Call to protest: Oppose warmongers and haters on both sides
Dan set it up, now all that’s needed is people to broadcast the message…
On Sunday, January 11, a coalition of New York-based Jewish and Zionist organizations will be holding a mass demonstration outside of the Israeli consulate on 42nd Street and 2nd Avenue in unreserved support of Israel’s military action in the Gaza Strip. AIPAC, the ADL and several other groups will join forces to proclaim in the name of American Jewry that it is Israel’s right and responsibility to decimate Hamas, even at the cost of hundreds of civilian Palestinian lives and thousands more injured.
Also on Sunday, a mass demonstration by pro-Palestinian activists will transpire in Times Square, where protesters will condemn Israel’s actions in Gaza and — in all probability — justify Hamas’ attacks on Israeli civilians as a legitimate response to Israel’s blockade of Gaza, its multiple violations of the 2008 ceasefire agreement, and the international community’s failure to adequately address these matters.
Both of these groups will likely demonize one another — the Jews decrying the Palestinians and the pro-Palestinian activists maligning the Jews — each engaging in gross displays of hatred, and advocating not in favor of peace, but in one side’s victory over the other.
I wish to propose a third way: A counterdemonstration to both the pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian demonstrations. That is, I wish to propose a pro-peace demonstration.
I invite individuals who favor an immediate ceasefire, oppose the occupation, support the two state solution, and who believe in the rights of both Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace and security to join in action against those who justify violence and hatred on either side, and against those who claim a monopoly on representing our voices in this matter.
I wish to see not just a contingent waving Israeli flags and another waving Palestinian flags, but also a contingent waving Israeli and Palestinian flags together, carrying peace signs and banners with slogans like, “Fighting for peace is like f*cking for virginity” and “Peace cannot be achieved militarily.”
I call on all organizations — Jewish, Arab and otherwise — which advocate in favor of peace, dialogue and coexistence to join in this action by encouraging their constituents to come out in full-force. (If your organization is interested in cosponsoring this event please be in contact.)
Those who truly believe in peace should and must make a showing and demonstrate that there are significant number of us who differ from both sides in their responses to this latest round of violence.
We have been granted permission by the NYPD to assemble south of the consulate on 2nd Avenue near 41st Street from 11AM-1PM. I hope to see you there.
Yesterday I received a sensationalistic email from a local anti-war organization here in Maryland — one of an umbrella of groups I respected working on everything from verified voting to climate change — pushing a call from ANSWER Coalition for a Day of Action in Washington, DC to “Free Gaza”. When I wrote back pointing out that Hamas is no more the hero than the Israeli Gov’t, and that shouldn’t a group founded to oppose the Iraq War stick to its own message, I received about six paragraphs of Hamas cheerleading without a shred of pretense at objectivity, topped with patronizing advice to watch “foreign media” to educate myself.
After a short back-and-forth, the organizational director who was emailing me said he agreed with my contention that the situation was too complicated and that both Jews and Palestinians had too much righteousness, crime, and trauma for there to be any kind of clear heroes and villains; but he claimed that the Free Gaza Action (backed by two-state-rejectionists Al Awda and not a single Jewish peace group) was the ‘only game in town’. So I thank Dan for proving this guy wrong.
I think the demonstration sounds great, but did Dan really write: “Both of these groups will likely demonize one another — the Jews decrying the Palestinians and the pro-Palestinian activists maligning the Jews”?
Only Jews can be in favor of the Israeli government, but those in favor of Hamas are “pro-Palestinian activists?” Are there no “pro-Israeli activists?” Does this make Obama a Jew?
I’m not in favor of what the Israeli government is doing, but if this is how a thoughtful, liberal Jewish writer frames it, is there any wonder why anti-Zionism so easily turns to anti-Semitism?
Hell, given the leadership that Hamas has shown, I’m not sure it’s fair to the Palestinians to call Hamas supporters “pro-Palestinian.”
Yes. I wish we can have a louder Arab and Jewish coalition supporting peace and dialogue, as much as that might surprise some of the folk I’ve been arguing with in the comments over the last few days.
dlevy — you’re reading something into what i wrote that simply is not there.
The majority of the people I’ve spoken to who condemn Israel’s actions also defends Hamas’ rockets as a valid method of “resistance”. I would love to see the turnout for a demonstration that calls for both sides to end hostilities.
Is it cynical of me to say that no one other than lefty Jews (of which I am one, I suppose) would show up for the “third way” protest? I can’t help feeling that no Muslims or Arabs or general “pro-dialogue” folks would come. Though I’d appreciate being proven wrong…
This too – I think that dlevy is making a pretty basic point in the comments. So while it likely wasn’t intended, I don’t know what it means to say it “simply isn’t there.”
shouldn’t a group founded to oppose the Iraq War stick to its own message
There’s a part of me that still blames the Iraq war on the fact that the antiwar protests back in 2003 couldn’t stay on message to save their lives.
BZ, amen!
Within Israel and without, there has been an ongoing argument about the way these three priorities of an army – a) protecting Israeli civilians, b) protecting Israeli soldiers, and c) protecting Gaza civilians – should be ordered.
Israel excites, alienates, and compels. How are we as Jews implicated in Israel’s achievements, mistakes, and challenges?
