Brit Tzedek v'Shalom
Jewish Alliance for Justice and Peace
FOR RELEASE ON MAY 8, 2002
CONTACT:
Marcia Freedman, info@btvshalom.org
Clare Kinberg, info@btvshalom.org
AMERICAN JEWS CONDEMN BOMBING, URGE RESTRAINT
Brit Tzedek v'Shalom, the Jewish Alliance for Justice and Peace, strongly condemns the suicide bombing in Rishon Letzion that took the lives of 15 Israelis and caused many more serious injuries.
The bombing is deplorable not only because the victims were unarmed, innocent civilians, but because of the excuse it gives Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to escalate his military reprisals. "Clearly, the Palestinian extremists that carried out this horrific attack want to disrupt the momentum of international efforts to find a just resolution to the conflict. Sharonıs promised "harsh response" will mean theyıve succeeded," said Clare Kinberg, a member of Brit Tzedek's board.
Brit Tzedek calls upon President Bush, members of the Bush administration, and the international community to convince Sharon to exercise restraint. "As American Jews concerned for Israel's long-term security, we fear that a harsh response will only set our cause back," said Marcia Freedman, an American-Israeli who is a former Member of Knesset and also on the board of Brit Tzedek. "Should the Sharon government use this as an occasion to expel Yassir Arafat, the elected leader of the Palestinian people, or as an excuse to carry Operation Defensive Shield to the Gaza Strip, we will only ensure an endless cycle of violence, she added.
Brit Tzedek notes that the Palestinian Authority immediately condemned this latest action by Palestinian extremists. According to the same Army Radio broadcast, quoting unnamed Palestinian officials, the Authority was furious at Hamas for the timing of the attack. "Israel's right to defend itself is not in dispute," Kinberg said. "But what kind of actions constitute an effective defense is in question. Israel's security depends on a just resolution to the conflict," she said. "It must now be obvious that there is no conventional military solution to the problem of terror. We believe the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel is the road that must be taken," she concluded.
Brit Tzedek v'Shalom, the Jewish Alliance for Justice and Peace is a newly formed national organization that supports Israel but opposes the Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands.