American Jews Call for Ceasefire in Lebanon

[ProSense]

Robert Weissman
07.21.2006

American Jews Call for Ceasefire in Lebanon

READ MORE: 2006, Washington Post, New York Times, Israel, Lebanon, George W. Bush

The Israel bombing campaign in Lebanon and Gaza could not go on without American support.

Some time in the next week or more, after a nod from the Israeli military, the Bush administration may step in to arrange a ceasefire. But for now, the United States is an enabler of the violence.

The Guardian reports that the United States has blocked efforts for an immediate halt to the fighting, and has given Israel a "green light" to continue bombing Lebanon.
The Washington Post reports that the Bush administration has "endorsed Israel's campaign" and that it is "letting Israel's military strategy ... play out." The New York Times reports that the Administration has agreed that Israel "would continue to bombard Lebanon for another week or so" (though developments over the last two days suggest the leave may extend longer).

Snip...

If you are a Jewish American, you take a first step by adding your name to a sign-on letter that Robert Naiman of the new organization Just Foreign Policy and I have initiated. Just click here.

Here's the text of the letter:

Dear President Bush:

As American Jews, we are horrified by your apparent support for the bombing and destruction of Lebanon, and your opposition to international demands for an immediate ceasefire.

We condemn the violence by all sides, especially against civilians. But we cannot accept your attempt to justify and abet the collective punishment of the people of Lebanon -- including thousands of Americans trapped there -- as part of "Israel's right to defend herself."

The vast majority of Lebanese now suffering the destruction of their country, along with hundreds of civilian deaths from the Israeli bombing campaign, had nothing to do with Hizbollah's attacks on Israeli soldiers, nor subsequent rocket attacks on Israeli cities.

The same is true in Gaza, where the capture of Israeli Corporal Gilad Shalit on June 25 -- the original alleged pretext for Israel's incursions and detention of the territory's elected leaders -- was preceded just the day before by the abduction of two Palestinian civilians from their home by Israeli forces, as reported by Gideon Levy in the Israeli daily Haaretz. Here, too, it is wrong to portray this ever-widening conflict as a "war against terrorism." According to the Israeli human rights organization B'tselem, more than 100 Palestinians who were not engaged in hostile actions were killed by Israeli forces since Israel withdrew from Gaza, and before the recent escalation of violence.

The idea that the cycle of violence will come to an end by means of more violence, and especially attacks on civilian areas, is wrong and immoral.

We ask you to support an immediate cease-fire and a negotiated solution to the conflict.

Sincerely,

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-weissman/american-jews-call-for-ce_b_25535.html

[mhr]

1. It's About Time - What Took Them So Long?

Maybe being associated with the Bush, Fundie, Freeper crowd finally unsettled them.

[villager]

15. uh, which "them?" "The Jews?"

Do you refer to other groups this way if a peace group takes longer than you think it should to put an ad in the NY Times calling for calm to prevail?

Do you imagine American Jews to be a single, monolithic entity?

[Name removed]

17. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[villager]

20. no, actually, you said it. And I guess that's a "yes"

to your perceiving all of us as an undifferentiated mass.

[Name removed]

21. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Mass]

24. Most Jews voted for Kerry,

[cali]

35. The American Jew President???

Care to explain that?

[cali]

31. you really, really

need to crawl back under your rock.

[stepnw1f]

2. BRAVO!

This is how peace is achieved.

[Name removed]

5. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[stepnw1f]

7. Gotta Start Somewhere

no need for negativity.

[Mass]

22. I am confused, so may be you can clarify.

For you:

"the Jewish people in the United states = AIPAC" ?

AIPAC is a lobbying group that, as its name says it, is a lobbying group for the Interests of Israel (and even there, this is debatable). I cannot speak for all the Jewish People of America and they probably represent many of them, but I am fairly sure they do not represent all of them, and I am sure that they dont represent my husband.

[AlamoDemoc]

33. NO...the Jewish people in the United states does not equal to AIPAC

AIPAC = ZIONISM

[JackNewtown]

36. AIPAC doesn't represent American Jews

AIPAC doesn't even truly represent most Israelis. AIPAC is a Likudnik organization that has a ME agenda that coincides with the neocon/PNAC agenda.

[Raksha]

25. What gives you the idea AIPAC represents all the Jewish people

in the United States? It sure as hell doesn't represent ME! More and more I see AIPAC as a neocon/Likudnik organization. They don't represent all Jews by a long way, or even all Zionists--using the word in its original meaning and not as a synonymn for "Jewish supremacist."

