- Defending America for Knowledge and Action
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Defending America for Knowledge and Action (DAFKA) is a "a pro-American, pro-Israel activist group on US campuses" devoted to counter-protesting against Palestinian demonstrations. DAFKA was formed because, in its view, mainstream Jewish organizations were insufficiently dedicated to "going after the enemy." DAFKA is active primarily on campuses in the San Francisco Bay Area, although the mainstream Jewish organizations there tend to distance themselves from its work.[1]
Contents
Views of DAFKA
- Mainstream Jewish and Israeli groups in the US are too unaware or too politically correct to confront Palestinian propaganda on university campuses
- "the Arabs are simply too primitive to make any viable lasting peace and until they adopt democratic principles and adhere to laws against violence as in any civilized society there can be no secure peace with them."
- The word "Palestinian" should not be used, since it confers legitimacy on Arab claims to nationhood, when their movement is in fact "Arab fascism" seeking to murder Jews
- The Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs is training Arab students and professors to infiltrate American campuses.[2]
Criticism of pro-Palestinian/anti-Israel groups
DAFKA has been especially critical of the International Solidarity Movement (ISM). DAFKA leader Lee Kaplan has stated that:
"The ISM says one thing, and does another. They'll say, 'We're peace activists,' but they really support terror. They speak in code. Like, they'll say, 'We're for nonviolence but we recognize the Palestinians' right to resist with military action.' What kind of baloney is that? They're saying, 'It's not our place to tell people not to kill Jews.'"[1]
In 2004, DAFKA leader Lee Kaplan reportedly infiltrated a training session for ISM volunteers in San Francisco through the use of acting skills and professional makeup to disguise himself as a Pakistani with a grudge against Israel. Kaplan subsequently stated of the session that:
"I really thought what I was going to find was college students being useful idiots, but these are downright evil people. These are people who consider themselves subversives; these are people who want to destroy not just Israel — they want to destroy America. They have no compunction about working with murderers and terrorists; they have no compunction about lying."[1]
Controversy
DAFKA is headed by Lee Kaplan, a freelance investigative journalist. On several occasions, Kaplan has infiltrated pro-Palestinian conferences (sometimes in disguise) with concealed recording devices. [1].
2004 Duke University Conference
John F. Burness, Duke University's Senior Vice President for Public Affairs and Government Relations, sharply criticized Kaplan for his behaviour at the Palestinian Solidarity Movement Conference, held at Duke University in October 2004.In a subsequent article published in Frontpage Magazine, Kaplan argued that Burness' comments were retaliation for Kaplan unconvering that Burness was an active adherent and participant in the conference, covering up for the organizers [3]
References
- ^ a b c d Disturbing the Peace by Eliza Strickland, SFWeekly.com, August 09, 2006.
- ^ Why Dafka, DAFKA Website.
- ^ Inside Duke's Hate Fest by Lee Kaplan, Frontpagemag, October 29, 2004 (retrieved on October 15, 2008)
External links
- DAFKA website
- "UC Berkeley Hillel Silences Conservatives", Little Green Footballs Weblog
- "Why You Should Not Donate Funds To UC Berkeley Hillel" DAFKA website
- Stop the ISM, DAFKA's number 2 website exposing the ISM
Categories:- Foreign policy political advocacy groups in the United States
- Anti-Arabism
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