Letter to the Editor: Needed: a ceasefire now

Intermountain Jewish News

January 9, 2009

By Mark Belkin, Les Canges, Evelyn Hutt, Nancy Jackson, Randall Kuhn, Hanna Weston, Colorado Chapter

Who among us has not watched in alarm and anguish as the crisis  has unfolded in Gaza and southern Israel over the past two weeks? Though Israeli action is an understandable response to continued rocket fire from Hamas, and the idea of air strikes and ground war may seem compelling to those who see  no option for peace, these actions represent a huge escalation of the conflict — a crisis that may end in a wider war in which many more Palestinians and Israelis will die. This escalation may very well play into the hands of extremists, while increasing dangers to both soldiers and civilians. Israel will soon have to choose between reoccupying Gaza or leaving the Palestinian population there without an effective government and with even greater enmity toward us. To succeed, a new ceasefire mustty to acknowledge all the suffering in this conflict, to pray for the wisdom of our leaders and ourselves in bringing about a true and just ceasefire and, finally, to work toward a real and viable two-state solution to the conflict.

MARK BELKIN,
LES CANGES
EVELYN HUTT,
NANCY JACKSON,
RANDALL KUHN,
HANNA WESTON

Colorado Brit Tzedek v’Shalom Steering Committee
Denver