“I don’t want to coexist. I want to exist as a human being. And justice will take care of the rest.” – Remi Kanazi
Last Friday, Cornell’s Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) chapter sponsored a poetry performance by Palestinian-American poet, Remi Kanazi. The performance was Kanazi’s third stop on his university tour in promotion of his recently published book Before the Next Bomb Drops.
As you might expect, Kanazi’s poetry performance was nothing more than a collection of angry rants against Israel and the United States.
Before Kanazi started reading his “poetry”, he spoke about his background. He complained about growing up in a mostly white town and said it was a “weird fucking experience”, without citing any sort of discrimination. He moved to New York City at an early age and described the city post-9/11 as filled with “so much racism”. His poetry readings turned out to be filled with the same kind of race-baiting.
“Every time I think of 9/11 / I see burning flesh / Dripping off the bones / Of Iraqi children in Fallujah.” – Remi Kanazi
Kanazi’s poetry and spoken-word performances are really just a litany of outrageous and categorically false accusations. One of his most startling remarks was referring to Israel as a “racist, exclusivist, supremacist state.” This could not be further from the truth. Israel’s Declaration of Independence made it clear that all citizens would have equal social and political rights regardless of religion, race, or sex. This holds true to the present day. Approximately 21% of Israeli citizens are Arabs who have the right to vote and hold public office.
Kanazi also claimed that Israel has over 500 checkpoints in the West Bank. The truth is that there is only 13 Israeli checkpoints, as noted by in the IDF Blog. Kamazi also claimed that these checkpoints were a form of oppression against Palestinians. In reality, Israeli checkpoints as well as Israel’s security fence along the West Bank only serve as an effective counter-terrorism measure. They have drastically reduced the frequency of terrorist attacks. Unfortunately, those twisted by Palestinian and Hamas propaganda think Israel is to blame for these terrorist attacks, so to them any measure taken by Israel to protect themselves from these attacks is yet another form of “oppression”.
One of the common themes in many of his poems was comparing the highly anti-Semitic Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement (BDS) to the American Civil Rights Movement. When speaking about universities divesting from Israel he said, “This divestment bill, it’s divisive; the Montgomery Bus Boycott, divisive.” This comparison could not be further from the truth. The Montgomery Bus Boycott was a peaceful protest against racial segregation in America. The BDS movement, on the other hand, is a highly anti-Semitic and racist movement as pointed out in the Jerusalem Post. The movement singles out the sole democracy in the Middle East for completely false or exaggerated transgressions and holds the Jewish state to an impossibly high moral standard. It calls Israel an apartheid state, although Israeli Arabs have full voting rights. While Israel is not perfect, its people have done a great job of protecting their civilians while safeguarding the rights of minorities and minimizing civilian casualties when responding to terrorist attacks emanating from the Palestinian territories.
“Just because the house is beautiful doesn’t mean the bones you built it on have fully decomposed.” – Remi Kanazi
Kanazi, as well as the entire BDS movement, never fail ignore the despotic regimes across the rest of the Middle East. All over the region save in Israel, women are treated as second-class citizens, gays are often put to death, and the freedom of speech is routinely violated. Israel is guilty of none of these human rights violations. This kind of ignorance and singling out of Israel can only be rooted in special detestation or hatred towards Jews and Israel.
One of the greatest aspects of democratic societies is the freedom of speech. Even though I vehemently disagree with Kanazi, his freedom must be protected like everyone else. In Israel, as well as here in America, this right will always be protected. If I expressed my pro-Israel views in much of the Muslim world, I would be punished severely to say the least. I am proud to stand with Israel and against oppression all over the world.
Thank you so much for reporting on this! It is very upsetting that a university of Cornell’s caliber is home to such activities and very astute of the author to point out the lies(such as the number of checkpoints) that serve as the basis of Kamazi’s anti-Israel anti-Semitic crusade.
i think he has a lot of his ‘facts’ wrong….pity. it makes him significantly less credible.
1984 George Orwell = 21 century Arabs, Palestinians
George Orwell envisioned modern times Arabs.
The famous 1984 sentences and 21 century Arabs version
1: 1984- “War is peace.
Freedom is slavery.
Ignorance is strength.”
– 21 century of Arabs
(Reality,Facts is ignorance – Arabs conduit)
(Brainwash is Truth-the Arabs mind)
2:1984_“The best books… are those that tell you what you know already.”
