Two groups, who carried out events in October and November in the Valley, advancing the political and military aims of Hamas, released public statements over the weekend regarding recent acts of vandalism targeting Congresswoman Monica De La Cruz of District 15. Food Not Bombs RGV and Red Star Tx, the two co-hosts of a rally and vigil “for Palestine” in McAllen, said that they are “not responsible” and “in no way related to these events of vandalism.” However, neither condemned the acts, nor did they disavow the messaging. Red Star Tx actually went so far as to echo and endorse the sentiments expressed in the red-stained graffiti.
As we can see from the first statement made by Food Not Bombs RGV, a group that distributes meals and Narcan to the homeless at Archer Park every last Sunday of the month alongside advancing Hamas’ demands, their statement is long-winded, evasive and full of falsehoods.
First, they describe the vandalism as “lone acts,” in order to distance themselves, for fear of potential criminal liability. Second, they don’t even give Congresswoman De La Cruz the courtesy of naming her, as they have in recent posts that libel and defame her with blatant disregard for the truth.
And while FNBRGV claims to be “in no way related” to the acts, again to cover their tails, the claim is untrue: The messages left on De La Cruz’s office echoes the rally and vigil’s messaging. Let’s suppose those who did this, as the crime suggests at least more than one person was involved, really did not coordinate with the groups. That a small breakaway sect conjured this up, all on their own. The likelihood that the vandals attended recent “pro-Palestine” events in McAllen, or at the very least follow the groups’ social media accounts, is very high.
Next, FNBRGV says one of their primary aims is to “protest war.” This is also patently false. Throughout this entire conflict, ever since Oct 7, the group has not criticized let alone condemned Hamas for their horrific acts of terror, which were the opening guns of this current situation. Anytime the pogrom is brought up, which they don’t even acknowledge as a pogrom, they’ll say something along the lines of, “This has been happening long before Oct 7 and long before Hamas ever even existed!”
One image shared by Red Star Tx’s Facebook on Nov 1 reads, “We aren’t dying because Hamas fires rockets at Israel. We are dying because we are under occupation. Hamas exists because we are under occupation, but even if Hamas didn’t exist, we would still be getting killed…” In other words, Israel is at fault for everything; Oct 7 was justified; Hamas bears zero moral or political responsibility for anything.
Their next sentence is grotesquely untrue: “Food Not Bombs and Food Not Bombs RGV does not encourage or call for the destruction of property or use of violence or physical harm against members of the community.”
As for the national and parent Food Not Bombs chapter, I have not been reporting on their statements and actions, although they do support nationwide actions like those of their RGV chapter. Thus, they presumably endorse FNBRGV’s words and actions, which include inciting thugs to intimidate anti-Hamas voices like mine, as I’ve reported on the thuggish behavior FNBRGV has organized here and here.
FNBRGV then describes the setting of the conflict as “Palestine,” with no mention of Israel. This not-so-curious omission subliminally transmits the group and its founder’s view that Israel has no legitimacy and should be destroyed by any means necessary, including support for Hamas. They also parrot the figure that over 10,000 Gazans have been killed, which of course adopts the line of the Hamas-run “Gaza Health Ministry” — a fact they never acknowledge, despite being fully aware of it.
Their claims to have “constitutionally” gathered are also absurd, as they organized people to violate my right to listen under the First Amendment, as well as that of a close Jewish friend of mine who was harassed and stalked by goons at the “vigil”. Saying that they stand “in solidarity” with Jews, as they do in the closing paragraph, is therefore doubly insulting.
As for Red Star Tx’s “statement,” they open by condemning Congresswoman De La Cruz! Their statement of separation from the vandalism only comes last. Nevertheless, they repeat the messaging left in the graffiti: “Monica De La Cruz is actively supporting the genocide of the Palestinian people and is using that genocide to justify further militarizing our border. Let her know the RGV stands with Palestine!”
A quick scroll, through Red Star Tx’s Facebook feed (who’s threatened multiple times to sue me should I fail to cease reporting on them), will reveal a slew of anti-Jewish content shared on their page. As would their Twitter. While FNBRGV attempts to present a less extreme, more professional veneer, Red Star Tx acts as an outlet for the more ugly and blatant antisemitism. One is implicitly, the other explicitly, antisemitic.
Red Star Tx has also taken the lead, between the two, in roweling up intense political pressure on failed Congressional Candidate, Michelle Vallejo, to “condemn her opponent Monica De La Cruz’s dehumanization of [sic] Palestinian and use of a genocide to justify further border militarization,” to quote just one such post. Another posted a screenshot of an Instagram message to Vallejo which displayed that she had “read” the message but had not responded.
Their antisemitism has also extended to Vallejo, beyond mere political pressure. For example, one image crafted by Red Star Tx calls on Vallejo to, “Divest from the Israeli lobbying group, JSTREETPAC, or no votes.” “Speak up for Palestine Michelle Vallejo,” another image says, “and condemn Monica De La Cruz’s demonization of the Palestinian people, her support for genocide, and her using this genocide to justify further border militarization in our communities.”
Another image, in the Facebook post consisting of several images to pressure Vallejo, reads, “Michelle Vallejo has been silent on Israel’s genocide against the Palestinians despite significant pressure from TX-15 voters. We wanted to know why so we looked into her campaign contributions. 61 payments totaling over 25k from Israeli Super Pac JSTREET.”
In other words, Michelle Vallejo is controlled by Jewish money, they imply. This is another classic antisemitic trope. Instead of worrying about me allegedly defaming them, by simply quoting their public statements and inferring logical conclusions, Red Star Tx should worry about J Street suing them. While J Street is pro-Israel, they are not “Israeli”. They’re based in the United States. This is another intentional libel, incitement against Jews.
Food Not Bombs RGV is helping facilitate people to travel to Austin today, Sunday Nov 12, for a pro-Hamas rally called by Islamist groups.
In national politics, the Republican Party has by and large been quicker and more enthusiastic to defend Israel and oppose antisemitism than the Democratic Party. As the extreme end of the left (like “the squad”) shows its anti-Jewish fangs, while shredding crocodile tears for the Palestinians, even segments of the “moderate” wing of the party (most notably President Obama) have made ridiculous remarks on the situation which unduly criticizes Israel.
Nevertheless, the Republicans do not and cannot provide any real solutions for combating antisemitic and racist attacks from the far left. Some say the U.S. should close its borders (what else is new?), in order to prevent future terror attacks at home. Some call for suppression of voices. Others say we should deport Muslims and Palestinians living here. All these “solutions” are absurd, hopeless and harmful.
The only serious political force that is championing a determined fight against Jew-hatred, as well as empirically explaining its class roots and how the working-class (through fighting and winning a socialist future) can eradicate and uproot antisemitism, is the Socialist Workers Party.
They’ve a long record of doing this, going back to the 1930s and 40s, when they were the only political-current calling for the U.S. to open its borders to Jewish refugees and organizing mass rallies against home-grown fascist groups, while the Democratic Party and the Stalinist Communist Party behaved for Roosevelt.
A WWII-style betrayal of the Jewish people by Democrats and the middle-class left could happen all over again in America and other “democratic” countries. Hence why fighting Jew hatred is a life and death question for the working-class and humanity.
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