Disgusting and disturbing racist incident in New Paltz

Dear friends,
I watched  the recent New Paltz Town Board meeting on 10/9 where the discussion focused on a recent act of vile racism directed at Town Board member Esi Lewis  and her daughter.  All of the remarks and comments were heart-felt and upsetting.  The question of racism in New Paltz was explored and discussed.  However,  the racism on display every Saturday in New Paltz was not mentioned.  I sent the letter below to the Town Board and Hudson Valley One for publication.  I hope it generates some discussion.
Peace,
Eli

To the editor:

As the result of a disgusting and disturbing racist incident in New Paltz, the Town Board is addressing  racism in our own  hometown.  I join with the community in condemning this despicable and cowardly act of hatred.  Perhaps, the Board needs to also consider the racism on display every Saturday in New Paltz where demonstrators carry  Israeli/Zionist  flags and spew  vile and violent language and messages.  At its core Zionism is racist.   Zionists (mostly white Europeans)  support the murder and forced removal  of indigenous, dark skinned Palestinians. Since 1948 millions of Palestinians  have been murdered, expelled, or forced into refugee camps like Gaza.  The Zionist, apartheid, ethno-supremacist  State of Israel’s ongoing  genocide, land theft,  and ethnic cleansing  of indigenous Palestinians is racist.  In addition to the flag waving and  unbridled support for the murderous State of Israel, frequent expressions of violence,  sexism, and trans-phobia  are hurled at passing cars and pedestrians.  Perhaps, the Town Board should consider a statement condemning this blatant weekly display of racism  here in New Paltz?

WIB stand up for Palestine

 

As we write, Trump ("The Art of the Deal") has announced a new "deal" for Gaza. Details remain unclear, but they have not yet provided aid for the starving in Gaza or an end to Israel's deadly bombing campaign. The genocide is not over.

Even the N.Y. Times refers to it as an "elusive" deal on Gaza hostages, cautiously refraining from claiming it will lead to a permanent ceasefire and reconstruction of the devastated land and lives. 

We do know that Egypt refused Trump's (and the West's) pressure to accept the forced displacement of Palestinians. We know that "Phase 1" will involve a hostage/prisoner exchange, the bombing should stop, and aid should "surge" into the region. But where is the permanent ceasefire? We know what happened to "Phase 2" of the previous accords--it never happened.

Plans to administer Gaza with Palestinian technocrats, disarm the resistance, and allow Israel to intervene at will? Plans to prevent Palestinian self-determination, to normalize Israeli apartheid across the region, to stymie the rebuilding of Gaza by Palestinians for Palestinians--let's not forget this is a plan that originated with Trump, champion of the "Gaza Riviera."

Trump, Netanyahu, Tony Blair, and the rest of the engineers of this war have no right to decide the future of Gaza. That right belongs to the people of Palestine.

Trump and his housebroken mass media would like us to believe that now we can relax--that the Gaza crisis is over. Nothing could be further from the truth. We will stay mobilized as long as the genocide continues unabated and until the people of Gaza have gained their self-determination. 

Join us!