Brit Tzedek v'Shalom

Jewish Alliance for Justice and Peace

Action Alert

Action Alert - Completed

Dear Members and Supporters,

Support the NIF initiative calling for the maintenance of democracy in Israel

Dear Members and Supporters,

Your response to our last action alert was heartening. We are building an advocacy network that has real potential.

As many of you know, the current situation in Israel is undermining the democratic nature of the country in several ways, not the least of them the open adherence to and political legitimacy for policies that call for the "transfer" of the Palestinian population out of the West Bank and into Jordan, the growing tension and distrust between Israel's Jewish and Palestinian Arab populations, the ease with which critics of human rights abuses like Shulamit Aloni and Uri Avneri are being called "traitors," and more.

Recently the New Israel Fund has taken the courageous step of speaking out against this growing Israeli trend, breaking ranks with the other Jewish community organizations by voicing criticism of the Israeli government and asking for open debate of the issues.

This initiative upholds the spirit of Israel's founders, who not only understood the essential elements of building a democratic state, but went much further by enshrining these principles in Israel's Declaration of Independence:

"The State of Israel S will be based on freedom, justice and peace as envisaged by the prophets of Israel; it will ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex; it will guarantee freedom of religion, conscience, language, education and cultures"

We urge you to support this important initiative by signing on to an open letter sponsored by NIF expressing its concerns and critique. Go to http://www.voicefordemocracy.org/ and sign on.

And please let us know you've done so with an email to advocacy@btvshalom.org

L'Shalom,

Steve Masters, Co-Chair
Advocacy/Public Policy Committee