Brit Tzedek v'Shalom

Jewish Alliance for Justice and Peace

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 28, 2007

GAZA OFFENSIVE WILL ENFLAME TENSIONS, HINDER PEACE PROSPECTS
Jewish Grassroots Peace Group Calls on Bush to Urge Israel-Hamas Ceasefire

CHICAGO— Recognizing the seriousness of Israel’s threat to launch a major military offensive in the Gaza Strip and Hamas’ threat to resume terrorist attacks against Israel, Brit Tzedek v’Shalom, the Jewish Alliance for Justice and Peace, calls on the White House to urge Israel to reach a ceasefire with Hamas, whether through backchannel talks, a neutral third-party or other indirect forms of diplomacy.

“Israel has a clear obligation to defend its citizens from Hamas’ Qassam rockets,” said Marcia Freedman, Brit Tzedek’s president and former Member of Knesset, “but we are fearful that continuing to escalate its military confrontation with Hamas in Gaza will have the opposite effect, triggering a resumption of horrific suicide bombings within Israel, a protracted and costly military presence in Gaza, and the loss of life on both sides.”

“Despite U.S. opposition to diplomatically engaging Hamas, Israel already has been holding indirect talks with certain Hamas leaders in an attempt to secure the release of kidnapped soldier Cpl. Gilad Shalit.  The U.S. Administration must urge Israel to expand these contacts in order to reach a ceasefire with Hamas that would stop the rocket attacks on southern Israel and prevent a military escalation in Gaza,” said Freedman

Brit Tzedek is also asking the Bush Administration to discourage Israel from pursuing a plan to cut off the flow of fuel and electricity to Gaza. 

“Cutting the supply of essential services will only exacerbate the humanitarian crisis that is playing out in Gaza right now,” said Freedman. “We know from past experience in Gaza and elsewhere that such measures do not achieve their purported goal of convincing Palestinians to reject Hamas leadership. Rather, these kinds of actions increase support for extremism and hinder progress towards peace.”

This week Brit Tzedek will mobilize its grassroots network of 36,000 American Jews to carry this message to President George W. Bush via phone calls, faxes, letters and emails to the White House.

Brit Tzedek v'Shalom, the Jewish Alliance for Justice and Peace, is a national grassroots organization more than 36,000 strong, that educates and mobilizes American Jews in support of a negotiated two-state resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict