrooms; if the park is closed, meet on the sidewalk just behind the bathrooms. Bring your jump suit and hood if you have one.  Call Helen Schietinger at 202 344 5762. There will be speakers. Raed Jarrar, Advocacy Director for DAWN (Democracy for the Arab World Now), will read the Arabic names of the men at Guantanamo. 

73] – Markus Batchelor [People For the American Way] [alerts@pfaw.org] wants you to join the rally on Sat., June 26 at 1:30 PM at the Lincoln Memorial. More precisely be at the National Mall, between 3rd St. SW and 4th St. SW and 4th St. SW & Madison Drive SW. ding the right to vote cannot wait. Far-right legislators have been working hard in 2021 to suppress the vote, with more than 360 bills introduced in 48 state legislatures. If they succeed, millions of people – especially in Black and brown communities – will have their right to vote denied. We can’t let the Far Right turn back the clock on voting rights – and we need you to take action with us right now to stop that from happening.  Sign up to join the closing rally of the Freedom Ride for Voting Rights 2021: https://www.mobilize.us/pfaw/event/396611/?utm_source=PFAW.

74] – Vigil for the 40 Muslim Men in Guantanamo on Sat., June 26 at 2 PM.  It will be livestreamed so you can participate in remembering that for every ISN number still listed in Guantanamo, there is a Muslim man who has a name, a family, a history that includes unspeakable torture, and no apparent future.  June 26 is the International UN Day of Support for Victims of Torture -- a day that WAT has traditionally observed in conjunction with the Torture Abolition and Survivors Support Coalition. 

75] – We Have a Do-or-Die, Time-Limited Chance to Defeat White Supremacy and Big Money. If you want equal protection so that every voter counts the same regardless of color, income, age, or neighborhood, now is the time to act. If you want freedom from the influence of big money, now is the time to act. In the next months, action by people like you can create a groundswell to pass three major bills (see details in box below). One of them (S. 1) would provide sweeping reforms to end special-interest corruption in our government. Congress must act early this summer or partisan redistricting – based on a flawed census – will have happened. The House of Representatives has the votes to pass these bills, and they can pass the Senate, too - but only if We the People let our senators know how we feel.

If these bills do not pass, action by some state legislatures will reduce the freedom to vote for targeted populations. Get Money Out – Maryland (GMOM) founded For the People – Maryland with 20 other groups to fight for these principles in the U.S. Congress.  Therefore, the filibuster rule will need to change to allow these bills to pass with a simple majority.

While there are several Senators who haven’t formally committed, people in-the-know say if we can convince WV Senator Joe Manchin, the others will come along. Opponents are putting lots of money into WV, and we need to fight back. WV residents tell us that Manchin is often willing to do a 180 degree turn if he gets enough pressure. Volunteers asking his constituents to contact him could trigger the biggest reform since the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Make calls to WV residents on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Please sign up to call on Sat., June 26 from 4 to 6:30 PM ET and try to convince one friend to do so also!  There is good training and support throughout!  Go to https://www.mobilize.us/vopropros/event/389987/.  CALL WEST VIRGINIANS.

76] – Menelik Yeha, Bikemore [info@bikemore.net] wants to see you on Saturday, June 26 from 6 to 8:30 PM ET for Friday night lights fest. Join in at Lake Montebello for a night of connecting with public spaces and each other. This event will happen at several locations.  You can hike in Herring Run Park, wind down from the week with yoga, and race other cyclists around the lake. There will be a Mobile Bike Shop, so you can bring your bike for repairs.

Visit https://www.bikemore.net/event/fnl-0625?sourceid=1068133&emci=d7885f61-c6d2-eb11-a7ad-501ac57b8fa7&emdi=748a78f4-21d4-eb11-a7ad-501ac57b8fa7&ceid=9712492.  

77] – Since July 4, 1996, Baltimore’s peace community has been going to the National Security Agency on or near the holiday to call out for an end to the illegal surveillance.  We call this Interdependence Day. Join us on Mon., July 5 in calling out for the immediate release of Reality Winner who worked at the NSA.  She is the whistleblower who received the longest sentence in US history.  Recently she was transferred to a halfway house.  We argue that she should be immediately released and given a pardon.

