Jewish Friends of Palestine Gateway

Jewish Friends
of Palestine
An Online Resource of
Jewish Activists for a Free Palestine
www.jewishfriendspalestine.org

27 May 2007: Here are our newest additions...

Jewish Websites:

Hagada Hasmalit - "Hagada Hasmalit (The Left Bank, Hebrew הגדה השמאלית) is an Israeli radical left wing website. First published in Hebrew in Spring 2002, it is one of the most widely read websites among the radical left in Israel. An English version began in March 2007. Hagada Hasmalit features articles and commentary by Jewish-Israeli and Palestinian writers from an anti-Zionist, Marxist or anarchist perspective. All oppose the 1967 Occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, and critique social and economic issues inside Israel. Hagada Hasmalit supported various campaigns over the years including the campaign to free Mordechai Vanunu, the struggle against the Israeli West Bank barrier in Bil'in, Tali Fahima and the refuseniks."

International Jewish Solidarity Network - "The International Jewish Solidarity Network is a growing international network of Jews whose Jewish identities are not based on nationalism but on a plurality of histories and experiences. We are committed to the struggle against the colonization of Palestine and the building of a Zionist Jewish state that began in 1948. We stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people because Israel and the Zionist ideology propelling it a) endanger all inhabitants of the region, b) will lead to further ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people, c) encourage the demonization of Arabs and Muslims everywhere, d) result in the racist repression and invisibility of Jews of Arab descent and from Muslim countries, e) distort and debase Jewish cultures, whether religious or secular, f) implicate us in the oppression of others by conflating Judaism and Jewish identities with Zionist principles and practices. Zionism has exploited the history of Jewish suffering as a justification for colonial expropriation and dispossession. We denounce this exploitation and violence to claim a role in the global struggles for racial, economic and gender justice."

Israel Versus Judaism - "This website was created to expose the violence and oppression perpetrated by the Zionists and their State of "Israel" against the Jewish people who remain true to the Almighty, Judaism and the Torah. Judaism does not condone violence. Judaism demands that Jews be good citizens of the countries in which they reside and that they live peacefully with respect for and subservience to the ruling powers. Judaism teaches us, that the right for the Jewish people to have self rule in the Holy Land is not unconditional. Since the destruction of our Holy Temple over two thousand years ago, the Jewish people have been exiled from this land by Divine decree. The Talmud tells us that G-d obligated us not to rebel against the ruling bodies, and not to take the land of Israel by force (see Babylonian Talmud tractate Kesubos 111A)."

Israeli Regional Peace Movement - "In March 2002 in Beirut the Arab League put forward a proposal calling for peace in the Middle East and normalization of relations with Israel on the basis of an Israeli withdrawal from all Arab territories occupied in 1967; a just solution to the Palestinian refugee problem; and the establishment of a sovereign and independent Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. ... We believe that if more Israelis knew about the Initiative and had the opportunity to discuss and explore its implications public pressure on the government would build rapidly and lead to measurable progress towards regional peace." Listed in Organizations under "Peace Organizations," in Country under "Israel"

Jewish EGroups, Lists & Petitions

Jewish Anti-Zionist Discussion - "There's not many forums where it's easy to talk about being an anti-zionist Jew. Even among our most progressive Jewish friends, it's hard to raise the subject. And in anti-zionist forums I've visited online or in person it can be hard to talk about a Jewish perspective. And yet it's something I'd like to talk more about. Unfortunately, I don't have a ton to say. I'm still working it all out, and it's not something I have ever directed a whole lot of brain power to, and I don't feel terribly educated about it. So I quite enjoy reading others' thoughts on it."

Notable Individuals

David Theo Goldberg - I have long worried that Israel has claimed to speak for all Jews, that a state founded upon the necessarily racial makings and markings of modernity refuses any resistance from kin. ... If Israel can claim to speak for all Jews, then critical Jewish voices are impelled to speak to Israel. Perhaps it is only in owning up to the relational possibility of a fair, just and equitable existence for all living in the cauldron of so heterogeneous a social setting that peace and safety for any would be more or less guaranteed. That, after all, has always been the promise of Jerusalem. So perhaps too it is now, above all, in these most acutely anxious and anguished of moments that we - and perhaps above all we Jews - must embrace the history too of having been a Palestinian."

Hilton Obenzinger - "As an American Jew who has spoken out against the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza for many years, I have been regularly smeared as a "self-hating Jew" and worse. ... f you wonder why so many people in the Middle East hate American foreign policy, just look at the "special relationship" between Israel and the U.S. government and American business. People in the Middle East know that Israel's human rights abuses--including land seizures, home demolition and segregation of non-Jews in the occupied territories--would not be possible without unconditional support from the United States."

