Palestinian Protester at Kalandiya Crossing 3-30-12

In the run up to yesterday’s Global March to Jerusalem (GM2J), there were a number of predictions that the aggressive promotion by the event organizers were overblown and the “Mad  Marchers” event  would be a bust. Nidra Poller, Ex-pat American, talented writer and long time resident in Paris and Cleveland based founder of Boycott Watch, Fred Taub thought that might be the case.  Poller was relying on her seasoned and incisive intuition drawn from personal knowledge of what happens in France and Israel. Taub took me though the Gm2J and other social media stats of the several websites and their Twitter account to demonstrate that there wasn’t a groundswell of interest in the event, save for that shown in Iran. This was reflected in the meager figures for GM2J website traffic and links to other sites at Alexa.com and low levels of following reflected in Tweets activity on Twitter. In his opinion this was evidence of low support for the GM2J event and that the International Boycott, Divestment Sanctions campaign against Israel was possibly running out of steam. 

This despite what I reported on The United West (TUW)  webcast, “Israel Under Attack” of evidence of Iran’s and Qatar’s footprints. Iran  provided funding and several websites for GM2J and despite the hatred between the Persian Gulf neighbors, Qatar funded the GM2J organization meeting in Doha in late February. Then there was the London-based Hamas leaders' meeting in Beirut in January with pro-Palestinian US leaders like Paul LaRudee of the International Solidarity Movement co-founder of the Free Gaza Movement. There were the pictures and stories on GM2J websites about contingents from the far flung reaches of the Ummah in South Asia being convoyed to Turkey to take ferries to Lebanon to march on Israel’s borders.

Jonathan Schanzer of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies reflected concern  in his Weekly Standard article, “The Global March for Jerusalem” that the GM2J organizers would provoke clashes  used against Israel, accusing the Jewish State of  triggering violence against non-violent protesters and trumpeting it before the world media. Violence of the type that occurred last year on Syrian border on May 15^th, Israel’s Independence day, what the Arabs refer to as “Al Nakbah,” the disaster and on June 5th, Israel’s June 1967 War victory that resulted in a unified Jerusalem and conquest of the disputed territories on the West Bank, what the Arabs refer to as “Al Naksi” - the disaster in Arabic.   

Last year tens of thousands of Palestinian and other protesters were driven to the border and engaged in clashes with Israel border police and IDF forces. 15 were killed and several hundred injured. The Netanyahu government also wanted to avoid the deaths of the 9 protesters and injuries to several Israel naval commandos involved the assault of the Turkish ferry the Mari Marmara during the 2010 Free Gaza Flotilla episode. The 2011 Flotilla and Flytilla were busts, as the vessels never left EU and Greek ports and those that flew into Ben Gurion Airport were quickly ejected.  

This time, Israel was prepared with fresh mine fields planted, border trenches dug, riot and border police and IDF reservists called up equipped with new non-lethal “Skunk gas.”

Jerusalem also conveyed messages via third parties to its neighbors Lebanon and Jordan putting them on notice as to what to expect this time. According to The Daily Star in Beirut the closest the protesters got to Israel was ten miles north of the border at Beaufort Castle. The mainstream media gathered in Israel was anticipating more violence than what actually occurred. In the end, the reportage was limited to say the least. 

Periodically during the day yesterday, a TUW colleague, Marc Kohlberg, a former Israeli police inspector, IDF officer and counterterrorism consultant would send us reports of what was transpiring on the ground from his perch in Israel.

Below was his final report (edited), that presented the facts of what occurred in the vicinity:

 This is what was evident after a long, somewhat tense day. Israel reported that 80 people were slightly injured from mostly non lethal “Skunk” gas used as a riot control tool.  The Palestinians obviously exaggerated that number and inflated it to a much larger figure of 340 injured and they are claiming one person was killed.

All of the events in Israel are over and the conclusion is that the [GM2J] million man march was a total failure and a show of "stupidity" if I may say so. It also shows that those who endorsed this march like [Nobel laureate Archbishop Desmond] Tutu, [President Obama’s former Chicago Pastor Dr. Jeremiah]. Wright and [newly returned   UK Parliamentarian  from West Bradford and Viva Palestine  founder  George] Galloway amongst other terrorist faction leaders  were simply just as stupid and in fact have no value for either ethics, human rights or life itself.

Most normal countries refused to even provide any form of acknowledgement to this non event as it was arranged and organized by terrorists including the Muslim Brotherhood and Iran who is now obviously seen as a global sponsor of terrorism.

While we were watching the "Mad Men March" another 42 Syrians were killed, [Hizbullah Leader Sheikh] Hasan Nasrallah popped out of his underground bunker to meet with an Iranian politician in Lebanon. Obama, voiced his intentions to sanction the Central Bank of Iran (about 2 years too late), Zipi Livni was replaced in elections by Shaul Mofaz (the former Chief of IDF staff), The Israel Labor party head Sheli Yechimovitz chose to publicly state that she is running for Prime Minister of Israel, The Iranian Deputy Minister of Foreign affairs was in Lebanon to see firsthand how the Lebanese army stopped the "Mad Marchers" from moving towards Israel's borders. [His presence] obviously showed solidarity with his [proxy] front line forces Hizbullah, Palestinians marched in Cairo for a few hours and then dispersed, about 80 rock wielding Palestinians were arrested for rock throwing and endangering lives, the Naturei Karta, a radical and crazy cult of very strange people who falsely call themselves Jews and dress like the religious Jews showed solidarity with the "Mad Marchers" and were with the Palestinians in Lebanon and Jordan.  Hamas actually physically beat and arrested some of the Palestinian "Mad Marchers" in Gaza and the PLO police in Ramallah did the same….. Go figure??

Just another day in the life of a tiny but strong little country called Israel.

Just to close off for the day I am obliged to report that there have been a few missiles fired (yet again) into Israel from Gaza. No injuries have been reported.

This "Mad Marcher" event cost the Israeli Government millions of dollars, if it were up to me I would sue the organizers and those who endorsed this event. The wounded should also sue the organizers as they are directly to blame for their injuries.

Kohlberg’s comment about Israel suing the organizers for the cost of protecting its citizens brought this cogent suggestion from Rick Greenfield, publisher of the Connecticut Jewish Ledger, to wit, “deduct from tax payments that are withheld and always then sent to [the Palestinian Authority]."

So much for the ignominious enemies of Israel. Kol Hakavod (outstanding) Israel’s preparations and steadfast determination to defend itself.  A lesson hopefully not lost on the world media, Brussels, Tehran and Washington.