Face to Face with Hate and Love at the NJ Turnpike

Protesters at the New Jersey Turnpike rest stop after a day of disruption and violence in Washington, DC.

protesters getting ready to get back on the bus after a day of domestic terror in Washington DC.

disturbing to see, to say the least.

Driving on the New Jersey Turnpike is actually something I enjoy. I love playing music and getting in the zone of driving and clearing my mind, except for paying attention to the road! When I pulled into a rest stop along the way, I saw a few buses in the parking lot, nothing out of the ordinary.

However, when I walked inside, I saw a sea of red shirts with a large group of protesters who had come from DC to wreak havoc on the capital,  protesting the speech of Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel. The slogans on the shirts were upsetting enough, and seeing the many serious faces of young people full of hate for Israel was stomach churning.

Waiting in line for the women’s bathroom, I was close to many of these protesters, or domestic terrorists as they really are. I must have looked upset, and a woman standing behind me was also looking around at these red shirted activists. She looked and me and seemed to understand. She leaned into me and said “They have no idea about history, They don’t know anything”

I showed her my Jewish star I was wearing, and she gave me a huge hug. I was so comforted by the shared humanity and decency of this woman. I’m pretty sure she was not Jewish, which made me feel even better. We need friends and allies everywhere. This lovely woman reached out to me and we had a wonderful discussion about the cult of these protesters, the “selective outrage” they choose to focus on, and the insane domestic terror they feel entitled to inflict on America and Israel.

Just this morning I posted on social media a piece using a photo of these activists in red shirts in the rotunda of the Capital building, terrorizing and destroying as they enjoy doing. Bugs spread in a hotel, a US flag burned, they are getting brazen, as our government is not doing enough to deter them. Imagine my horror seeing these same domestic terrorists in a large group milling around, after a day of protesting and harassment. I took photos of many of them, but I decided not to speak to them. Domestic terrorists have a mission, and open respectful  discussions are not part of their agenda.

WESPAC Foundation in Westchester helps fund these domestic terror organizations by using their 501c3 tax exempt status to funnel donations for them. Within Our Lifetime, Palestinian Youth Movement, US Palestinian Community Network, National Students for Justice in Palestine, and others benefit from using them as a channel for donations.  There are efforts to get them investigated, but the wheels of justice are moving slowly. I have reported them to the IRS, the State of New York Attorney General’s Office, Federal Trade Commission, and Department of Homeland Security. They are named in several legislative efforts to reveal the sources of income from domestic terror groups. I am hopeful they will be investigated and prosecuted one day.

I am a proud Zionist, a Jewish cheerleader and activist, a fourth-generation cantor and Jewish artist. My life continues to be guided by the teachings of my mentor, Prof. Elie Wiesel. I struggled to see the common humanity in the eyes of the protesters, but I know they will eventually tire of this cause and move on to another one.  Sadly, this is the popular cause at the moment, but I believe they will be throwing bugs and red paint at another cause one day.

Evil never wins, and we will survive as always. Israel and the tragedy of the hostages deserve our support and steadfast dedication. The red shirts cheering for Hamas should take a field trip to Gaza instead.

Thank you to the woman standing behind me at the rest stop. You gave me more comfort and love than you may know. There are good people in this world. Let us find each other and create communities of caring and mutual respect.

The People of Israel Lives- Am Yisrael Chai!