Shmuel Yerushalmi - Wiki: "Shmuel Yerushalmi is a consistent anti-Zionist and Communist, and an outspoken advocate of an International Marxist-Leninist revolution. He is an active member in various leftist movements, such as the Israeli Communist Forum ... the "Civil Forum" of Hadash, aimed at fostering a non-Zionist Israeli civic identity. Yerushalmi began writing poetry in earnest in 1998 - in Hebrew rather than his native Russian, and his works were published in different literary and political sites, both in Hebrew and in translation to various foreign languages. Yerushalmi's poems, many of them outspokenly political, touch on a variety of subjects, such as Marxism-Leninism, social justice, ecology, the great victory over Nazism in the Second World War; and opposition to Zionism. One of the main themes which Yerushalmi tries to express in his poetry is the struggle for letting the Israeli society and policy-makers give account for aggressive policies."

New Articles:

June 2007: "Forty Years of Occupation", Colorado Progressive Jewish News, by Colorado Jews for a Just Peace

7/8 April 2007: "How Can Children of the Holocaust Do Such Things?", CounterPunch, by Sara Roy

5 April 2007: "When an anti-semite is not an anti-semite", The Guardian, by Arthur Neslen

1 April 2007: "Jews for Boycotting Israeli Goods - A Spearheading New Initiative", Media Monitors, by Ruth Tenne

Personal Jewish Websites:

Children of Abraham: Initiative by Shlomi Sendak - "Shlomi Sendak devoted more than 20 years to the new-age spiritual field and was one of the founders of Ale Yarok (the green leaf party). Lately he devoted himself to his dream, moved to the Negev desert in the South of Israel, founded "Khan Eden" and started his way to end the oldest conflict on earth. ... After more than 20 years in the new-age spiritual field, Sendak decided at the age of 47 to follow his dream, move to the South of Israel, to the place where the Jews made their first steps as a nation and try to settle the bitter disagreement who started about 5000 years ago in Abraham's tent."

Ecce Homo: A Diary of a Jewish Revolutionary - "I must admit of have been relishing rather severe Anti-Zionist sentiments for quite a long while. In the course of one's life I came to regard our venerable Rabbis of old with the highest possible esteem. I used to consider Rabbi Yolish of Satmar as my paramount spiritual mentor, and hailed the eminent Rabbi Amram Blau, the august institutor of Neturei Karta, as well as Rabbi Aaron Katzenellenbogen, his rival withal the acclaimed disassociation among the Guardians of the City, as the greatest revisionists of their times. It goes without saying that religious and ideological belligerencies have never motivated me to violate any state, public, criminal, civil or foreign law, by any means whatsoever. There should be no contrariety at all between religious and ideological antagonism, and civilian loyalty as well as observance of the law, that, in my opinion, would be the cornerstone of a democracy. I never thought I would live to experience myself so bitterly persecuted in Eretz Ysroel, it would appear, however, that some things would never change, videlicet: Zionism and it's heretic adherents."

Omnicrisis - "Omnicrisis.com is the personal blog of Mike Medow. Based in Detroit, Mike is an editor of Critical Moment magazine, a staff organizer of the Allied Media Conference, and treasurer for the Detroit Summer Collective. Mike is also a member of the Culture and Education Work Group of the International Jewish Solidarity Network, a newly emerging network of anti-Zionist Jews. Mike also has an interest in extreme and avant garde music and will use this blog to talk about that stuff too."

Realistic Dove - "Since the mid-1980s. I have spent much of my spare time and some of professional life trying to convince American Jews to support Israel’s peace camp. One of the challenges I’ve tried to address is figuring out how to criticise Israeli policy and the conventional Israel lobby without bolstering the arguments of those who reject the legitimacy of a Jewish state. I have fought this fight as a board member of Ameinu, Americans for Peace Now and the Givat Haviva Education Fund, as well as a member of B’rit Tzedek v’Shalom, four groups on the American Zionist left."

Other Websites:

Jews Against The War - "America’s reputation in the region has been significantly compromised, seriously affecting its ability to have a positive influence in the future. There is no escaping the hard fact that the American military presence in Iraq is causing far more harm than good. We the undersigned implore our elected officials to act according to the will of the people of this great country and end this war! We ask that Congress set hard and fast limits on the ability of the President to expand this war or to extend it further in a military action against Iran."

