[discuss-dan] FWD: [JewsforGlobalJustice] A response to For Jews Only: Racism Inside Israel

[Doc Rosen <drdrdoc@dr.com>]

As a subscriber to both Colorlines and Jews for Global
Justice, I was sent
the Elbaum interview with Phyllis Bennis. I can't
express to you my
exasperation with this piece. I've composed a response
that I haven't yet
sent to Colorlines, but will in the next few days.
Nonetheless, I send to
you here my response.

Clare Kinberg, Bridges Managing Editor
ckinberg@pond.net
Bridges, PO Box 24839, Eugene OR 97402
541-343-7617 or 888-359-9188
http://www.pond.net/~ckinberg/bridges


What a disappointment to receive Max Elbaum’s interview
with Phyllis Bennis
from Colorlines, a magazine I’ve found generally to be
very informative with
solidly progressive politics.

The problem with Colorlines sending out Bennis and
Elbaum’s piece is not
only that they simplify, distort and falsify history.
Almost everyone on
every side of this conflict does that. Bennis’
statements on the existence
of Israel itself as an illegal occupation and a
“travesty” should be outside
the bounds of anyone who cares about justice, peace, or
the lives of those
living in the Middle East. The real heartbreak of this
interview, however,
is that Elbaum and Bennis ignore the decades of work by
Jewish and
Palestinian peace activists, including current efforts
that so desperately
need publicity. By working together, Jews and
Palestinians who know that
there cannot be peace without justice have learned
enough of each others
histories to build on the agreement that both peoples
need and will have
sovereignty in the region. What Colorlines readers
really need to know is
information on what these organizations are doing and
how to support them.

For instance, what a service it would be to publicize
the following:

A coalition of 9 Israeli feminist peace organizations
are planning what they
hope to be a massive demonstration in Jerusalem on Dec
29 (2000). These
groups include both Jewish and Arab Israeli women. Here
is a statement of
their principles of agreement:

We, Jewish and Palestinian women, citizens of Israel,
activists for peace
and representatives of a large number of women's
organizations in Israel,
have agreed to the following principles for solution of
the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict at a meeting of the
Coalition of Women for a
Just Peace in Nazareth on 29 November 2000:

1. An end to the occupation.
2. Establishment of the state of Palestine side by side
with the state of
Israel based on the 1967 borders.
3. Recognition of Jerusalem as the shared capital of
two states.
4. Israel must recognize its responsibility for the
results of the 1948 war,
and find a just solution to the Palestinian refugee
problem.
5. Opposition to the militarism that permeates Israeli
society.
6. Equality, inclusion and justice for Palestinian
citizens of Israel.
7. Equal rights for women and for all residents of
Israel.
8. The full involvement of women in negotiations for
peace.
9. Social and economic justice for Israel's citizens,
and integration in the
region.

The Coalition of Women for a Just Peace call upon all
women who affirm these
principles -- Jews, Palestinians, and others -- to join
us in a mass rally,
vigil, and march through the streets of Jerusalem on
Friday, December 29.
Mark this date in your calendars.  More information
will be coming.

This rally is critical in our campaign to promote these
views and influence
the positions of candidates for election in Israel.  If
you cannot come, but
want to support this event materially and otherwise,
please contact Gila
Svirsky at gsvirsky@netvision.net.il or Hannah Safran
at
wom.stu@research.haifa.ac.il