 Gather on 29th Street by the Wyman Park Dell in Baltimore at 10 AM on Mon., July 5.  We will depart for Fort Meade at 10:15 AM.  After our protest at the NSA, we will come together for a potluck lunch or we will go to a local restaurant and share bread in community.  Contact Max at 410-323-1607 or mobuszewski2001 at Comcast dot net.

78] – Richard Ochs [rjochs@comcast.net] is looking for a caregiver for his friend Eddie Smith, who is recovering from a bone marrow stem cell transplant operation In Morgantown, West Virginia. He requires three months of 20/7 care accompaniment in an apartment there. Some friends and relatives are doing some of it but not able to do it all. A friend will pay someone to fill in the gaps. Do you know anyone who can do some of it for pay? Eddie is 65 and good company. He is a vegan birdwatcher, biker, gardener, activist and an intellectual. He is a retired land surveyor by trade. Caregiver gets 4 hours off every day.  You may have seen him at various demonstrations. Caregivers are needed from July 15 through September 15.  Call Dick at 443-846-6638.

79] – Jonah House [jonahhouse.md@gmail.com] is in need of a vehicle.  After 18 years of service, and around 150,000 miles, the hybrid Honda Insight has given up the ghost! Do you have a car you are ready to part with, or know of anyone else who would be interested in supporting Jonah House by giving or selling your car?  Contact Joe Byrne at 443-804-3410.

80] –This is A PLEA TO CONVINCE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY TO OBEY INTERNATIONAL LAW. The world reached a historic milestone on January 22, 2021: The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons [TPNW] entered into force and become binding international law -- https://www.icanw.org/the_treaty.

 Prevent Nuclear War/Maryland has called attention to the growing danger of nuclear war and the outrageous $1.7 trillion dollars we are spending to upgrade the nuclear arsenal. On July 18, 2017, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, a U.S. Navy - affiliated research center received a seven-year, $92 million contract to continue its systems engineering and research-and-development services for the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center. Help convince JHU to renounce nuclear weapons contracts. Contact the president, Ron Daniels, to urge him to reject all nuclear weapons contracts: Office of the President, 242 Garland Hall, The Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles St., Baltimore, Maryland 21218.  Call his office at (410) 516-8068 or email president@jhu.edu.

81] – Bad Attitude Publishers Announces the release of Beauty Fades /Stupid Lasts Forever and The Trial According to Alan Barysh. In light of the fascist/Q Annon/Truther/Alex Jones and Trump-inspired attack on the capital, Bad attitude Publications has released a photo essay by Alan Barysh. In the follow-up book to Sorry Truther, it was an OUTSIDE JOB Beauty Fades.... gives the reader an upfront look at the reactionary forces and the deadly beliefs these folks uphold. In pictures and texts, one gets a good look at the faces and ideas that pose a real threat to this country. The Trial According to Alan Barysh is a rewrite of the Kafka Classic The Trial. With pictures from the original movie, Alan Barysh rewrites this scathing satire with just a tad more cutting edge satire, and a different ending. The appendix to the book talks about the lonely uphill struggle of Tawanda Jones to get justice for her brother. This afterthought is included, because of the real Kafkesque struggle of the West Family to get justice for her brother. Both books can be purchased on Amazon.com. For every purchase of The Trial, Alan Barysh will give all of his royalties to the West Family. Just text a picture of the book to 443-239-5325.

82] – David Eberhardt was a member of the Baltimore Four with Father Philip Berrigan, Tom Lewis and Rev. James Mengel.  The group poured blood on draft files on October 27, 1967.  They would be convicted and sentenced to prison. Dave has written a book "For All the Saints- a Protest Primer"- documenting the Baltimore Four action and many others up to and including the most recent Plowshares action – Kings Bay Plowshares 7.  Phil Berrigan’s wife, Elizabeth McAlister, is a member of the Kings Bay Plowshares 7. 

