Jewish Perspectives
Interfaith Vigil to End Occupation Calls on U.S. to Impose Cease-Fire
 By Pat and Samir Twair
On July 16th, five days into Israel's blitz on Lebanon, the Interfaith Community United for Justice and Peace convened a meeting of Jews, Christians and Muslims in the Islamic Center of Southern California. Speakers were Rev. Dr. George Regas, Rabbi Leonard Beerman and Dr. Maher Hathout. "We must speak out against violence," Rev. Regas, retired rector of All Saints Episcopal Church of Pasadena, told the audience of 250 concerned citizens. While denouncing the capture of Israeli soldiers by Hamas and Hezbollah, the cleric called on Israel to cease its greatly overproportional actions in Lebanon and Gaza. |
Israel must not forsake its own Arab citizens
Avigdor Lieberman, of the hard-line Yisrael Beytenu (Israel is Our Home) party, has proposed a plan for "demographic borders" that involves not just West Bank withdrawals but moving Arab citizens and their land from the Israeli side of the pre-June 1967 "green line" to the eventual Palestinian state.
Moderate Israelis who find the plan attractive because it involves territorial concessions in the West Bank overlook its implications for the country's democracy.
by Shira Herzog
A Look at History Encourages Growing Efforts Toward Muslim-Jewish Understanding
Throughout the U.S., dialogue between American Jews and Muslims is increasing. According to The Jerusalem Report, "Both 9/11 and four years of intifada chilled relations between American Jews and Muslims, which had warmed notably during the Oslo period. Now dialogue is showing new signs of life. 'And as the situation in the Middle East improves-which I think it will do now, please God,' says Rabbi David Rosen, director of Interreligious Affairs for the American Jewish Committee, 'there will be greater willingness on the part of the Jewish community to take more risks.'"
By Allan C. Brownfeld
Freedom in Our Time
 The next government must not shackle itself by fostering the new myth that unilateralism will solve our problems. We will never be released from the occupation if we do not engage and negotiate with the Palestinians. During Pessah (Passover) this year let us remember that the experience of slavery has created for us a deep consciousness and a passionate commitment to freedom and justice as incorporated in the Torah. We vow to remember that we were once slaves in Egypt and today we can retell our story of liberation. Let us truly become free, free from occupation, free from conflict and free to build peace with our neighbours. by Gershon Baskin |
Why Make it Easy for Them?
Adam Keller interviews Israeli refuser Uri Nathan
At a Bible class in my elementary school, we learned about some war that the ancient Hebrews waged against some of their enemies, the Amalekites I think.
What I remember was that after winning they slaughtered all their captives, which was okay as far as God was concerned, but an officer who looted some property was punished very severely. The teacher asked us who had acted wrong in this affair and I said it was the prophet who urged the Hebrews to start this war. It was not the answer she expected.
Bil'in's Struggle: On the ground, among the public, at court
The persistent struggle of the Bil'in villagers against the Separation Wall/Fence being erected on their land is increasingly getting the attention and involvement of the Israeli mainstream. In August and September, the army made a concerted effort to break the protests by force, and make of Bil'in an intimidating "example" to other villagers contemplating resistance to decrees and oppressive measures.
Seek agreement by negotiation
 Good, but not good enough. That was how the peace camp in Israel summed up the results of the elections. The left of center had hoped for more, but was not overly dissatisfied with what it got. The peaceniks consoled themselves with the fact that their opponents had much greater cause to bemoan the results.Those results were, above all, a vote of no confidence in the settler movement and its backers.The majority of Israel's voters very clearly pronounced their support for that proposed withdrawal. by David Kimchi |
