Harry Reid Rebukes Obama On Israel

At yesterday's meeting of AIPAC, the powerful pro-Israel lobbying group.

Pride Toronto Redux

Pride Toronto hasn't even begun accepting applications to march in this year's parade, but already last year's controversy is back in the news.

Queers Against Israeli Apartheid is pulling out of Toronto’s annual Pride Parade in what the activist group called a “challenge” to mayor Rob Ford, who had threatened to cut the city’s funding to the parade because of the group’s continued participation. The Ford administration’s response? Prove the group is out, and we’ll provide funding. Mr. Ford and his allies on council had said they would cut Pride’s funding altogether if Queers Against Israeli Apartheid takes part. The group’s vocal opposition to Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories has elicited accusations of anti-Semitism, but some advocates argued the reluctance to fund Pride had more to do with the mayor’s stance toward a flamboyant gay and lesbian event. Pride relies on the city for about a quarter of its budget. Last year, the city gave the parade a $123,807 grant and $245,000 worth of services, such as litter cleanup and policing.

NYC LGBT Center Israel Flap Continues

Earlier this week the NYC LGBT Center canceled a planned Israel Apartheid Week meeting after gay porn kingpin Michael Lucas threatened to have the Center's wealthy donors pull their support. Immediately after the event's cancellation, a petition went online with a demand that the Center not let "wealthy bigots censor free speech." Among the petition's sponsors are well-known activists Cleve Jones, Judith Butler, and Sherry Wolf of the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network.

Today the Village Voice's Steven Thrasher interviews Wolf, who says it's an insult for her group to characterized as a "hate group" by a pornographer. (Snap!)

"More than half of [Siege Busters] is Jewish, and the others are mostly Arabs, and they call us anti-Semitic? Isn't the center a place where different people are supposed to meet and discuss? Shouldn't Jews and Arabs, gay and lesbian and transgender, working together towards peace be something that is celebrated? We cannot allow a wealthy porn entrepreneur to dictate what kind of speech is allowed, at a center whose very mission is to represent the oppressed and the marginalized!"

Read Thrasher's full interview.

Gay And Palestinian

The BBC's Weekend World program takes a look at the plight of gay Palestinians, some of whom escape torture and imprisonment by fleeing into Israel, only to face deportation back to their side of the fence should they be discovered.

TORONTO: Anti-Israel Apartheid Activists Rile Some At Pride Parade

Queer United Against Israeli Apartheid marched behind their banner in Pride Toronto's parade on Sunday, angering some and forcing the police to intervene when members of the Jewish Defense League left their group and attempted to accost QUAIA.

TORONTO: City May Pull Pride Funding Over Reversal On Anti-Israel Group

Last week Pride Toronto announced that they were reversing their ban on Queers Against Israel Apartheid after weeks of protests and threats of a boycott. On Friday Toronto City Councilman Giorgio Mammoliti co-hosted a press conference with a collection of Jewish activists to announce that he would seek to retroactively pull this year's funding of Pride Toronto and would seek to end any future funding as well. Via Xtra:

Xtra asked Mammoliti if he was prepared to move that the city finally determine clearly whether or not QuAIA's presence in the Pride parade violates the city's anti-discrimination policy. But he dodged the question twice, saying at one point that city staff told council that QuAIA's presence is a violation of the policy. Ceta Ramkhalawansingh, manager of diversity management for the City of Toronto, told Xtra subsequently that the city has made no determination about whether QuAIA violates the policy. “It’s up to Pride to have policies and procedures in place,” says Ramkhalawansingh. “Whether QuAIA participates or not is a Pride decision, not a city decision.” Mammoliti made the announcement at a press conference earlier today. Among those also on hand were Moshe Ronen of the Canada-Israel Committee, Bernie Farber of the Canadian Jewish Congress, gay lawyer Martin Gladstone, Avi Benlolo of the Friends of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, Rossi, Mammoliti and Ford. Gladstone urged people to press Pride Toronto's sponsors in an effort to get Queers Against Israeli Apartheid pulled out of the parade.

Pride Toronto's main events are this weekend.

TORONTO: Anti-Israeli Apartheid Activists Plan To Defy Pride Events Ban

A new group called the Pride Coalition For Free Speech plans to march in Pride Toronto's parade and will appear at other events to denounce the decision to ban Queers Against Israeli Apartheid.

Go to Pride Toronto (PT) events and defy the ban — that is the message queer activists are sending partiers in the lead-up to Toronto’s gayest weekend. That stands in contrast to early calls for a boycott; most now plan to use official events to denounce organizers and make statements about PT and censorship. Since PT announced its ban on the term “Israeli apartheid” on May 25, gay people have been organizing through Facebook and in person to convince PT to reverse its decision. The Pride Coalition for Free Speech — an ad hoc group founded to fight the ban — hosted a meeting at the 519 Church St Community Centre on June 7 that drew more than 300 people. Roy Mitchell, a member of the coalition, says he’s watching people organize in a flurry — everything from skits to banner-making — as people turn their frustration into action. “We want Pride. We love Pride. We probably love it more than we ever had,” he says. He’s never seen this kind of energy before, he says. Those who oppose PT’s decision to censor QuAIA, no matter how they feel about the Middle East, are invited to march with the Pride Coalition for Free Speech — if its application is approved by PT staff, that is. “We are happy to take anyone under our banner who wants to join us,” says Mitchell, who is also organizing a free speech cabaret on June 29.

The Facebook page for the new protest group is here.

EDMONTON: Anti-Israel Group Marches In Pride Parade Without Incident

Despite all controversy and protests in Toronto, Queers Against Israeli Apartheid marched in Saturday's Edmonton Pride parade with little fanfare. Their banners read "There's no pride in apartheid" and "Free Palestine." The group plans to crash Toronto's event despite having been banned. I've been told a NYC-based contingent plans to attend NYC's event, but haven't yet heard whether they'll be an official marching group.

Rosie O'Donnell Defends Helen Thomas

On her SiriusXM radio show, yesterday Rosie O'Donnell defended Helen Thomas, saying she didn't think what Thomas said constituted hate speech. The clip below was created by a pro-Israel site.

Israel Fallout Continues For Pride Toronto

Last month Pride Toronto banned Queers Against Israeli Apartheid from all of its events, prompting many to complain of censorship. On Monday over two dozen former Grand Marshals and honorees marched on Pride Toronto's office to return their awards. All of the speakers at Pride Toronto's planned June 28th human rights event have canceled their appearances. And now some of Pride Toronto's hired performers are pulling out.

Soon after Pride Toronto chose to censor the term "Israeli apartheid" the anarchic folk-rock band Tomboyfriend pulled out in protest. At the packed town hall meeting held at the 519 Church St Community Centre on June 7, lead singer/songwriter Ryan Kamstra expressed surprise that no other bands had yet done the same. But earlier that afternoon, John Caffery of Kids on TV announced his withdrawal from a DJ gig at Pride. Singer Troy Jackson, writer David Demchuk and Pride stage host and mayoral candidate Keith Cole also dropped out. And now other scheduled performers are mulling over whether or not to do the same. "I view free speech as vital to social change and empowerment," says Caffery. "If free speech is to be taken away then it certainly is not a party I can play music for."

Some musicians scheduled to appear are staying out of the political fray entirely. Crackpuppy guitarist Patricia Wilson: "Fuck Pride. Fuck Israel. Fuck Palestine. Only rock and roll matters. It is the only true government, the only true religion."

RELATED: Pride Toronto's problems on this issue began long before last week's Gaza flotilla raid.

Rep. Louis Gohmert: Obama Would Support Terrorists Beating TSA Agents

Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) says that the president would probably have no problem with terrorists beating TSA agents, since he (Gohmert says) has no problem with terrorists evading the Gaza blockade.

LOS ANGELES: Evangelicals And Right-Wing Pols Rally For Israel

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rep. Michele "Crazy Eyes" Bachmann, and other GOP politicians joined evangelical and Jewish leaders in Los Angeles on Monday to speak before about 5000 pro-Israel protesters angry about international reaction to the Gaza flotilla raid. Near the end of the below clip, peace activist David Pine is shouted down by the crowd and called a "traitor" for suggesting that the only answer is a Palestine state.

Rep. Peter King (R-NY) Introduces Anti-Gaza Relief Resolution

Saying that President Obama is responsible for the deaths incurred during Israel's raid on the Gaza relief flotilla, Rep. Peter King (R-NY) has introduced a House resolution requiring the U.S. to side with Israel on the issue.

"I believe that the Obama administration's foreign policy is responsible for what happened with the flotilla," said King, R-Long Island. King said the president's conscious decision to put distance between the United States and Israel has encouraged Israel's enemies. "That type of misguided and double meaning policy has confused our allies. It's emboldened our enemies and emboldened Israel's enemies and this, to me, is unfortunately the logical consequence of President Obama's actions," King said. The congressman is asking his colleagues to support a resolution that would force the U.S. to support Israel's naval blockade of Gaza, refuse to let the U.S. contribute funds to an investigation of the flotilla incident, and demand that the U.S. remove itself from the United Nations Human Rights council.

