http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150117525644189&comments
I spoke at York University last night against the blood libel nonsense that there is such a thing as Israel Apartheid. I was stunned at how many students on campus – of all backgrounds – were fans and wanted to speak to me. At the actual event perhaps 75% of the people present were on side, but those opposed were polite. A group of gay students sat at the back, and apart from the usual groan at what they didn’t agree with (actually, didn’t understand!) they were fine. One of them asked me a question at the end. She had her facts wrong, horribly misquoted me, and obviously didn’t want any answer other than her own, but she was good-mannered and has probably gone through some hellish times in her life as a young gay girl. I thought she did her cause good service, and I’d be more than happy to meet her privately to chat.
The fun of the evening was provided by one seemingly deranged young man – see the video – who stormed in half-way through, began to shout and then ran to the microphone that was reserved for questions at the end of the lecture. He demanded to “debate” me, and roared this over and over again. He refused to sit down and was rude to people around him. I’ve debated Chomsky, Finklestein, Hitchens and the like – goodness, I debate every night on TV - but this guy merely wanted to shout and scream and abuse. He also insisted on shouting out the f-word, when there was a nine-year-old little girl present with her mum, sitting only yards away. The tiny darling with an Iranian dad was a fan of Nelson Mandela, and didn’t come along to hear vile language and hysteria. I spoke to her at the end, and she showed far more maturity and intelligence than the fool shouting obscenities feet away from her.
The police quickly removed this sad little fellow, who apparently has something of a reputation and is not taken at all seriously. By the way, the cops and security were great; but it says much that they should have to be there at all. Our new friend, however, waited outside and out of sight of the police for a long time, waiting for me to leave the lecture hall. He then ran at me, screaming and yelling. I was with a good friend who happens to be my personal trainer and a martial arts expert. He gently kept the crazy from assaulting me, but the said crazy tried to grab me, swore at me, and abused me for around ten minutes as I walked all the way through this large university.
It was all very funny in a way, and the guy looks like he may be unwell. But the point is that if I’d been alone there would have been a physical attack. Security has been alerted, and there must be charges in this. There are all sorts of vulnerable people on a campus, and bullies and thugs have to be dealt with. I’ll keep you informed.
Hi Mr. Coren,
I just wanted to thank you for coming to York U yesterday. You are such an inspiration! You are a breath of fresh air!
Thanks Again,
Katie Fisher
I’m not on Facebook so can’t watch your video.
Excellent work Michael.
Zimmerman is well known among the loony left.
There is this amusing picture at LG&F’s blog where people near Zimmerman are cringing in shame at being around this nutbar.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-6GYVaWKk_vI/TXed8aWec1I/AAAAAAAADAY/176R5v-274c/s1600/JZ+01.jpg
Of course I like your response the best !
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-GjyKv9DXCL0/TXee_iV9CwI/AAAAAAAADAo/sWn_DbGTvcY/s1600/MC+01.jpg
http://lumpygrumpyandfrumpy.blogspot.com/
First, glad you made it through the night unscathed! After the crazy email death threat, that’s a relief. You weather all this with such good humor, you’re a terrific example and inspiration to the rest of us.
ps. Andrew’s ‘who is Syd Ryan’ comment on the show the other night . … priceless!
I’m not on Facebook and would like to see the video too. Can you please post it somewhere else?
Ah, Jesse Zimmerman – not the first time he’s brought the crazy to York.
“Krisna Saravanamuttu and Jesse Zimmerman barricade Jewish students at York”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12hApMpQlds
Great fan of yours Micheal for years…
Have crossed paths with jesse zimmerman on facebook last time gallaway passed through york. the video from your talk the other night at york was priceless caught it online.
Jesse zimmerman is a deranged bully punk who takes anti zionism anti jew to a new level, he considers himself a celeb in his small little pond at york.
my opinion is… he needs help.
I’m glad your safe and well.
The facebook video has been removed but your description tells the story well enough. Considering the amount of crazy people in Ontario universities, you might want to take a few self-defense classes yourself or, at least, carry pepper spray. If it works on bears then it should work on the two legged variety of mindless beasts.
Can’t say I agreed with everything you said, but thank you for speaking. You brought exactly the kind of civil debate and honest discussion that our campus has been lacking for way too long.
Great speech last night. Thanks for allowing me to come in a few minutes late.
‘Michael, Jesse’s strident but he’s essentially harmless and absolutely non-violent. I think suggesting that he would have assaulted you is definitely overblown.
