Civil Disobedience and the NY Met

[eb22]

What were people shouting to Peter Gelb?  I hope they were cursing him out.  He strikes me as a sick self-hating Jew. 

By the way, the email address I just posted doesn't work.  The Met's site has a contact form, and I wrote to Gelb there.  This is what I sent:

- - - - - - - - - -  - - - - - - - -  - - - - - - - - - -  - - - - -

To Mr. Peter Gelb:

I am shocked, appalled and dismayed to learn that the Metropolitan Opera has gone through with showing "The Death Of Klinghoffer." 

However, one only needs to follow the money to see why you and your organization would do such a thing.  How much money are you getting from Saudi Petroleum International?  Also, your last name sounds Jewish to me.  So I'm just wondering how you, as a Jew can justify spreading pro PLO propaganda.  How do you live with yourself? 

Now you'll probably say it's art, and the Met is on the cutting edge and doesn't believe in censorship, etc.  But that's a lie.  Somehow, I just can' imagine you showing operas about the death of Osama Bin Laden or anything about the be-headings of Daniel Pearl, James Foley or Steven Sotloff.  No doubt you and your people would consider that insensitive.  But if it's about an elderly Jew in a wheelchair being killed for being Jewish, then it's art?

Shame on you Mr. Gelb.

The primary theme shouted at Peter Gelb was a version of,  Shame on you,  Gelb!

Also,  some shouted who is funding the ' opera' ?

Some others shouted Gelb supports Terrorism or the Met supports Terrorism.

Thanks to you,  Muman,  Bullcat, Dan,  and everyone else I didn't previously acknowledge for your efforts in this thread.

I sent Gelb an email last week.   So far,  no response from Gelb or anyone else at the Met.

[eb22]

Eb22, what's your next banner going to say? 

You can pm it to me if you don't want to post it here.  Maybe we can also post it on the Met's Facebook page.

Lisa,  I'm going to PM it to you because I want Peter Gelb and the media to be surprised about what's coming.   

[eb22]

According to the Jerusalem Post,  Peter Gelb is indeed technically Jewish.   The following is part of a larger article:

http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/A-prayer-for-5775-376221

By standing on the sidelines and drawing distinctions between the supposedly responsible AJC and the supposedly irresponsible organizations that participated, Harris weakened the campaign to fight anti-Semitism. Not only was this an irresponsible thing to do, it was deeply destructive, not least because it expanded the polarization of the Jewish community.

Peter Gelb, the Met’s director, is Jewish. And many defenders of the decision to produce The Death of Klinghoffer have argued that Gelb’s Judaism makes it unacceptable to point out that by producing an anti-Semitic opera, the Met is mainstreaming anti-Jewish bigotry.

But the sad fact is that a growing number of radical Jews, who reject the very notion that Jews have rights, including the right to support Israel and defend the Jewish state, are filling the void left by the Jewish leadership establishment that would rather attack activists whose agenda they share than cooperate with them.

[angryChineseKahanist]

Like Irish Zionist mentioned,  the Sarah Palin info that I used to have in my profile likely is why you were mistaken about my gender.   As someone who has gone to many JTF Meetings in the last few years and been to many protests in the NY Area since 2010,   I assumed that all of the regulars knew I'm a male.    Assuming that was a mistake on my part.

oh ok. as long as you're not confused.
I don't remember though.
I should have known with those 25 inch biceps.

[Dan193]

http://blog.camera.org/archives/2014/09/over_a_thousand_protest_the_me_1.html
Camera has pics of the protests in front of the Met

Over a Thousand Protest the Met's Obscene Opera
September 23, 2014

[eb22]

A reminder regarding tonight's protest.   The following is from the email AFSI sent the other day:



October 15, 2014




 
 
 
 
 


 

PETER GELB MUST GET THE MESSAGE - PEOPLE OF CONSCIENCE

 WILL NOT STAND IDLY BY WHILE

ANTI-AMERICAN, ANTI-ISRAEL, ANTI-JEWISH, PRO-TERRORIST PROPAGANDA MASQUERADING AS ART IS STAGED IN NYC.

JOIN THE PROTEST - BE LEON KLINGHOFFER FOR TWO HOURS

 

 

 


VOLUNTEERS NEEDED TO SIT IN WHEELCHAIRS AND TO PUSH THEM.