Zionism in the Age of the Dictators - "The history of Zionist/Nazi collaboration has, for obvious reasons, been downplayed to the extent that many people do not know of it or flatly deny it. Nevertheless it did happen and Lenni Brenner's "Zionism in the Age of the Dictators" is by far the most comprehensive study of the topic publicly available. --- For the record, this collaboration pre-dated the Holocaust and was based on a logical premise: the Nazis wanted the Jews out of Germany and the Zionists wanted the Jews in Palestine. The Zionist movement could not have seen what would come, but the Nazi view of Jewish people was known and the Zionists chose to collaborate anyway. A dramatic example of "the end justifies the means." --- Despite the fact that Mr. Brenner's work has been exploited by Neo-Nazis and Holocaust Deniers, neither this work nor anything else he has written has ever sought to deny or minimize the Holocaust or deny its significance. As a long time anti-racist activist - one of the original "freedom riders" of the civil rights era – Mr. Brenner has publicly condemned them for exploiting his work to advance their aims."

1 April 2007: Here is the second update of the revived Jewish Friends of Palestine project. But first:

In Memoriam: Professor Tanya Reinhardt, linguist, writer, activist.

"Linguist and left-wing activist Professor Tanya Reinhardt died in New York on Saturday at age 63. Reinhardt, one of the most outspoken representatives of the radical Israeli left, was a fierce critic of the 1993 Oslo Accords between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization, saying they represented a perpetuation of the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. She was also a proponent of an academic boycott of Israeli universities to protest the occupation. - Ha'aretz

"Tanya's passing is a terrible loss, not only to her family and those fortunate enough to come to know her personally, and to those she defended and protected with such dedication and courage, but to everyone concerned with freedom, justice, and an honorable peace." - Noam Chomsky

Jewish Individuals:

In that this directory is only for living people, Professor Reinhardt was removed.

Rutie Adler: Lecturer and Coodinator of the Hebrew Program at UC Berkeley. She is a dialogue group participant and supporter of both the peace and divestment movements. She has played a prominent role supporting the divestment movement at Berkeley.

Gadi Algazi: Professor of medieval history at Tel Aviv University and co-founder of the Ta'ayush - Arab Jewish Partnership - activist group. He has been repeatedly arrested for participating in Ta'ayush actions in suport of the Palestinian people inside the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Daniel J Amit: An Israeli physicist with Hebrew University and the University of Rome (Italy). He has been an outspoken critic of Israel's occupation of the OPTs and of the U.S. occupation of Iraq and created a significant stir by refusing to review material by American scientists because of their support for U.S. militarism. "After 36 years of occupation it should be totally clear that the Middle East needs a just peace, or there will be no peace. The combination of the people in power in Israel (my country) and the US have no such values to contribute. The requirement that cessation of violence must be a precondition for political progress is a sure formula for no progress."

Uri Bar-Joseph: Senior lecturer on international relations at Haifu University, author, and historian. He is frequently considered one of the "revisionist" historians because of his The Best of Enemies: Israel and Transjordan in the War of 1948 (London: Frank Cass, 1987) and other works.

Joel Beinin: Since 1983 he has taught Middle East history at Stanford University. His research and writing focuses on workers, peasants, and minorities in the modern Middle East and on Israel, Palestine, and the Arab-Israeli conflict. "Where, then, is the hope for a peaceful solution to the conflict? I believe that it lies in the young Palestinians, Jewish Israelis and internationals who have been fighting shoulder to shoulder in weekly battles against the Israeli security forces since late 2003 to halt the construction of the separation wall. ... Although their successes have so far been minor, these actions have demonstrated that trust is built through joint political action and that whether there will eventually be two states or one, coexistence, not separation, is the foundation for peace."

Benjamin Beit-Hallahmi: Benjamin Beit-Hallahmi received a PhD in clinical psychology from Michigan State University in 1970, and since then has held clinical, research, and teaching positions in academic institutions in the United States, Europe, and Israel. He is currently professor of psychology at the University of Haifa. He is the author, co-author, editor, or co-editor of 17 books and monographs and some 120 articles and book chapters on the psychology of religion, social identity and personality development. He has also written books that deal specifically with the history and politics of the state of Israel and Zionism from a critical perspective.

Allan C. Brownfeld: Allan C. Brownfeld is editor of Issues of The American Council For Judaism quarterly newsletter and of the Special Interest Report, both published by the American Council for Judaism, an organization of secular anti-Zionist American Jews. He also covers Israel and Judaism for the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs. "Now, as celebrations commemorate Zionism's 100th anniversary, what has been largely forgotten is the fact that it was at its beginning a minority view among Jews and that at the present time it still remains a minority view. Most Jews believe that their Jewish identity rests on their religious faith, not any "national" identification. Jews in the United States, England, France, Canada, Australia, Italy and other countries do not view themselves as living in "exile," as Zionist philosophy holds. Instead, they believe that their religion and nationality are separate and distinct. The God they believe in is a universal one, not tied to a particular geographic site in the Middle East."