[AlamoDemoc]

10. I do not seek negativity. I am asking simple question.....

...I am saying that if many Jewish supporters in congress realize that what is taken place in Lebanon is atrocity, maybe we can have a ceasefire, instead of blind support of Israel off the cuff, our Representatives in congress can get a call from AIPAC to agree on ceasefire.



on edit: in other words: AIPAC can call a ceasefire

[stepnw1f]

12. Sorry... I Agree with You

and I was very dissapointed that so many jumped locked-stepped behind supporting Israel without denouncing their disproportionate retaliation on Lebanese civilians. Maybe they will call for a ceasefire... I do not know where AIPAC stands, honestly. So it's hard for me to guess what will happen from here. But something positive must come from this.

[mhr]

18. AIPAC Supports Bush - Bush Supports War - War Equal Death

eom

[Raksha]

26. Correct, AIPAC supports Bush.

Most American Jews DON'T support Bush and therefore no longer support AIPAC.

[cali]

32. Do you mean

Jewish Reps who are supporters of Israel or are you mixing up Jews and Israel? The phrase "Jewish supporters" isn't clear.

[malaise]

13. Ditto

about time

[Mass]

23. Agree.

[xultar]

3. AMEN. Attacking a country cannot stop terror. Iraq is the latest lesson

yet it still goes on.

[JuniperLea]

6. War = Hate = War = Hate!

Time to break the chain!

I guess some people literally need a ton of bricks to fall on their heads before they get it.

[JuniperLea]

4. Finally!

Ok, let's all learn something here, shall we?

War = Hate = War = Hate... at some point the stupidity must end and the chain broken.

[Benhurst]

8. Good for them! And there are many Israelis asking for

this as well.

May those of good will on both side regain control.

And may we take our nation back from the Bush Crime Family.

[jsamuel]

9. Invading/blowing up a country does not stop terrorism.

thanks

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

11. Shalom

I have a feeling many of my friends here and in Israel are signing this.

[stepnw1f]

14. I'm Thinking Most Are

or would be if they knew about it. Most people do not like war.

[Zhade]

19. A, I just wanted to extend my sympathies.

I know a lot of truly hateful things have been said about Arabs recently, and that Arab lives have been valued as less than Israeli lives by a vocal minority here, and I really want you to know that not all of us think that way.

Muslims are people, too, dammit!

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

29. Thank you for your kindness

This may sound funny, but in my spiritual path I feel I am Muslim but also Jew-and Christian, etc, etc. I can see and also feel the pain and the anger and fear behind it on both sides of the ME conflict.

[Zhade]

16. GOOD FOR THEM!

It's the moral thing to do.

[Raksha]

27. Thanks for posting this.

I just signed it, and while I don't feel exactly "good" I feel a lot better than I did before I signed it. I just hope it has the desired effect.

[mmonk]

28. Very good.

I just wish they had the pull AIPAC does. All I can suggest doing is to lend them support.

[ninkasi]

30. I applaud their effort

to restore some sanity to the violent actions of all parties involved. Peace can not be achieved by violence, and we can never live together while some sides decide that the only correct response is to intensify the killing. Why can't it just stop, now, and have some kind of dialog with the countries involved? Bloodshed only leads to more bloodshed, and I'll be damned if I can condone the death of a Lebanese toddler as Israel using it's right to defend itself.

Both sides are stubborn, and wrong, and are only contributing to adding more fuel to the fire of hatred that has blazed for far, far too long.

[jonnyblitz]

34. !!!!!

:thumbsup: Hopefully somebody will acknowledge their concern( I am not holding my breathe)! These are the righteous UNLIKE the warmongers.

[HamdenRice]

37. Beyond the Pale -- the Progressive Jewish Radio Hour

This is excellent news and a great thread. If you want to regularly listen to a voice of the Jewish community that strongly disagrees with the overwhelming (and not necessarily representative) voice of AIPAC, listen to this radio program on Pacifica, sponsored by Jews for Racial and Economic Justice:

http://www.wbai.org/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=421&Itemid=42

[threadkillaz]

38. When the dust settles...

...our govt put Israel's priorities ahead of the 25,000 Americans in Lebanon under fire.

[cali]

39. and this has to do with the OP

how, precisely?