Dave just printed the 5^th edition of the book which is available for $25 by sending him a check: Dave Eberhardt, 4 Hadley Square North, Baltimore, MD 21218. You can contact him at mozela9@comcast.net. He prefers that you DO NOT order the book from Amazon. Image 1 of 2 for FOR ALL THE SAINTS: A PROTEST PRIMER. David Eberhardt; Image 2 of 2 for FOR ALL THE SAINTS: A PROTEST PRIMER; and FOR ALL THE SAINTS: A PROTEST PRIMER.  This is a self-published book printed in 2017 with updates.

The price is $25 for a Spiral Bound, and Signed. This edition being what the publisher calls “The 4th edition (or first edition 4th state?) of this books (with “final” additions) has been printed by the firm of FEDEX numbered 150-200, signed by the author, February 2017.”This is copy 187 and is numbered and signed by David Eberhardt on the title page.~~While the bibliographical information is a bit head-spinning, this is an engaging memoir by David Eberhardt recounting his involvement with the Brothers Berrigan in the protests against the Viet Nam war, and his subsequent time as an inmate at the Lewisburg Federal Prison. There is Near Fine binding: Item #291479.

83] – Check out a New Book: “Confessions of a Radical Academic: A Memoir by Fred L. Pincus,” now available from Adelaide Books (https://adelaidebooks.org/collections/latest-releases/products/confessions-of-a-radical-academic) or from Amazon.  Fred taught sociology at UMBC for more than 40 years and is on the board of Research Associates Foundation.  His memoir details his struggles to have a successful career while keeping true to his radical principles and activism.  One major theme is his struggle with race and racism both on and off campus. Go to www.fredlpincus.com.

84] –Two books by Fred Wilcox are still in print.  The first one is “Fighting the Lamb's War Skirmishes with the American Empire” by Philip Berrigan and Fred A. Wilcox with a FOREWORD by Tripp York.  It can be purchased by Wipf and Stock: https://wipfandstock.com/fighting-the-lamb-s-war.html.  It is a Memoir in paperback/ISBN: 9781532660078/240 pages/republished 8/21/2018/ Retail Price: $26.00/and Web Price: $20.80.

  The second one is “Uncommon Martyrs The Berrigans, the Catholic Left, and the Plowshares Movement” by Fred Wilcox, who profiles members of this anti-war movement, who’s Christianity compels them to acts of civil disobedience against the military industrial complex.  The ISBN is 0201522314/$6.50 for a hardcover, and it can be purchased at Powell's Books.  See https://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/book-reviews/view/7094/uncommon-martyrs.

85] – Consider making a donation to a scholarship in her honor that would be most welcome.  Contributions to the Lin Romano Peace and Justice Scholarship can be made online via https://www.ndm.edu/lin-romano-peace-and-justice-scholarship or by check made out to Notre Dame of Maryland University (Memo line: Lin Romano Peace and Justice Scholarship) and mailed to Notre Dame of Maryland University, Office of Institutional Advancement, 4701 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21210.

86] – Yousef Zarbalian [mailto:yzarbali@gmail.com] started his own medical practice in December before the pandemic hit. It is called East-West Medicine and Rheumatology, and its website is EastWestMD.com.  Yousef is licensed in Maryland and Virginia. He is doing primary care as well as rheumatologic care (focusing on joint problems and autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and sjogren's).  He is offering telemedicine visits, and he has very reasonable rates for uninsured individuals.  He makes use of herbs (which can be sent directly to patients from the herbal dispensary) as well as prescribing medications to their local pharmacy if needed.  

87] -- If you would like to get rid of books, videos, DVDs, records, tarps and table cloths, contact Max at 410-323-1607 or mobuszewski2001 at comcast.net.

88] -- Can you use any book shelves? Contact Max at 410-323-1607 or mobuszewski2001 at comcast.net.

89] -- Join an extraordinary global campaign for the elimination of nuclear weapons: http://www.globalzero.org/sign-declaration. A growing group of leaders around the world is calling for the elimination of nuclear weapons and a majority of the global public agrees.  This is an historic window of opportunity.  With momentum already building in favor of Zero, a major show of support from people around the world could tip the balance. When it comes to nuclear weapons, one is one too many.

90] – A Peace Park Antinuclear Vigil takes place every day in Lafayette Park, 1601 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, 24 hours a day, since June 3, 1981. Go to http://prop1.org; call 202-682-4282.