Elias Davidsson: "Elias Davidsson was born in Palestine in 1941. His parents were born in Germany but had to emigrate to Palestine due to the Nazi persecution of Jews. Elias lived his first years Baq'aa, a neighborhood of Jerusalem, where Jews, Christians and Muslims lived in peace side by side. These early years left a deep mark on him. ... In parallel to his professional occupations, Elias has for many years been involved in activism and research regarding social and global justice, peace, anti-racism and human rights. He is co-founder of the Association Iceland-Palestine and a supporter of a democratic State in the whole of historic Palestine for Muslims, Christians and Jews. He regards himself as an anti-Zionist and rejects the existence of a Jewish state as incompatible with human rights norms. His writings include articles on multinational corporations, the IMF and the World Bank, the Palestine question, Zionism, economic sanctions and international law. Elias Davidsson lives in Reykjavik, Iceland"

Shraga Elam: Shraga Elam is an Israeli journalist based in Zurich, Switzerland and winner of the Australian Gold Walkley Award for excellent journalism 2004 and noted anti-Zionist activist. he is author of a highly-praised book in German on the collaboration of the Zionist leadership with the Nazis: Hitlers Faelscher: wie juedische amerikanische und Schweizer Agenten der SS beim Falschgeldwaschen halfen [Hitler's Forgers: How Jewish, American and Swiss agents helped the SS with laundering faked money], is published by Uberreuter Verlag. He also originated the "Yellow stars of David against Israeli genocidal politics" campaign in 2002.

Neve Gordon: Neve Gordon teaches in the Department of Politics and Government at Ben-Gurion University in Israel. He is an activist in Ta'ayush, Arab-Jewish Partnership. His articles have appeared in several academic journals, including Political Studies, Democratization, Polity, and Jewish Social Studies. He is also a regular contributor to many progressive publications, including The Nation, In These Times, Counterpunch, Z Magazine, and others. Further he was a contributor to The Other Israel: Voices of Refusal and Dissent (New Press, 2002).

Tamar Gozansky: "Gozansky was born in the Israeli city of Petakh Tikva. From a Russian family, she studied in Russia, gaining an MSc in Economics from Leningrad State University. She later wrote two books on economics;Economic Independence - How? (1969) and The Development of Capitalism in Palestine (1988). Gozansky joined Maki (the Israeli Communist Party), the major part of the Hadash alliance. She entered the Knesset in July 1990 as a replacement for veteran Hadash MK Tawfik Toubi. She retained her seat in the 1992, 1996 and 1999 elections. However, she lost her place in the Knesset in the 2003 election when the party was reduced to two seats."

Lev Grinberg: Dr. Lev Grinberg is a political sociologist and Director of the Humphrey Institute for Social Research at Ben Gurion University. "Suicide bombs killing innocent citizens must be unequivocally condemned; they are immoral acts, and their perpetrators should be sent to jail. But they cannot be compared to State terrorism carried out by the Israeli Government. The former are individual acts of despair of a people that sees no future, vastly ignored by an unfair and distorted international public opinion. The latter are cold and "rational" decisions of a State and a military apparatus of occupation, well equipped, financed and backed by the only superpower in the world. Yet in the public debate, State terrorism and individual suicide bombs are not even considered as comparable cases of terrorism. The State terror and war crimes perpetrated by the Israeli Government are legitimized as "self-defense", while Arafat, even under siege, is demanded to arrest 'terrorists'."

Jeff Halper: "Jeff Halper is the Coordinator of the Israeli Committee Against House demolitions (ICAHD) and a Professor of Anthropology at Ben Gurion University. He has lived in Israel since 1973. Jeff has researched and written extensively on Israeli society and is the author of the book Between Redemption and Revival: the Jewish Yishuv in Jerusalem in the nineteenth century (Westview, 1991). Jeff founded and directed IsraelÍs Committee to Save the Ethiopian Jews. He has been active in the Israeli peace movement for many years. As the Coordinator of ICAHD, he has forged a new mode of Israeli peace activity based on non-violent direct action and civil disobedience to the Israeli Occupation authorities and in close cooperation with Palestinian organizations."