Today Egypt announced that they were ending their participation in the blockade and opening their borders to Gaza indefinitely.

Former Pride Toronto Honorees And Grand Marshals Attempt To Return Their Awards

About two dozen former Grand Marshals and honorees of Pride Toronto attempted to return their awards at the organization's headquarters yesterday in protest of the decision to bar Queers Against Israeli Apartheid from all events. However Pride employees had locked the doors. Protesters then held a press conference outside to give a Shame Award to Pride Toronto.

FLOTILLA FALLOUT: Madrid Pride Cancels Israeli Parade Float

Madrid Pride has announced that they are canceling the appearance of an Israeli group in their parade over heightened security concerns since the Gaza flotilla raid.

The Israeli delegation, made up of members of the LGBT association and the Foreign Ministry, was scheduled to run an Israeli "bus" in the parade, for the first time since its establishment. But the delegation has recently received hints from Spain that their arrival may cause anger among local pro-Palestinian groups, which may require excess security and, more importantly, cause a lot of embarrassment. The organizers' fears peaked with the emergence of anti-Israel protests following the IDF raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla, and on Monday they cited lack of security for the cancellation. Sources close to the affair say the decision was also affected by a number of anti-Israeli groups.Community reps expressed their deep disappointment by Madrid's decision. Chairman of the LGBT Union in Israel, Mike Hamel told Ynet, "We regret the fact that the pride organizations in Madrid have decided to focus on issues that have nothing to do with the community. The Union was invited as a non-political organization. This is a missed opportunity for dialogue."

The Israel Foreign Ministry called the cancellation "an ugly scandal that turns the pride parade into a shame parade."

Helen Thomas Announces Retirement

You can't fire her, she quits! Veteran reporter Helen Thomas has announced her retirement after enduring several days of blistering criticism for saying that Jews should leave Israel and return to their home countries. Thomas, 89, has been a member of the White House press corp for 50 years and has reported extensively on every president since John F. Kennedy. Her retirement is effective immediately.

Veteran Reporter Helen Thomas In Hot Water Over Israel Comments

Reporter Helen Thomas, who as been a familiar face in the front row of the White House press corps for decades, is under fire for comments made in the wake of the Gaza flotilla raid. When asked where Jews should live, Thomas suggested they go back to Poland, Germany, and America. Thomas has already apologized, but has been dropped by her speaking agent and been uninvited from a planned speech to a high school graduation class.

Thomas, a columnist for Hearst Newspapers, issued an apology on her website on Friday for comments that were captured on video by an interviewer for the website RabbiLive.com. On the video dated May 27 (click on YouTube image), Thomas says Israelis should "get the hell out of Palestine," suggesting they go to Germany, Poland or the U.S. "I deeply regret my comments I made last week regarding the Israelis and the Palestinians," Thomas wrote on her site on Friday. "They do not reflect my heart-felt belief that peace will come to the Middle East only when all parties recognize the need for mutual respect and tolerance. May that day come soon." The national director of the Anti-Defamation League, Abraham H. Foxman, said Sunday that Thomas' apology didn't go far enough. "Her suggestion that Israelis should go back to Poland and Germany is bigoted and shows a profound ignorance of history," Foxman said in a statement. "We believe Thomas needs to make a more forceful and sincere apology for the pain her remarks have caused."

Right-wing and pro-Israel sites are calling for Thomas to lose her White House privileges. Here's the video.

Zionists Mock Gaza Flotilla

With the aid of American-Israeli Caroline Glick, who is the deputy editor of the Jerusalem Post, the DC-based Zionist think tank Center For Security Policy has created the below video mocking the Palestinian activists involved in Monday's flotilla raid in which nine people were killed. Today the Israeli government issued an apology after its press office sent media outlets an email linking the video.

American Among Killed In Flotilla Raid

Among the nine people killed during Israel's raid on the flotilla headed to Gaza was 19 year-old Furkan Dogan, a New York-born man with dual U.S.-Turkish citizenship. According to one report, Dogan was shot four times in the head. And not that it's necessarily relevant to this tragedy, I've gotten three emails today speculating that Dogan may have been gay. Does anybody know if this is true?

John McCain: Obama Is Responsible For Israel's Flotilla Raid