Monday, August 08, 2011

Intergenerational “victim” scam never takes vacation: On holiday in Mexico, celebrated Jewish playwright outraged at sight of "Boycott Israel" poster

From:
Even on Mexico Vacation, Boycott Debate Looms Large

(Forward) -- by Oren Safdie --

Recently my family and I were traveling in Oaxaca, Mexico — a place about as far away from Middle East politics as one might think, so I assumed. Then one evening, walking through the cobblestoned streets of the old city, I came across a wonderful looking artist’s hangout, the Café Lobo Azul (the “Blue Wolf Cafe”)...

I inched my way to the back and found a young, pleasant-looking Mexican man in his mid 40s, wearing cargo pants and a knitted Rasta cap. He seemed a little more authoritative than the other waiters and waitresses, and I asked him who the owner of the establishment is.

“Why, I am!” he proudly declared. “Mind if I ask you about one of your posters?” I inquired. “Of course, of course,” he replied, as if explaining the stories behind his acquisitions were the best part of his job.

I walked him over to the “Boycott Israel” poster, now framed by a couple of Australian backpackers who had just seated themselves, taking advantage of the free Wi-Fi, and asked him if he understood that to a Jew, the word “Boycott” next to a Star of David is loaded with historical implications. He shrugged his shoulders. I then asked him why he would advocate for the collective punishment against the citizens of Israel while at the same time feature another poster, a few walls down, that chastised Israel for collectively punishing the citizens of Gaza. Dismissing the comparison, he proudly stated that he, in fact, had been to Gaza and, furthermore, several young Israelis and Jewish travelers who had passed through his cafe had complimented him on his stance — in effect, giving him the protection he needed to feel comfortable countering criticism from people like me.

Before I left the cafe, I told him that I hoped he’d never have to experience being boycotted himself, but I could see that my words were too abstract to be taken as anything more than wild-eyed prophesy. I returned to my hotel room. confused as to why I was taking it so personally. After all, it’s not as if the call to boycott Israel is an anomaly these days, or that there’s any shortage of malcontented Jews and Israelis publicly attacking the policies of the present government. Still, there was something about this remote place, at this pivotal time, as well the casualness and ease with which such a poster was hung up, that felt alarming — almost as if, if it could happen in Oaxaca, it could happen everywhere.

Upon returning to my hotel room, I described the experience to my wife and daughter, and at one point jokingly said that I should go down to the cafe and stand outside the door with a boycott sign so that the knows how it feels.

Half an hour later, with a couple of pieces of cardboard, my daughter and I parked ourselves outside the Café Lobo Azul, holding up our “Boycott” signs (with little further explanation), making passers-by feel uneasy as they entered, or occasionally decided not to enter, the cafe...MORE...LINK
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Perpetual melodrama and the self-serving, intergenerational victim complex: Indignant over "Boycott Israel" poster hanging in small bohemian cafe in Mexico, celebrated Jewish playwright Oren Safdie came back with daughter and picketed on front sidewalk

2 comments:

Chu said...

Oren is a Canadian American Israeli playwright, as his bio states it (although not likely in that order).

What's ironic is that if the sign said 'boycott USA' he likely wouldn't have said a thing.

I like how the Mexican told him he had been to Gaza and seen it with his own eyes. That must've gotten Oren very upset. He thought he could teach him a lesson, but he's already seen the benefits of Israeli expansiveness, visiting the Gaza Strip prison camp.

Chris Moore said...

Chu: "What's ironic is that if the sign said 'boycott USA' he likely wouldn't have said a thing."

Yes, "liberal" Western Jewry has been using the victim card for so long to hoodwink gentile liberals, Safdie simply can't fathom that the behemian left has finally caught on to the scam.

I guess he thought Jewry "owned" liberalism just as it owns the Democratic Party and thinks it's entitled to own everything else.

When Safdie saw evidence the swindle is unraveling, he threw a tantrum.