Editor note: The Occupy Wall Street press team send Ben Lorber the following email in response to questions regarding his post Flotilla controversy within Occupy Wall Street shows Palestine continues to be a fault line:
———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Press <press@occupywallst.org>
Date: Sat, Nov 5, 2011 at 1:08 AM
Subject: Re: Reporter Inquiry- deleted #FreedomWaves Tweet
To: Ben Lorber
Hey Ben,
Sorry for the delay.
Many people involved in OWS support the liberation of Palestine and many other freedom movements around the world. However, since we have grown very quickly as an organization, we have not been able to come to consensus on certain issues that are outside the scope of the original message of OWS, which has dealt with the American financial crisis, democracy and wealth inequality. The flotilla actions are something that we have not had time to discuss or come to a cohesive policy on, but that does not mean that we do not fundamentally support it.
The tweet was erased because there was discussion about how it was not appropriate to address this issue on these large public social media accounts until we had agreement from the group on our exact stance on these kinds of international conflicts.
Even though this account states that it is not the official opinion of OWS, we thought it appropriate to be careful about this since those accounts tend to be perceived as the voice of OWS.
Let me know if you need any other info that would be helpful.
-Will
PR Team
Occupy Wall Street: www.occupywallst.org
New York General Assembly: http://nycga.cc/
If OWS = the 99%, then you’d have to ask the 99% and not the 1/100th of 1% that are in the room at the time.
Even the activist vision of what the 99% want or even need or even need defense against, is not determinable without good discussion.
Even to say “the movement determines” is a stretch. There are MANY in the movement that don’t live anywhere near New York or even any big city.
It is SO important that the issues of working people, NOT be diluted by factional perspective, even if widely held.
So 3 billion a year of those those working people’s tax dollars flowing to Israel while they’re denied any kind of national health isn’t an issue?
I’m sure you’d rather it wasnt recognized as an issue RW but I’m sure many working Americans could see better uses for their money.
Mr. Witty expresses a sentiment I have heard in every forum imaginable:
1. “That unmentionable THING that is happening to Palestinians cannot be breathed in this forum at this time.
2. “Nor can we ever mention WHO is doing that THING to the Palestinians…that would be divisive!
3. “No other issues are divisive. Just the Palestine issue. Sorry!”
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Here is what I say to that: Never deny the ongoing Holocaust being committed against the Palestinians, and against the wider Arab and Muslim world…
…Or else your precious forum will be paralyzed, built on a shameful lie.
Then your forum will dissolve itself anyway, out of dread fear that Palestinians might somehow be mentioned as if they are human beings.
That is exactly how the anti-war movement dissolved around 2004.. from the dread fear that Palestine would be mentioned audibly.
That email from Will is the first sign that the OWS movement is dissolving itself, simply to smother any forum for the issue of Palestine.
I say boycott Israel anyway:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbnT1hmdD-w
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Dick Witty is jealous that his long-time ‘friend’ is more important and successful than he is (or ever will be).
So he spends his twilight years here, at his friend’s website. He usually passes the time blabbering nonsensically to himself. In the case of the above post, he is thread-jacking.
Making sure he gets the first comment, so people who view the site for the first time (generally newcomers to MW) think he is some reasonable regular.
Anonymous is claiming to have taken down several Israeli Gov’t websites in protest for the flotilla interception. And threatens further action unless the blockade of Gaza is lifted.