It figures: US government told Americans to avoid Beck event
It figures. The United States government warned American citizens in Israel to avoid the Glenn Beck rally last week.What was the motivation behind that warning? Read the whole thing.
The “Emergency Message” addressed to U.S. Government Employees and visiting citizens in Jerusalem is available on the Consulate’s website. The message posted to the site on August 24th stated the following:“The U.S. Consulate General in Jerusalem notes that, according to local security sources, Jerusalem is under a heightened Security Alert. The police have established roadblocks in various sections of the city and increased their personnel on the streets. Vehicle inspections are being conducted, and suspicious individuals and bags are receiving further scrutiny.So Restoring Courage was off limits on August 24th. Before jumping to any conclusions, though, there are a variety of plausible explanations which should be explored to determine whether any possible bias against the Beck event existed.
U.S. citizens in Jerusalem are advised to exercise extra vigilance and avoid large crowds during upcoming rallies and religious holidays, particularly in and around Jerusalem’s Old City.
On Wednesday, August 24, 2011, there will be a rally held near the south east corner of the Old City. The areas between Dung Gate and Lions Gate are off-limits to official U.S. Government personnel from 4:00pm until 10:00pm on that day due to recent clashes in that area.”
With all the anti-Israel bias we've seen from the US consulate in 'east' Jerusalem, I would bet that they issued that warning to hold down the crowds.
Labels: East Jerusalem US Consulate, Glenn Beck, Restoring Courage rally in Jerusalem
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 4:27 AM
6 Comments:
It should be noted that there is an American Embassy and an American Consulate in Jerusalem. The Consulate is located in the horrible East portion of Jerusalem, and in order to enter it (which is where I got my last US Passport renewed) you practically have to strip, surrender all the items in your pockets, etc. Sort of like entering a locked down facility. The other facility, the Embassy is located on a lovely section of Agron Street, in the Lincoln Park section of modern Jerusalem. The contrast between the two are as different as night & day.
For those not fortunate to have traveled to Jerusalem, it should be noted that the American Consulate, located in Arab, East Jerusalem is treated like a "lock-down" facility, while the American consulate, located in Lincoln Park (pronounced link-o-lan)section of town, and is only open to diplomats.
What's even more interesting is if the US GOVT collected intel against beck or organizers of the event? If they are comprised of mostly US citizens they would be breaking US intelligence oversight laws.
What's even more interesting is if the US GOVT collected intel against beck or organizers of the event? If they are comprised of mostly US citizens they would be breaking US intelligence oversight laws.
Just to clarify the comments from Jeff B,
The facility on Agron Street is the 'west' Jerusalem consulate and is only used for diplomatic meetings and mail (I once left absentee ballots there). It is NOT an embassy. The US embassy to Israel is in Tel Aviv.
The 'east' Jerusalem consulate is just over the 1949 armistice lines (right behind where Mandelbaum Gate used to be) and, as I have discussed many times on this blog, is functionally an embassy to the 'Palestinians' although it also does passports, citizenship reports, visas, social security etc. for anyone who shows up from the Israeli side.
The only thing I find nerve-wracking there is if you have to wait on line outside.
The Curmudgeonly Israeli Giyoret says:
I'm a nurse. They confiscated my blunt-tipped bandage scissors at the east Jerusalem consulate once, and that was *years* before 9/11. It would be very hard to hurt anyone with those scissors, that's why they're blunt-tipped.
I thought we were supposed to go to Armon HaNatziv to renew our passports now.
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