Donations can be sent to Max Obuszewski, Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 431 Notre Dame Lane, Apt. 206, Baltimore, MD 21212.  Ph: 410-323-1607; Email: mobuszewski2001 [at] comcast.net. Go to http://baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com/.

“One is called to live nonviolently, even if the change one works for seems impossible. It may or may not be possible to turn the US around through nonviolent revolution. But one thing favors such an attempt: the total inability of violence to change anything for the better" - Daniel Berrigan

Baltimore Activist Alert -- June 24, 2021

57] Ending America’s Forever War in Korea -- June 24

58] End the Yemen blockade – June 24

59] Next steps for vaccine access -- June 24

60] Mapping birds – June 24

61] Celebrate Interdependence Day – June 24

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57] – Greta, World BEYOND War [greta@worldbeyondwar.org] wants you to attend a webinar on Thurs., June 24 at 8 PM ET – Ending America’s Forever War in Korea. On the 71st anniversary of what is officially recognized as the start of the Korean War, you're invited to join World BEYOND War for a panel discussion with preeminent Korea historian Bruce Cumings and Korean-American peace activist Christine Ahn. They will reflect upon the neglected history and human costs of the unresolved war and discuss what is needed to finally bring closure to America's oldest, endless war. RSVP at https://actionnetwork.org/events/webinar-ending-americas-forever-war-in-korea?clear_id=true&link_id=1&can_id=4b9d4061aec5469758759317ac0f5285&source=email-ending-americas-forever-war-in-korea&email_referrer=email_1206333&email_subject=ending-americas-forever-war-in-korea.

58] – Sunjeev Bery, Freedom Forward [campaigns@freedomforward.org] invites you to a new experiment on Thurs., June 24 at 8 PM ET, twenty-five minute call. Register at https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIvdOGuqTIoHtDoFbNUPz2zvg7LNHqdGdTn?link_id=0&can_id=4b9d4061aec5469758759317ac0f5285&source=email-will-you-give-25-minutes-for-freedom&email_referrer=email_1215476&email_subject=why-are-former-members-of-congress-working-for-dictators.  Together, take two quick steps for freedom and humanity: Ending the Yemen blockade and Protecting U.S. democracy from dictator lobbyists. 

  Biden may be president, but our U.S. government is still backing Saudi Arabia's brutal dictatorship in its war in Yemen. You and I can stop this. We will send pre-drafted emails to our members of Congress urging them to end all U.S. participation in the war. Dictators spend millions of dollars hiring retired U.S. politicians as their lobbyists in Washington, DC. Let's protect our democracy and shut down the dictator lobby. The full registration link is at https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIvdOGuqTIoHtDoFbNUPz2zvg7LNHqdGdTn. After two quick updates and two quick actions, stick around for questions, answers, and discussion. But the core of the call will be the first 25 minutes.

59] – Ethan Guillen [info@email.actionnetwork.org] wants you to hear on Thurs., June 25 at 8 PM ET Dr. Tom Frieden on next steps for vaccine access.  Dr. Tom Frieden is the former Director of the Centers for Disease Control. Sabila Khan will share her experience of losing her father, Shafqat Khan, to the coronavirus and her journey founding COVID-19 Support Loss, the nation’s largest support group for people who suffered a loss to the pandemic with over 10,000 members. RSVP at  https://www.r2haction.org/tom-frieden?link_id=3&can_id=4b9d4061aec5469758759317ac0f5285&source=email-join-former-cdc-director-dr-tom-frieden-for-a-conversation-on-vaccines&email_referrer=email_1212802&email_subject=hear-from-dr-tom-frieden-on-next-steps-for-vaccine-access.