For further information about Jews and Palestinians
working for a solution

Organizations
http://www.nif.org/crisis/index.html
New Israel Fund is an international partnership of
North Americans,
Europeans, and Israelis which supports organizations in
Israel that defend
civil and human rights, promote Jewish-Arab
coexistence, and work to reduce
social and economic gaps.
Includes many links to recent news articles, and a new
essay, "Bitter
Harvest," by past president David Arnow, that provides
a comprehensive
background piece to the current situation
NIF provides information on the crisis as it becomes
available; to get
updates, send your email address to: info@nif.org
www.btselem.org
B'tselem is the Israeli organization for human rights
in the Occupied
Territories; has current updates and analysis.
www.rhr.israel.net
Rabbis For Human Rights is the only organization in
Israel today concerned
specifically with giving voice to the Jewish tradition
of human rights.
http://www.shalomctr.org/html/peace.html
Many reflective articles under the heading " Urgent
Efforts for Peace in
Israel & Palestine".
www.peacenow.org
Americans for Peace Now promotes the goals of the
Israeli "Peace Now"
movement (Shalom Achshav) in Israel, advocating for
policies promoting peace
with security for Israel.
www.abrahamfund.org
Not-for-profit fundraising and educational organization
dedicated to
enhancing coexistence between Israel's Jewish and Arab
citizens.
www.batshalom.org
Bat Shalom--Israeli women's organization for peace in
the Middle East.
www.irac.org
The Israel Religious Action Center (IRAC) is the
leading advocacy group on
matters of religion and state in Israel, working for
religious pluralism and
tolerance, democracy and human rights, and economic and
social justice.
www.gush-shalom.org
Gush Shalom, a non-partisan movement of Jews and Arabs
for peace .
www.magendavidadom.org
Magen David Adom, Israel's emergency medical, health,
blood and disaster
services. Saving lives in Israel and around the world,
regardless of race,
religion or creed. Includes updates on MDA's recent
involvement in
responding to recent conflict.
www.dorshalom.org.il
Dor Shalom, ("the Peace Generation" in Hebrew), was
created in the aftermath
of the Rabin assassination. It supports the Peace
Process initiated by
Yitzhak Rabin, viewing it as a mandatory factor in the
establishment of the
State of Israel as the leading economic and cultural
power in the Middle
East." Includes links to other peace related sites.
www.igc.org/traubman/global.htm
Jewish-Palestinian dialogue groups
www.members.tripod.com/~other_Israel/
Website for The Other Israel: newsletter of the Israeli
Council for
Israeli-Palestinian Peace The Other Israel, published
bimonthly, aims to
provide extensive coverage of the diverse struggles
waged by the Israeli
peace movement at large. It reports on a great variety
of activities, most
of which find little or no mention in the world media.
It also contains
commentaries on events in Israel and the Middle East
from a perspective in
which the interests of Israelis and Palestinians are
ultimately
reconcilable.
www.jewishpeacefellowship.org
Jewish Peace Fellowship, founded in 1941 to offer
religious (text-based)
support for Jewish men taking a conscientious objector
positions, now an
anti-war organization rooted in Jewish sources,
supporting Israeli peace
movement, American and International Jewish peace
efforts.
www.nonviolence.org
Peacewatch, an on-line journal for peace in the Middle
East
www.ariga.com
Ariga: The Business of Peace is committed to the peace
process and to making
available information in support of its aims. It
includes a Middle East
Peace FAQ, and the full text of the Oslo "interim"
agreement.
www.sfcg.org/scgme.htm
Search for Common Ground in the Middle East (SCGME) is
a dynamic,
multi-track program that works to promote peace,
security, and cooperation
in the Middle East, and has been a pioneer in
encouraging dialogue across
hostile fronts, fostering civil society, and building
the capacity of
individuals and organizations throughout the region to
develop and utilize
conflict resolution tools.
www.ariga.com/peacewatch
Political commentary about the peace process, links and
resources from the
PEACE Middle East Dialog group.
www.mideastweb.org
Home of the MidEast Web for Coexistence Association,
dedicated to promoting
dialog and peace eduction. The site includes dialog
resources, news, an
extensive collection of maps and historical resources,
culture, news about
peace education in the Middle East, and a vast
collection of links to news,
culture, Hebrew and Arabic search engines, peace
organization and other Web
sites related to the Middle East. Jewish Peace
Fellowship
To top
News Sites
www.haaretzdaily.com (Haaretz English Edition)
www.btselem.org
www.nif.org
www.jpost.com (Jerusalem Post English Edition)
To top
Discussions and Updates
·      SocialAction.com ongoing discussion
·      The New Israel Fund provides information on the
crisis as it becomes
available. To get updates, send your email address to:
info@nif.org
·      Go to www.shamash.org to subscribe to JRJ-Net
(the Jewish Renewal and
Justice listserve), Bridges, (the Jewish feminist
listserve in conjunction
with the print journal bridges), both of which feature
frequent discussion
on events in the Middle East, and other Jewish
listserves of interest.
·      www.ariga.com/dialog is the home of the PEACE
Middle East Dialog Group
founded by Ameen Hannoun (Jordan) and Ami Isseroff
(Israel). Join the
electronic discussion.


