Recently arrested anti-Israel moonbat Lucas Koerner has been interviewed by the Electronic Intifada (but of course).
In the interview, he reveals why he went up again pro-Israel demonstrators.
We had just came back from Hebron [in the occupied West Bank] earlier that day. It was really what we saw in Hebron — the utter segregation that the city has fallen under with the occupation, the division of the city into basically two zones — the center of the city is basically off limits to the [Palestinian] residents of the city. It’s ground zero of the occupation as many regard it, particularly in terms of settler brutality, and the absolute complicity of the IDF [Israeli military]. But seeing that and returning on Jerusalem Day to our hotel in East Jerusalem, and seeing these miles and miles of white and blue and all of these people jubilantly celebrating the conquest of East Jerusalem, celebrating the occupation in East Jerusalem, the chutzpah of all, that really affected us all and that is what prompted us to do what we did.
Leaving aside the characterizarion of Jerusalem’s recapture as a “conquest” (“necessity” would be a better word, given from 1948 to 1967, Jordan did not grant Jews access to our holy Western Wall, destroyed ancient synagogues in the Old City’s Jewish quarter, and desecrated Jewish gravestones), Koerner’s admission of being motivated by indignation does not gel with his own father’s claim (first brought up by Walt in the comments here):
Is it illegal for a human being to stand on the street in East Jerusalem? Is it illegal for a human being to stand on a pylon in East Jerusalem? Is it legal for a police officer to unilaterally assault (repeatedly) a person who poses no physical threat and is breaking no law? Is it legal for a police officer to arrest a human being for breaking no law? He WAS arrested. He was only trying to create a space for engagement and dialogue. He was trying to do the right thing! Is that a crime in Israel today?
Ah yes, speaking about father, Koerner confirms that his mind was poisoned at a very young age (first brought up by Walt in the comments here):
MCM: How did you get involved in solidarity with Palestine?
LK: I’ve been involved tenuously in anti-war activism around Iraq and Afghanistan since I was in 9th grade, since I was 15; I went to my first demonstration with my dad … [Palestine has] always been a fixture my political consciousness but it was really Operation Cast Lead, the Gaza massacre of late ‘08 early ‘09, that prompted me and compelled me beyond anything else to take on this work as my primary calling. I just couldn’t stay silent any longer.
Back to Junior, who finds reason to complain about his relatively good treatment in an Israeli prison.
What struck me most about my time in prison is that it is a reflection of the rest of Israeli society in that it’s completely segregated. I was placed against my will in the Jewish cell. I asked to be put in the Arab cell. The Jewish cell conditions weren’t bad at all; it was still jail, but it was bearable. I did see the Arab cell or at least one of the Arab cells and the conditions there were absolutely abominable. … We had furniture, we had beds of some sort, we had a clean bathroom. They had nothing. Just a bench and an open toilet. The conditions were horrible. That’s what struck me most.
Yep. Israeli prisons are so horrible for palestinians.
Young Lucas also holds up his YouTube popularity as proof the Arabs are treated so poorly.
The reaction that I’ve received so far from the volume of Facebook messages and messages to my blog have been overwhelmingly positive, just great displays of love and solidarity which I greatly appreciate, though there’s hate mail starting to trickle in. The video has reached such a wide audience primarily because of my privileged position as an American Jew. I think that this kind of injustice which was perpetrated against me would make headlines and provoke such a visceral response. But my treatment, again, was moderate by the standards faced by Israeli and Palestinian activists in [the occupied East Jerusalem neighborhood] Sheikh Jarrah and in a weekly basis in [the West Bank villages] Biln or Nilin, and their videos are only seen by a few hundred people. It’s the fact that I’m an American Jew that [the video] has seen such a wide audience.
I dunno. Some of the videos of these demonstrations are seen by more than a few hundred people.
Update: Father Koerner in response to the recent trouble up north with Syrians breaking through the border fence and entering Israel:
Only the people’s movement can liberate Palestine!
I can only express my deepest appreciation and awe at another example of how the arab people’s vanguard is forging a new vision for all the world to see and learn from in how to confront and transform the oppressive domination of the governments that surround them. Basta Ya! Enough! Seize the Time! Adelante! Forward! The oppressive, counterrevolutionary powers of the U.S., Israel, Europe, Saudi Arabia and all the other neo-colonial Arab governments are maneuvering desparately to contain this greatest Arab Spring blossoming freedom – don’t give them any respite to regroup and counterattack! Palestine will be free!