CONTACT:  - [email protected]

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------





     The Jewish Voice of NY, editor Fern Sidman and publisher David Ben Horeen, have been with the Coalition Against the Klinghoffer Opera from the very beginning of the struggle. It was this past July that Helen Freedman, AFSI's Executive Director, and Charlie Bernhaut, AFSI Board member, first rented wheel chairs, to demonstrate on the Lincoln Center Plaza, carrying signs protesting against the 'Death of Klinghoffer' opera. Threatened with arrest if they remained on the Plaza, Helen and Charlie moved their wheelchairs to the street and showed up there for the next two nights. The Jewish Voice of NY carried the story and has continued to carry photos, ads, articles and editorials in support of the Coalition's efforts. Much credit goes to them for the fact that the Coalition, which started with a few small groups, now boasts a membership of over 60. In addition, we are pleased to note that many of the mainstream Jewish organizations have joined in the protest. We are also pleased to thank so many in the media and the public who have joined the throngs of protestors. This was no doubt the reason for the huge success of the Sept. 22 protest and the expected even greater success of the upcoming Monday, Oct. 20 protest.

       The press has been invited to a Press Conference beginning at 5 PM., led by Jeff Wiesenfeld, which will be held directly across the street from Lincoln Center @ Broadway between 63rd & 64th Streets. The organizers promise many surprise VIP's for the Conference.

        The public is urged to be part of this, to be part of the wheelchair caravan, and to participate in the entire protest. The program, led by AFSI's Helen Freedman, will include prominent speakers and musicians, and will run until 7:30 P.M.



Why We Are Demonstrating at the Met on Oct 20


WEDNESDAY, 15 OCTOBER 2014  BY: Editorial - Jewish Voice of NY


 

This is BIG!! Peter Gelb's decision to stage THE DEATH OF KLINGHOFFER, after admitting that the opera was anti-Semitic enough to warrant the cancelling of the HD movie theater showings, reveals a mind-set that is anti-American, anti-Israel, anti-Jewish, and pro-terrorist. Whatever his comments, and those of his supporters, that this is 'artistic expression', must be discarded. 'Artistic expression' that tells lies, re-writes history, preaches hatred, and encourages sympathy for murderers, is simply a perversion of civilization. And the Coalition Against the Klinghoffer Opera says NO!!

 

The Coalition has been operating all summer. It managed to persuade many donors to withhold their funding. Thousands of emails and phone calls were sent to Gelb to persuade him with logic and reason against staging the opera. Subscribers were encouraged to return tickets for the Klinghoffer opera, and many did so. Yet, Peter Gelb remained obstinate and refused to cancel the performances. Even after the huge success of the Sept. 22 demonstration, where 2000 people gathered, carrying signs and cheering the speakers from all walks of life, Gelb refused to budge.

 

Questions were asked about the "anonymous" funding. Why were the funders for most of the operas clearly displayed on the advertising page in the Met brochure, but in the case of Klinghoffer the sponsor is "anonymous."  It is known that "anonymous" has deep pockets because he/she/ has picked up all the lost funding from disgusted donors. But who is funding this disgrace and allowing the shows to go on?

 

Has the Coalition failed because it hasn't succeeded in its goal to have the opera cancelled? Not at all. It has provided a focal point for all people of conscience to come together in saying NO to Jew hatred, NO to Israel hatred, NO to anti-Americanism and NO to Islamic fundamentalism that has been allowed to grow out of control. Leon Klinghoffer, PLO victim on the Achille Lauro in 1985, was just one of the early victims of what we have seen morph into Fatah, Hamas, Al Qaeda, Islamic Jihad, and ISIS in 2014. As long as the Obama White House continues to deny the Islamic connection to ISIS, to Fort Hood, to Benghazi, and to the latest PLO hate crime attack outside the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Leonard Petlakh, we are in great danger, and caring Americans must come together in protest.

 

Monday, Oct. 20, 5 PM is the gathering time for the next Coalition demonstration. It is opening night for the Klinghoffer opera and Jeff Wiesenfeld will lead a press conference across from Lincoln Center featuring NY Board of Rabbis Executive VP Rabbi Joseph Potasnik, Congressman Peter King; former Governor David Paterson; Queens Borough President Melinda Katz; Americans for a Safe Israel Chairman Mark Langfan; Executive Director ISGAP Dr. Charles Small; Past Chairman, Conference of President of Major American Jewish Organizations Richard Stone, and many other distinguished community members.

 

Across the street, in front of Lincoln Center, fifty wheelchairs will be standing in formation (the Coalition wanted 100 but the police drew the line at 50) with the occupants wearing signs saying, "I AM LEON KLINGHOFFER." We are to put ourselves in his shoes, understanding the agony of a wheel-chair bound invalid as he is confronted by his executioners and is unable to help himself. From that understanding must come to the determination to say NEVER AGAIN. Yellow stars with that statement were purchased by Coalition member Joseph Davidsohn, were worn at the Sept. 22 demonstration, and will be worn again on Oct. 20.

 

The task of Jews, Christians and all concerned Americans regarding this matter - BE THERE!! Monday, Oct. 20, 5-7:30 P.M. Do not stand idly by the blood of your brother or sister.
 
 

[Joe Gutfeld]

Let's all protest and ban going to the Met.

[muman613]