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Brit Tzedek v'Shalom
Jewish Alliance for Justice and Peace
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BRIT TZEDEK V'SHALOM GOES TO DC AND GENEVA TO MARK HISTORIC ACCORD
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEDATE: December 1, 2003
Chicago, December 1, 2003---On December 1, members of Brit Tzedek v'Shalom will travel to Washington DC and Geneva, Switzerland to mark the signing of the Geneva Accord and urge full backing of the U.S. government for the historic agreement.
On Capitol Hill, volunteers will quietly hand-deliver hundreds of copies of the extra-governmental Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement to members of Congress, urging their support for the plan, a draft final status agreement recently negotiated by Israeli and Palestinian moderates under the sponsorship of the Swiss government.
In Geneva, a delegation from Brit Tzedek v'Shalom, the Jewish Alliance for Justice and Peace, will witness the momentous signing of the agreement, along with former presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton.
"Brit Tzedek is committing all of our energy and resources to parlaying the momentum of the Geneva initiative into a credible agreement with international backing," said Marcia Freedman, a former member of Knesset and current President of Brit Tzedek. "The accord provides a platform for a lasting peace and addresses the security needs of both Palestinians and Israelis."
Lead negotiators of the agreement, including Yasser Abed Rabbo, a former Palestinian minister, and his Israeli counterpart, Yossi Beilin, former Minister of Justice, will also be in attendance, as will others who participated in the agreement, including retired Israeli generals and former members of Knesset on the Israeli side and former cabinet members and leaders of non-PLO organizations on behalf of Palestinians.
Copies of the Accord, which resolves most of the issues that divide Israelis and Palestinians, are being distributed to every household in Israel and Palestine. According to recent polls, more than half of Israelis and about half of the Palestinian population support an agreement along the lines of the Geneva Accord. A full copy of the Accord can be downloaded from [click here].
"Delivering the Accord to Congress on December 1 is the kickoff of a national campaign to garner American Jewish and Administration support for what we are calling the Spirit of Geneva," said Brit Tzedek Vice President Diane Balser. "We will mount a full-scale grassroots campaign to mobilize American Jewish public opinion in order to influence the White House to support the Accord and to reengage vigorously in moving the peace process forward."
Many of Brit Tzedek's 30 chapters around the country are planning events to celebrate the signing and educate American Jews about the Accords. Their activities include screening a video of former Israeli MI Amram Mitzna, a Geneva negotiator, urging U.S. support for the agreement, holding candlelight vigils, and celebrating jointly with Palestinian Americans. After the signing, Freedman and Balser will hold an international Town Hall meeting via conference call with members to share their insights and inspirations. For information on how press can join the virtual meeting, please contact Jessica Rosenblum by telephone at (773)583-5747 or by email at Jessica@btvshalom.org.
Brit Tzedek v'Shalom is a pro-Israel organization founded two years ago to build American Jewish support for a negotiated settlement between Israelis and Palestinians.