60] – The National Audubon Society [migraciones@audubon.org] is hosting Mapping Migraciones: Mujeres in Conservation on Thurs., June 24 at 8:30 PM ET. Celebrate mujeres in conservation with Audubon and Latino Outdoors! Register at https://act.audubon.org/a/mm-mujeres-in-conservation?ms=digital-eng-email-ea-x-engagement_20210620_yellow-billed-cuckoo-alert&utm_source=ea&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=engagement_20210620_yellow-billed-cuckoo-alert&emci=69e8a79a-b0cf-eb11-a7ad-501ac57b8fa7&emdi=7e0bb4bd-f9d1-eb11-a7ad-501ac57b8fa7&ceid=2504878&contactdata=s13Ap7JFw%2fpwyJ6mXwr%2bf56N2v99RkyPdK0HRm4BV%2fzBEfMf3guQm6cmcgO8asiuMnLSCk53RYV5U%2fh5h17UT1Dgg41D402yMf%2fUKAzZWp1ujHXDPj9Jwtk%2fmDTRw0nLENmQi5huM0uu%2fRO4HBuDvtBz6D57Oy1QCCzWwO2cht8YaklDUUMpC%2bcG4cXO5l6AW7Dw31qTruateoHC2jKHCZCYBIdpefGcOZv8%2bQLmxlbNROY5WnJ5bZ%2f0RSxj87sN7vj%2f9hBzWqFmxuYJKbljhA%3d%3d.

61] – Since July 4, 1996, Baltimore’s peace community has been going to the National Security Agency on or near the holiday to call out for an end to the illegal surveillance.  We call this Interdependence Day. Join us on Mon., July 5 in calling out for the immediate release of Reality Winner who worked at the NSA.  She is the whistleblower who received the longest sentence in US history.  Recently she was transferred to a halfway house.  We argue that she should be immediately released and given a pardon.

  Gather on 29th Street by the Wyman Park Dell in Baltimore at 10 AM on Mon., July 5.  We will depart for Fort Meade at 10:15 AM.  After our protest at the NSA, we will come together for a potluck lunch or we will go to a local restaurant and share bread in community.  Contact Max at 410-323-1607 or mobuszewski2001 at Comcast dot net.

To be continued.

Donations can be sent to Max Obuszewski, Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 431 Notre Dame Lane, Apt. 206, Baltimore, MD 21212.  Ph: 410-323-1607; Email: mobuszewski2001 [at] comcast.net. Go to http://baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com/.

"The master class has always declared the wars; the subject class has always fought the battles. The master class has had all to gain and nothing to lose, while the subject class has had nothing to gain and everything to lose--especially their lives." Eugene Victor Debs

Baltimore Activist Alert -- June 24, 2021

47] We Can't Wait Rally & March -- June 24

48] Popular Resistance for Palestinian – June 24

49] Challenges in delivering information inside of jails & prisons – June 24

50] Bust the filibuster – June 24

51] Protest Chinese government imprisonment of the Uyghurs.  – June 24

52] CALL WEST VIRGINIANS -- June 24

53] Medicare for All at a Teach-In – June 24

54] Prince George's County proposed Climate Action Plan – June 24

55] Iran Nuclear Deal – June 24

56] Public Citizen is holding a gala – June 24

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47]  – There is a We Can't Wait Rally & March on Thurs., June 24 from 11:30 AM  to  8 PM ET, starting at Union Station, 50 Massachusetts Ave. NE, WDC 20002.  The Center for Popular Democracy is excited to invite you to the Rally. Register at https://secure.everyaction.com/xLuxtl6KcEGpmFHWxZTt6A2?ms=FedAd_J24Signup_06162021&emci=59f39070-7dcf-eb11-a7ad-501ac57b8fa7&emdi=d6538976-7dcf-eb11-a7ad-501ac57b8fa7&ceid=447376.  Join workers in solidarity.

48] – Brian Garvey, Massachusetts Peace Action [info@masspeaceaction.org] suggests you may want to hear about '48 Palestinians: Popular Resistance for Palestinian Unity with Lawyer Aiah Haj Odeh and Grassroots Organizer Rula Nasr-Mazzawi on Thurs., June 23 at noon ET.  This seminar with two Palestinian organizers from Nazareth, Israel will be about the unique situation and activism of Palestinians with Israeli citizenship. Palestinians with Israeli citizenship play a critical role in organizing against the illegitimate expulsions faced by Palestinian residents of Sheikh Jarrah, a neighborhood in Jerusalem. Just last month, they organized a large, day-long strike in a display of unity and as an affirmation of dignity for Palestinians suffering under the bombings of Gaza. These activities are part of the new organization Addar.  Sign up at https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJItcOuhqzIrE9zPOS3GwwbbdjPwz5ve6FjK?emci=5f1fb1b8-3dd4-eb11-a7ad-501ac57b8fa7&emdi=5767cffc-5fd4-eb11-a7ad-501ac57b8fa7&ceid=269591.