MAKOM invites you to join an ongoing conversation about hugging and wrestling with Israel.
http://makom.haaretz.com
“I invite individuals who favor an immediate ceasefire, oppose the occupation, support the two state solution, and who believe in the rights of both Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace and security to join in action against those who justify violence and hatred on either side, and against those who claim a monopoly on representing our voices in this matter.”
The vast majority of Jews support a two state solution, and believe in the rights of all people. The same cannot be said of the other side. And as a Jew I believe we have the same right of self defense as any other nation or people. Eight years of rocket attacks, after years of our bus’s and passover seders being bombed, finally drove us to defend ourselves. No other nation would have waited this long.
If the Palestinians want a State of there own, right beside Israel, they could have it tomorrow. If they want it in place of Israel I’d rather fight so that I can live.
And I do suggest you go to both of these demonstrations on Sunday, as I did last week and will do again this Sunday. You’ll see more clearly then ever what your choices are.
“Occupation”
What occupation ? Israel withdrew its occupation of Gaza year’s ago.
What did Israel receive ? Hundreds of rockets being shot at their people.
Leaving Gaza was supposed to be the first step on the road to a two state solution.
Instead the people of Gaza elected Hamas who oppose a two state solution and is on a suicidal mission to destroy Israel with TOTAL disregard for the welfare of their own people.
If the people reading this ACTUALLY cares about the welfare of the Arabs of Gaza they would support Israels quest to destroy Hamas.
Instead so called liberal progressive Jews are allowing themselves to be the TOOLS of Hamas, the most oppressive anti-liberal movement known to mankind. How ironic. How sad.
ILJ-
When Israel withdrew its troops from Gaza, it did just that, temporarily. It withdrew its troops. It did not release the Palestinians from its system of occupation. All borders are ultimately controlled by Israel (except for Egypt’s border, but that’s relatively recent). The air space and sea space is controlled by Israel. The telephone lines, gas lines, power lines, all controlled by Israel. Tariffs and trade permits, controlled by Israel. Likewise, the Palestinians could say, Israel withdrew, and for what? Only to have people attacked by rockets. We all recognize that both peoples are being attacked by rockets. The question is why do the populations support the rocket fire? Israelis seem to support the rocket fire because they believe they “have no choice” and their enemy “only understands force.” The Palestinians seem to support the rocket fire because they believe they “have no choice” and their enemy “only understands force.”
What really drives me crazy about some aspects of the Palestinian narrative which we’ve all grown familiar with is that it doesn’t acknowledge that it adopted a morally reprehensible manner of resistance. What drives me crazy about the Israeli narrative which we’ve all grown familiar with is that it doesn’t acknowledge that it adopted a morally reprehensible manner of security enforcement, usually called ‘occupation.’ It is that mindset and framework for interaction that Israel never left behind when it withdrew its citizens and army from Gaza. It never relinquished its stature of power over the strip, nor did it provide any liberty or freedom for the people thereof. Were it not for the Bush administration’s pushing for elections, Israel would likely not have allowed them, I imagine.
I’d simply hope that by 42 years of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict there’d come a time, maybe today, when we can recognize, both sides, our mis-steps and misdeeds and rather than label those Jews who do not support such brutal military activity as “tools” of the enemy, recognize that sometimes humans just have a hard time accepting the “only choice” involves the willful killing of others. Leaving Gaza was little more than an excuse to hold off for a few more years also leaving the West Bank, and gave the opportunity for tens of thousands of Jews to move to settlements there. Respecting one another, acknowledging that the occupation is real for Palestinians, acknowledging that the terror is real for Israelis. Acknowledge that the occupation terrifies people, and that terror occupies the lives of its victims.
Rather than dismiss the existence of an ‘occupation,’ accept that you, nor I, nor anyone would of their free will choose to live under the control of a foreign nation who does not respect your right to self-determination. Call it what you will, but the lack of freedom over your water, your air, your trade, your utilities, that is no way for any human to live.
>>”When Israel withdrew its troops from Gaza, it did just that, temporarily. It withdrew its troops. It did not release the Palestinians from its system of occupation. All borders are ultimately controlled by Israel (except for Egypt’s border, but that’s relatively recent). The air space and sea space is controlled by Israel. The telephone lines, gas lines, power lines, all controlled by Israel. Tariffs and trade permits, controlled by Israel.”
Uh, no Justin. When Israel withdrew its troops, it withdrew its troops. All of them. Gaza is a pristine Jew-free zone and has been so for years. Heaven on earth no doubt. It is not Israel’s fault that 85% of Gaza’s land borders are shared with Israel. That’s life. It has had total control of its border with Egypt (something like 15 miles long) for over 3 years. Plenty of space to import and export stuff. The main commodity traversing it appears to be missile components.
Israel regularly opens its land borders and customs stations with Gaza. When that happens, Palestinians attack them with artillery and mortars. And so the stations close. The only thing going through those stations now is Israeli aid heading into Gaza.
The Palestinians have their own telephone company and seaports and airport. When Israel closes those ports it’s because they’re being used for weapons imports and terrorist infiltration.
Gaza has only one power plant because it has chosen to invest in high-explosives instead of high-temperature turbines. Israel sends electricity into Gaza because the Gazans have chosen to generate none of their own. Egypt could care less.
Your narrative is flowing and harmonious but your facts are untrue. There is no Israeli “occupation” of Gaza.