– 21 century of Arabs
(Be aware of Arabs the people of one book – Quran)
3: 1984 “If you want to keep a secret, you must also hide it from yourself.”
– 21 century of Arabs
(If you want to destroy Israel and the western culture don’t say it- just act by Palestinian leaders to their people)
4: 1984 “If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face—forever.”
– 21 century of Arabs
(If you want a picture of the future-Islamism “uber alles”—imposing Islam ideology over all by an endless war)
5: 1984 “We shall meet in the place where there is no darkness.”
– 21 century of Arabs
(We shall migrate to Europe, the place where there is no darkness leaving the darkness of Islam countries, later to impose the Islam darkness)
6: 1984 “Doublethink means the power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one’s mind simultaneously, and accepting both of them.”
– 21 century of Arabs
(Doublethink means in Arab culture is- Lying declaration to the infidels in English and the truth goals in Arabic to their people)
7: 1984 “Perhaps a lunatic was simply a minority of one.”
– 21 century of Arabs
(Perhaps a lunatic Palestinian is simple the one declaring coexistence with Israel)
8: 1984 “Until they became conscious they will never rebel, and until after they have rebelled they cannot become conscious.”
– 21 century of Arabs
(Until the Arabs become conscious of the 21 century human values they will never rebel, and until after they maybe will rebel they are stacked in the 7 century Islamist conscious.)
(Unfortunately for the frothing future the world will pay by many casualties)
In the interests of political correctness and kowtowing to the fanatical radical liberals that have come to dominate American society, our institutions have developed policies allowing racism and discrimination against Jews as the last form of tolerated hatred. In particular our educational institutions have been overrun with Arab-funded hatred and propaganda using militant anti-American tactics to spread lies and indoctrinate the youth of this country. Parents need to arm their children with facts to counter the lies and a resolve to defend themselves, physically if necessary, against the terrorist tactics of these thugs.
There is no intelligent discourse in hate speech and any University or student group that sponsors such garbage is not being “liberal,” “open-minded,” or “politically correct.” You are bigots and anti Semites and should be ashamed of yourselves for giving this lying monster a platform to poison students with dishonest hate filled rants.
Remi Kanazi says, “I don’t want to coexist. I want to exist as a human being. And justice will take care of the rest.”
He seems to presume justice to be some person. It is people who must be just.
He has told you, O man, what is good;
and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God? Michah 6:8
Remi Kanazi, you must do justly. YOU MUST and not expect some phantom to do it for you.
I’m sure Hamas would be more than happy to accept himself and his family in Gaza and the WB.
Let me know if you need help packing your bags
on Jul 31, 2015
Two days after Mr Netanyahu controversially approved 300 new settler homes in the West Bank. A group of Israeli settlers has burned a Palestinian baby to death as they set fire to two houses in the occupied West Bank. Ali’s four-year-old brother and parents were seriously hurt, according to Gassan Daghlas, a Palestinian official from the Nablus area, who said the attackers baroke the house window and flung a burning object inside, causing ‘a quick and huge fire’.
Boycott Israel
Mark, I have never heard of such story. However, the Israeli government has consistently brought Israelis to justice who have brought harm to innocent Palestinians. If a few settlers do bad things, that does not justify boycotting the entire nation.
Many of Israel’s enemies, like Hamas, openly support attacks on civilians. Since Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005, Hamas has fired over 11,000 rockets into Israel. After two innocent Israelis were recently murdered, Hamas called the attacks “heroic.” They are savages.
We must unequivocally support Israel in their war against Islamic jihad. You are either with Israel or with the savages.
Glenn Dornbaum, I’m with you. (and Jesus)
“You are either with Israel or with the savages.”
Excuse me, please define whom you’re calling “savages” because, currently, Israel occupies Palestinian land and its conflict is with Palestinians and with Arabs. I certainly hope you’re not calling us savages, because that would be racist. Besides, you can be supportive of Israel and still be critical of its policies and the behavior of the IDF and the settlers.
It’s ironic when economic sanctions are imposed on a nation due to its violation of human rights or international law, it’s all good and legal except when it involves Israel. Wake up, open your eyes, have some introspection and learn compassion. One thing I admire about about all my Jewish friends is their dedication and commitment to the fight for justice, equality and human rights. I wish the Zionist would learn from them.