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As a subscriber to both Colorlines and Jews for Global Justice, I was sent
the Elbaum interview with Phyllis Bennis. I can't express to you my
exasperation with this piece. I've composed a response that I haven't yet
sent to Colorlines, but will in the next few days. Nonetheless, I send to
you here my response.

Clare Kinberg, Bridges Managing Editor
ckinberg@pond.net
Bridges, PO Box 24839, Eugene OR 97402
541-343-7617 or 888-359-9188
http://www.pond.net/~ckinberg/bridges


What a disappointment to receive Max Elbaum’s interview with Phyllis Bennis
from Colorlines, a magazine I’ve found generally to be very informative with
solidly progressive politics.

The problem with Colorlines sending out Bennis and Elbaum’s piece is not
only that they simplify, distort and falsify history. Almost everyone on
every side of this conflict does that. Bennis’ statements on the existence
of Israel itself as an illegal occupation and a “travesty” should be outside
the bounds of anyone who cares about justice, peace, or the lives of those
living in the Middle East. The real heartbreak of this interview, however,
is that Elbaum and Bennis ignore the decades of work by Jewish and
Palestinian peace activists, including current efforts that so desperately
need publicity. By working together, Jews and Palestinians who know that
there cannot be peace without justice have learned enough of each others
histories to build on the agreement that both peoples need and will have
sovereignty in the region. What Colorlines readers really need to know is
information on what these organizations are doing and how to support them.

For instance, what a service it would be to publicize the following:

A coalition of 9 Israeli feminist peace organizations are planning what they
hope to be a massive demonstration in Jerusalem on Dec 29 (2000). These
groups include both Jewish and Arab Israeli women. Here is a statement of
their principles of agreement:

We, Jewish and Palestinian women, citizens of Israel, activists for peace
and representatives of a large number of women's organizations in Israel,
have agreed to the following principles for solution of the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict at a meeting of the Coalition of Women for a
Just Peace in Nazareth on 29 November 2000:

1. An end to the occupation.
2. Establishment of the state of Palestine side by side with the state of
Israel based on the 1967 borders.
3. Recognition of Jerusalem as the shared capital of two states.
4. Israel must recognize its responsibility for the results of the 1948 war,
and find a just solution to the Palestinian refugee problem.
5. Opposition to the militarism that permeates Israeli society.
6. Equality, inclusion and justice for Palestinian citizens of Israel.
7. Equal rights for women and for all residents of Israel.
8. The full involvement of women in negotiations for peace.
9. Social and economic justice for Israel's citizens, and integration in the
region.

The Coalition of Women for a Just Peace call upon all women who affirm these
principles -- Jews, Palestinians, and others -- to join us in a mass rally,
vigil, and march through the streets of Jerusalem on Friday, December 29.
Mark this date in your calendars.  More information will be coming.

This rally is critical in our campaign to promote these views and influence
the positions of candidates for election in Israel.  If you cannot come, but
want to support this event materially and otherwise, please contact Gila
Svirsky at gsvirsky@netvision.net.il or Hannah Safran at
wom.stu@research.haifa.ac.il

