The Harassment of JVP and a Peace Talk by Steve Chase in Montclair, NJ

[David Hartsough]

Dear Friends,

Thought you would be interested in this article about the pressure to cancel Steve Chase's talk  (our speaker next Sunday) in Montclair, NJ. 

Hope you can join us for Steve's talk Sunday.

David

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Steve Chase <stevec...@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, Nov 14, 2023 at 9:50 AM
Subject: The Harassment of JVP and a Peace Talk in Montclair, NJ
To:

Dear Friends,

As many of you know, I was invited to give a talk in Montclair, NJ, about nonviolent responses to the current crisis in Israel/Palestine, the need to work for a just peace, and to share what I had observed about the human rights situation in the Occupied West Bank on a three week Quaker delegation to Israel/Palestine back in June. The talk co-sponsors included Pax Christi, Veterans for Peace, a NJ FCNL Advocacy Team, and the Northern NJ Chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace. 

The talk was opposed by a segment of the Montclair community who pressured the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Montclair to break its rental contract with the co-sponsors at the last minute and, in explanation, one of the UU ministers singled out JVP as a group whose mission and values were antagonistic to the values of UUs in Montclair. The talk was then rescheduled for Nov.12 at the Montclair Public Library.

 

Two days before the library talk, the local paper published an article, which again singled out JVP and included many uncorrected claims that JVP was an antisemetic hate group that supported the Hamas attack against Israeli civilians on October 7 and was now trying to incite violence against Jewish families in Montclair. Because of this pressure, the Library Board held a three hour emergency public meeting on Saturday nightto reconsider whether they would allow the rescheduled event to take place the next afternoon. 

Several community members spoke in favor of the Library standing up for free speech and corrected the singling out of JVP and the false claims against it made in the local newspaper. The Board even allowed me to say a few words during the public comment period about how my talk would be pro-Israeli, pro-Paelstinian, pro-peace, and pro-human rights in its focus. Other community members compared me to Hitler and made many false claims about Jewish Voice for Peace, including that JVP was a violent arm of the Iranian government and a hate group whose leadership and membership was made up by a majority of non-Jews.

After two hours of public comment, the Board met in closed session and decided to stand up for free speech and allow the event to go on the next afternoon. When this was announced, one community member shouted that this decision was "obscene" and then the Board ended the Zoom meeting.

I arrived in Montclair the next day with a Quaker friend and there were about 15 police and four squad cars in front of the library. They had also put up barricades to keep counter-demonstrators from harassing people going into the event. I was then able to give my talk, which people can watch HERE (it starts about 20 minutes after some introductory remarks by event organizers). About 40 minutes into the talk a few members of the capacity audience of 150 stood up and started yelling at me for spreading lies and hate speech and when we got to the Q & A part of the event, these same audience members repeatedly singled out JVP and repeated the same inaccurate and slanderous comments about the organization from the public meeting the night before.

After the event, the police insisted on escorting me and my driver to our car in case anyone might physically attack us and they also escorted the JVP members out of the backdoor of the library for their safety. As I was being escorted to my car, a leader of the loud counter-demonstration opposing the event shouted into their bullhorn that Gaza should be turned into beachfront property for Israelis. This was recorded by a community member and posted on social media (which you can view HERE). This same segment of the community pressured the Monclair town council to meet last night to consider a resolution that yet again singles out JVP and declares it an antisemetic hate group. This is heartbreaking. 

I am so appreciative of the heavy lifting and leadership of Jewish peace groups like JVP, If Not Now!, and the Center for Jewish Nonviolence in the growing peace movement in the US and I have now seen firsthand what they are up against. I urge all people of goodwill to support them and have their back in these trying times--and to push for a ceasefire now, the release of the Israeli captives, and the restoration of humanitarian aid to the 2.2 million civilians in Gaza.

In faith and action,

Steve

_____________________________________

STEVE CHASE

Pendle Hill Cadbury Scholar, 2023-2024

Seeking Justice in the Holy Land Book Project

603-400-0066

stevec...@gmail.com

2800 Woodley Road NW #201

Washington, DC 20008

"Speaking Up For Palestinian Rights Now,"
Nov 2, Friends Journal Online Viewpoint

--

David Hartsough, author of WAGING PEACE: Global Adventures of a Lifelong Activist, PM Press 2014. (Available at www.pmpress.org)

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world: 
Indeed it's the only thing that ever has." Margaret Mead

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David Hartsough, author of WAGING PEACE: Global Adventures of a Lifelong Activist, PM Press 2014. (Available at www.pmpress.org)

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world: 
Indeed it's the only thing that ever has." Margaret Mead