This guy “crazy” should have been arrested for harassment.
Hi there Michael,
Firstly I love your commentary on this event, and I am a big fan of yours.
As a former York student, it’s nice to see that there are finally more pro-Israel and pro-truth voices on that campus, as York has become a cesspool of anti-Semitism in the guise of “mere” anti-Zionism. Jewish students speaking out on behalf of Israel are seen as biased because of their “Jewishness”, while Jewish students speaking against Israel are lauded as heroes and, while the exception, are used as “examples” by anti-Israel groups. As a result, it’s really imperative to have not only Jews speaking for Israel but non-Jews as well.
Thank you for your time, thank you for your knowledge and thank you for helping to spread truth.
It’s just common sense, for anyone with an ounce of both historical knowledge and understanding of current geopolitical events, that Israel is in no significant way an Apartheid state. And this is ultimately the worst aspect to this whole affair, for it means that the members of our institutes of “higher learning” are promoting that which is a demonstrable falsehood. Namely, the Israel is an Apartheid state. For they (meanign the promoters of this event) know, as well as everyone else does, that all that they are doing is spreading propaganda, not truth. And, since this week is being promoted at universities, what does this therefore say of the places where our children are supposed to gain greater educational knowledge. Let me tell you, it makes me seriously wonder whether sending one’s children to university is such a good thing anymore.
RD Miksa
rdmiksa.blogspot.com
What happens to people like Jesse Zimmerman when they get older and the fire dies down? I suppose they either write folk songs about the great utopia to come … or they get a show on MSNBC. On second thought … Nah. Sounds too much like work either way.
No, they work for daddy in some lucrative, clean, safe company. Or, in “some” cases, they spend a lot of time in mental health facilities
I love the craziness of York in general. It is a campus that supposedly promotes the exchange of free thought…lies
If you speak out against Israel, you are a hero
If you speak out against Islam or Islamic states, you are a villian
If you have any right wing tendencies your are alienated beyond belief. No wonder York has one of the poorest alumni organizations and support in Ontario.
All I know is that in the 62 years since Israel was founded on one-sixth of 1 percent of the land of what is carelessly and inaccurately called “the Arab world,” Israelis have never known an hour of real peace. Patronizing lectures from “academics” and others on the reality of risks and the desirableness of peace, which once were merely fatuous, are now obscene.
Michael, will you have this “crazy guy” on your show? I mean, if he’s got so much to say.
former york student says:
March 11, 2011 at 9:48 am
I love the craziness of York in general. It is a campus that supposedly promotes the exchange of free thought…lies
If you speak out against Israel, you are a hero
If you speak out against Islam or Islamic states, you are a villian
If you have any right wing tendencies your are alienated beyond belief. No wonder York has one of the poorest alumni organizations and support in Ontario.
If you disliked it that much why did you go the first place or why didn’t you transfer when you found out you didn’t like the politics of it?
I now see why Jack and the NDP are angry at the Student Debts
amassed while in Univ.’s , I too would be angry if I spent $30’000.00 and several years in a University and came out just as stupid as when I enrolled.
The NDP has a point, but it’s not to force me and Tax-payers to fund the deadwood Rent-A-Mob yahoos to take up space on Campus when many other youth want to be there,jack should crusade for a Means-test system and filter out those that want a Course with no future or is a dead-end to be Unemployed and in Debt.
We already get our paycheck raped by the CRA to prop-up the CBC, and I now expect Rob Ford to expose the Grants-Program for the ARTS as being one big money-pit where the Artists
only seem to draw a welfare check or feed off the public teat.
I have yet to see just one expample of how the Artists have stopped a war or build a Society that THEN became rich and Cultured.
All I see is the Artists that flock to rich nations to get the benefits of it and THEN claim that they enriched the Nation to become wealthy and have Justice and Peace.
BTW
I heard a ad for the Toronto Star, they mad a typo in the print version because they boast about being the “Most Read” Newspaper….they meant the Most-Red source for the Truth and news.
I hope he’s not related to Robert Zimmerman.
Here is the video you linked on youtue
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhRZjmVys4A
Michael,
Why don’t Canadian universities start something like “Students for Academic Freedom” like in the U.S. Why don’t conservative students set up their own clubs on campus too?
I am sure we could get people to fund these things.
So Brad can I correctly assume that Jesse Z is a complex a**hole?
Brad, HPD is the best diagnosis for Tarek Fatah and David Menzies.