Villager photos by J.B. Nicholas

Waves of protest poured out over Gaza flotilla fiasco
On Tues., June 1, in front of the Israeli Mission to the United States and in Times Square, pro-Palestinian activists protested the raid the day before by Israeli commandos on a Gaza-bound flotilla that left nine flotilla participants dead aboard the Mavi Marmara. Below, the ubiquitous sect of Jews who don’t believe Israel should exist “until the Messiah comes,” added their voices to the protest. The Israelis said the commandos encountered armed resistance by individuals wielding metal bars and knives, and that the blockade is needed to keep weapons from getting into Gaza. In the ensuing fallout, veteran White House journalist Helen Thomas said Israelis should “go home” to Germany and Poland — the site of the Holocaust — and America, prompting cries, from Ed Koch among others, for her to retire, which she promptly did, capping her long career with an ugly blot of anti-Semitism. On Sun., June 13, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., at Judson Church, at 55 Washington Square South, survivors of the Mavi Marmara are scheduled to speak out about the experience; the keynote address will be by George Galloway, a former member of British Parliament. Entrance fee is $20, $15 for students. According to a press release, “Proceeds will go to support the families of the Heroes of Gaza.”