Over the summer, protests erupted next to the Amistad Memorial Statue outside of New Haven’s City Hall. Student protesters rallied with “Free Palestine” and “Stop the Siege” signs. Young teens donned in Keffiyehs waved the Flag of the Arab Revolt, a banner of Pan-Arab colors that has represented the Palestinian people since 1964. These demonstrators called for an “End to all U.S. aid to Israel,” demanding, “Free all children and political prisoners in Israeli jails.” In reference to Israeli airstrikes, they pleaded, “Stop collective punishment of the Palestinian people!”
Earlier this summer, the kidnapping and murder of three Israeli teenagers by Hamas militants sparked an Israeli crackdown on Hamas in the West Bank. In retaliation, Hamas initiated continuous rocket and mortar fire from Gaza into Israel. On Tuesday, July 8, 2014, the Israel Defense Forces launched Operation Protective Edge with a stated aim of stopping the rocket fire and restoring quiet to Israel. It was later expanded to a ground operation with the goal of destroying Gaza’s terror tunnel system. By the end of August, almost 5,000 rockets and mortars had been fired from Gaza, and over 2000 Palestinians and 66 IDF soldiers had been killed.
A host of demonstrators have since spoken out against Israel’s treatment of Palestine. The protesters’ motivations range from humanistic to anti-Semitic, but their presence is undeniable. Thousands of protesters have congregated in Paris, Vienna, Amsterdam, and other European cities. Often, pro-Palestinian protesters have clashed with police and violence has erupted.
New Haven has also played host to such protests, and the Middle East Crisis Committee (MECC), a Connecticut-based activist group, has been particularly active. In an interview with The Politic, Stanley Heller, Director of the MECC, explained that his organization’s goal is to “Stop the wars and promote human rights.” Heller’s followers have largely “broken away from the community leadership, particularly a group called Jewish Voice for Peace, originally started in New Haven.” MECC’s aim is to “to raise public awareness, to get people to understand what is going on, to let them know that there are horrors going on in Gaza.”
Amongst the crowd congregated by the statue, one man stands out: Bob Fishman of the Jewish Federation Association of Connecticut (JFACT). Through his outspoken opposition to pro-Palestinian protests and fervent support of Israel’s military actions, Fishman has made a small name for himself within the Connecticut Jewish community. His commentary on one pro-Gaza rally appeared on Fox News.
This isn’t the first time the Middle East Crisis Committee has taken to the streets, and Fishman recognized some of the protesters from previous rallies. “There’s a very select group of people involved,” he explained.
Ultimately, Fishman considers the protests ineffective. “The same demonstrators protest at each rally.” Locals did not seem interested in joining the assembly and the group did not grow. The protests in New Haven were slightly more sizable than others nearby, “probably due to student protesters.”
Rather than oppose the protests with more people and pickets, Mr. Fishman has appealed to formal modes of political engagement. “We’re getting an indoor experience rather than an outdoor one,” he says. His diplomacy may be paying off. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) has sponsored a bill supporting Israel’s military measures.
In contrast, the New Haven protests have received little media attention. “It is very difficult to show public awareness. Only one TV station has shown the protests in Hartford,” Heller explained. “The media is not interested in what we are saying. The media, the corporate media, generally has just been regurgitating government handouts.” In an effort to further spread the organization’s reach, Heller has spearheaded a TV program that has been airing for 10 years. “It’s an access station. There is programming every week. We just put out episode 550. We do one every week. We are surpassing the Simpsons. The alternative media is what we rely on to get the word out.”
The issue of media coverage is widespread, especially in areas outside of large population centers. Bob Fishman added, “Many of the local papers have very little editorial content and lack op-ed pieces. Many also lack foreign correspondents.” Nevertheless, these protests represent an important political element in our local community. Grassroots organizations can grow quickly and media sources often have difficulty accurately depicting the strength of a social group or movement.
Especially with issues as heavily publicized as the Israel-Palestine conflict, it can be easy to blind ourselves to how these discussions manifest outside of insular campus discourse. It is crucial, however, that we understand the ways in which public opinion is formed both inside and outside of political institutions.