A recent response to a subpoena from the United States Capitol Police
has revealed the main assailant of a peaceful demonstrator who was
physically attacked and injured on May 24, 2011, to be Stanley Anthony
Shulster, allegedly a member of the American-Israeli Public Affairs
Committee (AIPAC). According to the lawsuit, Mr. Shulster, a retired
lawyer, admitted to assaulting Rae Abileah, a member of CODEPINK, in the
House of Representatives while she protested the Israeli occupation of
Palestine during the speech by Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of
Israel. The Capitol Police issued an arrest warrant for Mr. Shulster
for this attack.
Mr. Shulster's biography on the Jackson
County, Oregon Republican Women website identifies him as "an Unpaid
Lobbyist," and a "Volunteer in the Israel Defense Forces Medical Unit
and a member of AIPAC." The bio states: "At the last AIPAC meeting in
May of 2011 Stan was present to hear the stirring address that Prime
Minister Netanyahu gave to Congress and he grabbed the woman who heckled the Prime Minister while he was speaking."
Rabbi Shmuley Boteach also attested
to the assault when he wrote in his blog, "The elderly gentleman to my
right, whom I had been talking to just before the speech started, pulled
the flag out of her hands, cupped his hands over her mouth, and
assisted in subduing her." Additional witnesses have been identified by
the U.S. Capitol Police.
grabbed the banner held by Ms. Abileah, used his hand to attempt to gag
and suffocate Ms. Abileah, and yanked her head back, injuring her
neck. As a result of the attack, Ms. Abileah sustained a neck strain,
swollen neck and muscle strain, and has since suffered from frequent
head and neck aches as well as emotional trauma.
Ms. Abileah is a
29-year-old American Jew of Israeli descent, who works as the
Co-Director of CODEPINK, a women-initiated grassroots peace and social
justice organization that seeks to end U.S. wars and the U.S. funded
occupation of Palestine.
"I was shocked that the biography of
the person who attacked me would brag about his use of violence. This
lawless behavior echoes the routine actions of the Israeli government
and military in carrying out violent acts daily against the Palestinian
people. I am hopeful that my filing suit will be a clear signal to
those who attempt to silence peaceful protesters, that they will be held
accountable for their illegal actions," said Ms. Abileah.
Photos of the action and assault can be found here:
AIPAC's
2012 annual policy conference will be held from March 4 to 6 in
Washington, D.C. It is expected that peaceful protesters will challenge
AIPAC's policies of supporting Israel's ongoing crimes against the
Palestinian people and its threats of attacking Iran.