49] – The National Religious Campaign against Torture [nrcatlist@nrcat.org] is continuing its Lessons From the Front Lines June Webinar Series on Thurs., June 24 at 1 PM ET.  For Part 4. Johnny Perez, the Director of NRCAT’s U.S. Prisons Program, will hold a fireside chat with Lawrence Bartley, director of “News Inside,” the print publication of The Marshall Project which is distributed in hundreds of prisons and jails throughout the United States.  The discussion will look at challenges in delivering information inside of jails & prisons and how leaders in the field can engage correction officers and currently incarcerated people.  RSVP at https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_yjkdBoqUTWm01r4zr0LsXw?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=8177c1d8-47a1-43c1-8360-7373141eaec0.

50] – The People for the American Way is involved with a protest to BUST the filibuster on Thurs., June 24 from 2 to 3 PM. Take action to raise awareness of what’s at stake if the Senate does not take action to prevent the filibuster from blocking needed legislation. Without changing the filibuster rule, which right now requires 60 votes to pass any bill, the For the People Act cannot be passed. RSVP for the virtual teach-ins, hosted by the Declaration for American Democracy coalition: https://www.mobilize.us/pfaw/?date=2021-06-24T04%3A00%3A00.000Z&is_virtual=true&org_ids=7096&utm_source=PFAW.

51] –Please join members of Adas Israel's Social Action Committee for their third protest against the genocidal actions perpetrated by the Chinese government against the Uyghurs.  This non-Han, Turkic minority is being forced into slave labor, interned in camps, disappeared, and otherwise persecuted. Too many US and international companies depend on China’s use of Uyghur forced labor in their supply chains.  This includes clothing brands, electronic, automobile, solar panel, and wind industries among others.  Help raise awareness and protest this complicit support of the Uyghur genocide.  

On Thurs., June 24 at 5:30 PM ET, come to the Adas Israel's Garden of the Righteous (near the front of Adas at 2850 Quebec St. NW).  We will walk up Connecticut Avenue to the Chinese Embassy on Van Ness St., NW.  Feel free to join at the Embassy, if that is a more convenient Location: https://goo.gl/maps/m2UmGJybhidtCLvd8].  Bring a sign, a mask if you have not been vaccinated, and come join to support the Uyghurs.  Afterwards, we encourage everyone to enjoy a meal from Dolan, Cleveland Park's wonderful Uyghur restaurant. The garden and the restaurant are near the Cleveland Park Metro.

52] – We Have a Do-or-Die, Time-Limited Chance to Defeat White Supremacy and Big Money. If you want equal protection so that every voter counts the same regardless of color, income, age, or neighborhood, now is the time to act. If you want freedom from the influence of big money, now is the time to act. In the next months, action by people like you can create a groundswell to pass three major bills (see details in box below). One of them (S. 1) would provide sweeping reforms to end special-interest corruption in our government. Congress must act early this summer or partisan redistricting – based on a flawed census – will have happened. The House of Representatives has the votes to pass these bills, and they can pass the Senate, too - but only if We the People let our senators know how we feel.

If these bills do not pass, action by some state legislatures will reduce the freedom to vote for targeted populations. Get Money Out – Maryland (GMOM) founded For the People – Maryland with 20 other groups to fight for these principles in the U.S. Congress.  Therefore, the filibuster rule will need to change to allow these bills to pass with a simple majority.

While there are several Senators who haven’t formally committed, people in-the-know say if we can convince WV Senator Joe Manchin, the others will come along. Opponents are putting lots of money into WV, and we need to fight back. WV residents tell us that Manchin is often willing to do a 180 degree turn if he gets enough pressure. Volunteers asking his constituents to contact him could trigger the biggest reform since the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Make calls to WV residents on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Please sign up to call on Thurs., June 24 from 6 to 8 PM ET and try to convince one friend to do so also!  There is good training and support throughout!  Go to https://www.mobilize.us/vopropros/event/389987/.  CALL WEST VIRGINIANS.

53] – Progressive Maryland [info@progressivemaryland.org] is asking you if you are fed up with the healthcare system? Then come learn about Medicare for All at a Teach-In on Thurs., June 24 from 6:30 to 8 PM ET.  Register at bit.ly/TeachinM4A. What is Medicare for All? How will it help Marylanders and everyone else living in our country? How will it benefit you and your family members and community? Do the benefits outweigh any costs associated with moving to this form of single payer healthcare?  Tune in at https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMkce6prz8qHtWfN0WL-K987NjwYXyvK2tP.

54] – Learn more about the Prince George's County proposed Climate Action Plan on Thurs., June 24 from 6:30 to 8:30 PM ET. Last year the Prince George's County Council passed a resolution to establish a Climate Action Commission to write a Climate Action Plan for the county. The commission has been meeting since October 2020 and will finish its work in September 2021. Some notable faces are Tom Dernoga, County Council Member from District 1; Greenbelt's mayor, Colin Byrd; Janet Gingold, chair of the Prince George's Sierra Club; and Dr. Hank Cole, co-chair of Clean Air Prince Georges.  The commission is holding their second (of three) Community Meetings.  By now, they have identified 27 priority areas, which they are ready to share for our feedback.  Join in at https://www.facebook.com/events/994023288038487 or at https://umd.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJwvcOusrjMpGtBx76TL40tdlaBWoOxUD0qT.

55] – Brian Garvey, Massachusetts Peace Action [info@masspeaceaction.org] suggests you may want to hear about the current state of the Iran Nuclear Deal in light of Iran's recent presidential election with Dr. Assal Rad, a Senior Research Fellow at the National Iranian American Council. This will happen on Thurs., June 24 at 7 PM ET.  Register at https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJcld--vrjovH9XSLLAdF2Y4x_Mh_uXnkRDo?emci=5f1fb1b8-3dd4-eb11-a7ad-501ac57b8fa7&emdi=5767cffc-5fd4-eb11-a7ad-501ac57b8fa7&ceid=269591.  Even before President Biden took office in January the peace movement was clear: the Biden administration must prioritize rejoining the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (more commonly referred to as the Iran Nuclear Deal), and quickly. The diplomatic agreement was one of the most important achievements of the Obama Administration, and the rash abandonment of it by Trump in 2018 brought America to the very brink of war with Iran. Now, however, talks are stalling in Vienna and the Iranian president-elect Ebrahim Raisi, set to take power in a matter of weeks, is more skeptical of the negotiations. Time is running out. 

56] – Public Citizen [robert@citizen.org] is holding a gala on Thurs., June 24 at 7 PM ET. This year’s gala is an online, “virtual” event. RSVP at https://publiccitizen.salsalabs.org/virtualgala2021/index.html?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=66465954-5839-42b8-8367-f74124520d21.  Hear about Public Citizen’s plan for winning passage of the For the People Act despite the flagrantly partisan Republican filibuster of the landmark legislation to defend our democracy.  Honor Rep. Jamie Raskin — who led the impeachment prosecution against Donald Trump — with the “Golden Boot Award” (for kicking you-know-what). Also participating will be Rep. Mondaire Jones — a first-term Congressperson from New York who, as a member of the Judiciary Committee, is continuing his lifelong advocacy for civil rights, civil liberties, and a stronger democracy. Also check out the comedians, singers, and celebrity surprise guests, including Lake Street Dive, Baratunde Thurston, Lucinda Gayle Williams, Alex Edelman, Negin Farsad, Graham Nash (of Crosby, Stills & Nash), and more.

To be continued.

Donations can be sent to Max Obuszewski, Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 431 Notre Dame Lane, Apt. 206, Baltimore, MD 21212.  Ph: 410-323-1607; Email: mobuszewski2001 [at] comcast.net. Go to http://baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com/.

"The master class has always declared the wars; the subject class has always fought the battles. The master class has had all to gain and nothing to lose, while the subject class has had nothing to gain and everything to lose--especially their lives." Eugene Victor Debs