For further information about Jews and Palestinians working for a solution

Organizations
http://www.nif.org/crisis/index.html
New Israel Fund is an international partnership of North Americans,
Europeans, and Israelis which supports organizations in Israel that defend
civil and human rights, promote Jewish-Arab coexistence, and work to reduce
social and economic gaps.
Includes many links to recent news articles, and a new essay, "Bitter
Harvest," by past president David Arnow, that provides a comprehensive
background piece to the current situation
NIF provides information on the crisis as it becomes available; to get
updates, send your email address to: info@nif.org
www.btselem.org
B'tselem is the Israeli organization for human rights in the Occupied
Territories; has current updates and analysis.
www.rhr.israel.net
Rabbis For Human Rights is the only organization in Israel today concerned
specifically with giving voice to the Jewish tradition of human rights.
http://www.shalomctr.org/html/peace.html
Many reflective articles under the heading " Urgent Efforts for Peace in
Israel & Palestine".
www.peacenow.org
Americans for Peace Now promotes the goals of the Israeli "Peace Now"
movement (Shalom Achshav) in Israel, advocating for policies promoting peace
with security for Israel.
www.abrahamfund.org
Not-for-profit fundraising and educational organization dedicated to
enhancing coexistence between Israel's Jewish and Arab citizens.
www.batshalom.org
Bat Shalom--Israeli women's organization for peace in the Middle East.
www.irac.org
The Israel Religious Action Center (IRAC) is the leading advocacy group on
matters of religion and state in Israel, working for religious pluralism and
tolerance, democracy and human rights, and economic and social justice.
www.gush-shalom.org
Gush Shalom, a non-partisan movement of Jews and Arabs for peace .
www.magendavidadom.org
Magen David Adom, Israel's emergency medical, health, blood and disaster
services. Saving lives in Israel and around the world, regardless of race,
religion or creed. Includes updates on MDA's recent involvement in
responding to recent conflict.
www.dorshalom.org.il
Dor Shalom, ("the Peace Generation" in Hebrew), was created in the aftermath
of the Rabin assassination. It supports the Peace Process initiated by
Yitzhak Rabin, viewing it as a mandatory factor in the establishment of the
State of Israel as the leading economic and cultural power in the Middle
East." Includes links to other peace related sites.
www.igc.org/traubman/global.htm
Jewish-Palestinian dialogue groups
www.members.tripod.com/~other_Israel/
Website for The Other Israel: newsletter of the Israeli Council for
Israeli-Palestinian Peace The Other Israel, published bimonthly, aims to
provide extensive coverage of the diverse struggles waged by the Israeli
peace movement at large. It reports on a great variety of activities, most
of which find little or no mention in the world media. It also contains
commentaries on events in Israel and the Middle East from a perspective in
which the interests of Israelis and Palestinians are ultimately
reconcilable.
www.jewishpeacefellowship.org
Jewish Peace Fellowship, founded in 1941 to offer religious (text-based)
support for Jewish men taking a conscientious objector positions, now an
anti-war organization rooted in Jewish sources, supporting Israeli peace
movement, American and International Jewish peace efforts.
www.nonviolence.org
Peacewatch, an on-line journal for peace in the Middle East
www.ariga.com
Ariga: The Business of Peace is committed to the peace process and to making
available information in support of its aims. It includes a Middle East
Peace FAQ, and the full text of the Oslo "interim" agreement.
www.sfcg.org/scgme.htm
Search for Common Ground in the Middle East (SCGME) is a dynamic,
multi-track program that works to promote peace, security, and cooperation
in the Middle East, and has been a pioneer in encouraging dialogue across
hostile fronts, fostering civil society, and building the capacity of
individuals and organizations throughout the region to develop and utilize
conflict resolution tools.
www.ariga.com/peacewatch
Political commentary about the peace process, links and resources from the
PEACE Middle East Dialog group.
www.mideastweb.org
Home of the MidEast Web for Coexistence Association, dedicated to promoting
dialog and peace eduction. The site includes dialog resources, news, an
extensive collection of maps and historical resources, culture, news about
peace education in the Middle East, and a vast collection of links to news,
culture, Hebrew and Arabic search engines, peace organization and other Web
sites related to the Middle East. Jewish Peace Fellowship
To top
News Sites
www.haaretzdaily.com (Haaretz English Edition)
www.btselem.org
www.nif.org
www.jpost.com (Jerusalem Post English Edition)
To top
Discussions and Updates
·      SocialAction.com ongoing discussion
·      The New Israel Fund provides information on the crisis as it becomes
available. To get updates, send your email address to: info@nif.org
·      Go to www.shamash.org to subscribe to JRJ-Net (the Jewish Renewal and
Justice listserve), Bridges, (the Jewish feminist listserve in conjunction
with the print journal bridges), both of which feature frequent discussion
on events in the Middle East, and other Jewish listserves of interest.
·      www.ariga.com/dialog is the home of the PEACE Middle East Dialog Group
founded by Ameen Hannoun (Jordan) and Ami Isseroff (Israel). Join the
electronic discussion.







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