San Francisco, CA – Dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters barged into a lecture by Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat in San Francisco State University on Wednesday, April 6, chanting “Long live the intifada!” according to a statement released by the Jerusalem Municipality.
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“The protesters raised their hands in a stiff-arm salute, called for the continuation of the intifada, called for an end of ‘the occupation’ and for the death of Israel. They also called for Barkat to be expelled from the campus and defined Israel as a terrorist and apartheid state,” the statement read.
The students entered the hall clad in Keffiyehs, waving Palestinian flags and hurled insults against the state of Israel using a loudspeaker.
The disruptions caused by the protestors prevented questions and answers from being heard, yet footage from the event shows Barkat apparently unfazed as he descended from the podium to answer the crowd’s questions face to face.
Police and security guards were called to the scene to protect Barkat who nevertheless insisted on completing his lecture.
He said later in a statement that “anyone who thinks that incitement and unruly calls for violence will succeed in silencing us or will change our stance is seriously mistaken. We will continue to build, to develop and to strengthen the nation of Israel which includes a united Jerusalem.”
“We will make our voices, positions and the justice of our ways clear in any forum to which we are invited. That includes in places where people attempt to prevent us from coming,” Barkat declared.
He further claimed that he had voiced his opposition to the “disgraceful behaviour in front of the university president and the mayor of San Francisco. I also said that such dangerous incitement cannot be allowed in a democratic society and especially not on campuses.”
The talk was part of a lecture series on American campuses about Jerusalem and Israeli policies. Barkat is scheduled to continue his lecture tour on Thursday before hundreds of university students in Columbia University, New York.
Barkat has faced off against more serious threats, such as in February 2015 when he encountered a Palestinian terrorist stabbing a Jewish man on a Jerusalem street and personally wrestled the attacker to the ground.
These liberal nuts make me sick.
What is also happening is that these anti-semitic people are exposing themselves. When Moschiach comes, it is very possible that the nations will kill all of them.
Typical Muslims, they can do what they wish and Obama will say if you expel them (as Trump does) they you are an Islamophobe. By the way these Muslims are taking the playbook from Israel’s LOYAL Israeli Arabs in the Knesset like Tibi and Zoabi who do this daily. Lets remember this, the Israeli government has imprisioned a Jewish soldier for killing a terrorist whom these people support by supporting the intifada so whose side is the same Israeli government on?
Sorry but there’s no such place as Palestine!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is all the fault of the weak stance of a foolish and looney liberal Israeli society and govt.
If israel would be strong and normal and realize this is war and they are the enemy all this would play out very differently
These pro Palestinians should first enlighten the world where Palestine is located. When did it come into existence? What is their history? What’s their capital? Do they have their own currency?
It is due to their not willing to make peace in 1948 that they haven’t got a state for themselves.They want to have the whole of that area and to make it judenrein.
Sorry, to all these commenters. Many, if not most, of the demonstrators are anti-Zionist Jews. They’re totally secular Jews, many from mixed marriages, who don’t even observe Yom Kippur. They have a hatred of Israel and Israelis. I know, because I lived in the Bay area.
If they were from anti-Zionist Hassidishe groups, half of you would defend them.