Firebrand Theater

"Well Qiryat Arba was built on land that Arabs were expelled from."

"Right, and Germans were expelled from East Prussia, so bad things happen. Millions of Pakistanis were expelled from India."

A few yards away, a guy wearing a kaffiyah as a neckerchief is shrieking in a strident monotone at a guy in a fishing hat: "If you're breaking into a man's house you deserve to be killed! They should have killed more of them!"

"And what is that man trying to do?" Fishing Cap asks.

"He's trying to keep you from breaking into his house!" the monotone shriek continues. "You deserve to be killed!"

By now I'm edging toward the door—if this event is ever going to start I want to be inside for it. A man wearing what looks like (could it be?) an old Members Only jacket is yelling at a line of Jewish Voice for Peace representatives holding signs that cite Pipes' infamous "Germanic standards of hygiene" comment.

"You're trying to shut this guy up!" Members Only shouts.

"No we're not," shouts back a JVFP rep. "We respect his right to speak. He's the one trying to shut us up with this bill."

"What bill?"

"House Resolution 3077. It would require congressional oversight of Middle East studies."

Members Only considers it for a moment. "That's a good idea," he says. "Didn't you hear about this guy in Southern California? The computer guy?"

I think he might be referring to Mike Hawash, but that guy's in Oregon. "What's his name?" I ask.

"I don't know his name."

"He doesn't bother learning the names of Arabs!" one of the JVFP people shouts.

"He was arrested!" Members Only shouts.