Brit Tzedek v'Shalom
Jewish Alliance for Justice and Peace
The Burlington Free Press
Sunday, March 16, 2003
www.burlingtonfreepress.com
Letters to the editor
Dead-end policy
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's re-election strengthened Israel's dead-end policy of expanding illegal settlements. Sharon's new war government exclusively includes extreme right-wing parties whose priority is territorial expansion and militarily attacking Palestinians. Uri Avneri, former Knesset member, calls it "the most dangerous government Israel ever had."
However, polls just before the elections showed that a large majority of Israelis want to dismantle settlements in the context of a negotiated settlement. Unfortunately Israeli voters' choice of Sharon contradicts this sentiment.
While polls here show most American Jews also want to bring the settlers home within Israel's pre-1967 borders, until now many American Jews have been reluctant to speak out for fear of bringing harm to Israel.
That is changing fast. Over 5,000 mainstream American Jews have joined the Jewish Alliance for Justice and Peace since its inception last April. The alliance vigorously supports Israel while calling for a change in U.S. foreign policy to more clearly help Israel bring its soldiers and settlers home within those borders.
Evacuating settlements will enable Israel to end its military occupation and enable Palestinians to achieve their dream of dignity and sovereignty in a free and independent Palestinian state.
While the elections point Israeli policy toward more violence and settlers in the near term, American Jews can now turn to a rapidly growing Jewish organization focused on ending the occupation.
JAMES MARC LEAS
South Burlington