Back on January 16 several "Peace Groups" held a rally at Nollen Plaza here in Des Moines. My friend Ed Fallon had sent me an invite and I really would have gone but the event was scheduled for 4:30PM on Friday. (Shabbat trumps in this and every case.) The event would have passed me by completely if a friend had not called me a few days later and asked if I saw the news footage on WOI-TV 5 (ABC-5). He said, "Why, at a "peace demonstration", would participants be calling for the death of Israel?"
Seemed like a logical question and because I didn't see the story we thought we'd check it out. I called ABC-5 and spoke to News Director Scott Frederick and asked him to check the story content. Sure enough there, in the middle of the footage while a reporter was talking about the "peace demonstration" the camera caught the homemade sign that read: "Gaza Will Never Die - Israel Will"
Oh, the irony!
I wonder what my friend Ed Fallon thought? (I have not asked him yet...but will) As Mark Finklestein of the Jewish Federation of Greater Des Moines asks in his letter to The Des Moines Register (yet to be printed), "One would hope peace groups would support the making of peace in which both parties may life in peace (a goal supported by the Jewish Federation) and not turn a blind eye in rallies to those whose ultimate goal is to expect the other party to be obliterated..."
That would seem "fair" but you have to realize this is not about being fair. It is about these "peace groups" inherent dislike for Israel. Is that being too tough on them? OK, we'll give them the opportunity to speak and ask them to publicly repudiate the anti-peace sentiment expressed on the sign.
So, how about it? Here is a list of the sponsoring organizations which had oversite at the January 16 - Des Moines, Iowa "Peace Rally":
We're waiting... See you in Shul!
