28 November 2010

Ahava Picket Continues as EDL Spread Their Hate Further Afield













I took off an hour or so from the Culture of Resistance Conference to go and join the picket at Ahava. After direct action this week by 2 activists, who chained themselves to a concrete block, once again getting arrested for aggravated trespass, the picket was a quiet affair.

Arriving at about 12.45 I was surprised that the Zionists friends the EDL hadn’t turned up. They have a demonstration this week spreading their message of hate at Nuneaton, so they couldn’t afford to join their bigots in arms at Ahava to support Zionist theft in the West Bank. And even Jonathan Hoffman didn’t turn up till gone 1.00, leaving the hapless Martin Sugarman, one of those who heckled Holocaust survivor, Haja Meyer, at the Holocaust Memorial Day commemoration last year.

Rumour has it that the EDL is somewhat miffed with the Zionists for turning down all their suggestions, such as having 2 of them sleep overnight in Ahava to keep out anyone wanting to chain themselves to concrete! And despite the best efforts of Hoffman to make them feel wanted, they feel their efforts have become taken for granted by the Zionists who don't even make them officially feel at home as the Zionists can't afford to openly welcome them!

The Zionists seemed to shuffle about in embarrassment as the shop did next to no trade on a busy Saturday afternoon. Even the police outnumbered them. One unnamed Zionist, having nothing with which to defend the Zionist theft of Palestinian resources on the West Bank foamed at the mouth about us ‘anti-Semites’ until I pointed out that it was they who demonstrated with anti-Semites every other week! He then turned on my family instead! Strange man. And even stranger was a Welsh Christian Zionist flying the Israeli flag who seemed eager to distance himself from the Revelations crowd of baptists who want the Jews return to the Holy Land in order that they can then be immolated and secure the return of the Messiah. He accepted that they were most of them anti-Semites.

Finally a bad tempered and ill at lease Jonathan Hoffman turned up. At one stage he was shouting in the face of Bruce Levy, who quite remarkably kept his cool. Hoffman’s face was literally contorted with rage as he saw all round him disintegrate, along with his career in the Zionist Federation.

However truth be said, the turn out on the Palestinian side was also considerably down and people weren’t very vocal until Jonathan turned up. One has to hand it to him. He always enlivens us up to do more, not least in this case chant, and led by Bruce and me crying ‘Don’t Buy Stolen Goods Boycott Ahava’ we got quite a good bout of chanting going. The Zionists bar Hoffman preferred to keep quiet, possibly feeling the cold even more than we. It was therefore with great reluctance that I departed this merry scene, Hoffman still scowling for all he was worth!

Tony Greenstein

7 comments:

  1. When the Israel-haters fail, they resport to ad hominem insults. You have failed bigtime with Ahava. The shop remains open and is very profitable. It makes more money on demo days than any other time. Despite all your photographing and ad hominem insults, you are losing and we are winning. That is all that counts.

    Jonathan Hoffman

    ReplyDelete
  2. This is most unfair Jonathan. I defer to no man in my appreciation of your efforts. I was merely bemoaning the fickle nature of friendship that goes by the name of political allegiances these days.

    Clearly, as Oscar Wilde put it, the EDL have every quality of a dog except loyalty.

    I stand in amazement of the business model of Ahava. We've had virtual reality and now virtual profits to go with virtual trading and virtual customers.

    Indeed given the virtual nature of your politics my dear Hoffie it all seems so obvious.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Excellent report and video here.
    Highlights include lyrics of a wonderful Christmas Carol "We Wish You A Loss Of Buisness" as well as a very lonely and restless Jonathan Hoffman going radge because nobody wants to be seen in public with him any more, and the only ones who do are only there for the entertainment of watching him making a fool of himself in public. Regular performances guaranteed -
    A BUYCOTT, A DEMO AND A ZIONIST ADVOCATE FOR PALESTINE
    Free Palestine Fortnightly Demo
    THE AHAVA BOYCOTT CAMPAIGN IN THE UK
    27 Nov 2010

    Here is blogger's seasonal messege of hope to Jonafun -
    "Don’t stop, you’re doing a wonderful job (for us) as a Zionist ambassador and we look forward to your presence at future demos! Your loutish and crude behaviour so much reflects the actions of your insane Zionist puppetmasters in Israel. So carry on Jonathan and keep up the good work!"

    ReplyDelete
  4. It was the first time I've been for ages. Every other weekend I've had something or a Brighton demo etc. So I had expected Hoffman's friends in the EDL, and possibly his partner to be, the foul mouthed Roberta Moore, instead nothing. A charming Welsh Zionist (I quite took to him!)

    Hoffman was in a bad temper from the start (mind he always is!).

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hoffman’s face was literally contorted with rage as he saw all round him disintegrate, along with his career in the Zionist Federation.
    - I'm sorry to hear this news TG.
    It will be a sad loss to Palestinian solidarity in Britian if Jonathan Hopeless gets his jotters from his Zionist employers.

    J-Hoff has worked so tirelessly in his efforts to discredit everything associated with Israel here in the UK, his loss will be almost irreplaceable. Almost.

    So far, if images and videos are anything to go by, J-Hoff has managed to scare off mainstream zionist supporters, with his Ahava BUYcott campaign, and attracted in their place, EDL neo-nazi nutters and a lone apocalyptic millenarianist, proud of his Welsh roots.

    There are rumours that he is actually a mole, inside the ZF, working for the cause of Palestinian solidarity.

    ReplyDelete
  6. It seems like their BUYcott was a bit of a flop....and rumour has it that Ahava was late opening on Sunday as the keyholes had been glued. Methinks that Hoffie has sunk further into delusion.

    Meanwhile, here is a carol for Ahava by Dr. Sue Blackwell:

    Away with Ahava (to the tune of "Away in a manger")

    Away with Ahava!
    No more Dead Sea mud!
    Its settlement products
    are tainted with blood.
    Its foams may be fragrant,
    its potions quite posh;
    But its practices stink, and
    its excuses won't wash.

    The boycott is biting,
    the public awakes.
    Ahava's in trouble:
    no profit it makes.
    Come join us in protest,
    till Palestine's free
    And all of her children
    can visit the sea.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Those are excellent Christmas carol lyrics Deborah.

    Apologies for those who already know about this brilliant wee website -
    Stolen Beauty
    Boycott Ahava beaty products
    Expose the ugly secrets from the Dead Sea

    CODE PINK

    They also have a Facebook group.

    ReplyDelete

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