Hans Lebrecht: An anti-fascist resistance fighter in World War II, today he is a noted Communist activist and supporter of Gush Shalom residing at Kibbutz Beit-Oren, Israel. "I am sorry and upset that now, as an active member of the CP and the progressive peace camp in Israel, I still have to fight fascism. I am currently a member of the leading bureau of the International Federation of Resistance Fighters. The fight against neofascism in Europe and throughout the capitalist world continues. This includes against the fascist hoodlums in Israel who attempt to torpedo the peace efforts between Israel and the Palestinians."

Alfred M. Lilienthal: As an American of Jewish faith, he first became interested in the Middle East while in the U.S. military and stationed in Egypt during World War II. He later served with the Department of State and as a consultant to the American delegation at the organizing meeting of the United Nations in San Francisco. In 1949, his article, "Israel's Flag Is Not Mine," published in the Reader's Digest, caused great controversy because of its anti-Zionist position. Despite condemnation from many influential quarters, Lilienthal has remained in the forefront of the struggle for a balanced U.S. policy not dictated by favoritism toward Israel. He traveled over 25 times to the Middle East for firsthand investigation of events and authored several books including The Zionist Connection that was described by Foreign Affairs journal as "his culminating masterwork." He continues today, after over a half century of effort, to defend the Palestinian people and to call repeatedly for an independent State of Palestine."

Gabriel Piterberg: "Gabi Piterberg was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and grew up in Israel. He graduated at Tel Aviv University, where he majored in Middle East history and political science (BA), and Middle East and European history (MA). His D.Phil. in the history of the Ottoman Empire is from the University of Oxford. He taught at the University of Durham, England, and Ben Gurion University of the Negev in Israel. Piterberg has three main fields of interest: the cultural and intellectual history of the Ottoman Empire and its Mediterranean environment in the early modern period; the critique of Orientalism, nationalism, and Zionism; the theoretical literature on what history is."

Eyal Weizman: "Eyal Weizman is an Architect based in London. He is the director of the Centre for Research Architecture at Goldsmiths College, University of London. Weizman works with a variety of NGOs and Human right groups in Israel/Palestine. He co-curated the exhibition A Civilian Occupation, The Politics of Israeli Architecture, and co-edited the publication of the same title. These projects were based on his human-rights research, and were banned by the Israeli Association of Architects. They were later shown in the exhibition Terriories in New York, Berlin, Rotterdam, San Francisco, Malmoe, Tel Aviv and Ramallah. His books include Hollow Land (forthcoming with Verso Books), A Civilian Occupation (Verso Books, 2003), the series Territories 1, 2 and 3, Yellow Rhythms and many articles in journals, magazines and edited books. Weizman is a regular contributors to many journals and magazines and is an editor at large for Cabinet Magazine (New York). Weizman is the recipient of the James Stirling Memorial Lecture Prize for 2006-2007"

Tim Wise: One of the leading anti-racist activists in the United States, he has taught at Smith College, the Poyter Institute, and the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute (Patrick Air Force base). He gained international recognition for his efforts against South African Apartheid and also gained attention for his efforts against David Duke in Louisiana. "Although one can argue with the claim made by some that Zionism and racism are synonymous -- especially given the amorphous definition of "race" which makes such a position forever and always a matter of semantics -- it is difficult to deny that Zionism, in practice if not theory, amounts to ethnic chauvinism, colonial ethnocentrism, and national oppression."

Nurit Peled-Elhanan: "Nurit Peled-Elhanan is an Israeli peace activist. She is a lecturer in language and education at Hebrew University. Her daughter was killed in a suicide bombing on 4 September 1997. She is the daughter of the late Maj. Gen. Mattityahu ("Matti") Peled, a military commander and politician who quit the Israel Defense Forces two years after the 1967 Six-Day War because he felt the conflict should have been used to start a peace process. In the 1970s, he was one of the first to advocate making peace with the Palestinians by giving them a state alongside Israel. Lecturer in Language Education at the Hebrew University, Tel-Aviv University and the David Yellin Teachers College Laureate of the Sakharov prize (2001) for Human Rights and the Freedon of Speech, awarded by the European Parliament. Member of the Parents-Circle, the Israeli-Palestinians forum of Bereaved Parents for peace."

Jewish Websites:

Muzzlewatch: "MuzzleWatch is a project of Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP). Founded in 1996, Jewish Voice for Peace is a national grassroots peace organization dedicated to promoting a US foreign policy in the Middle East based on peace, democracy, human rights and respect for international law. With over 20,000 supporters and members, JVP’s board of Jewish American and Israeli advisors includes Pulitzer and Tony award winner Tony Kushner, actor Ed Asner, poet Adrienne Rich as well as other respected rabbis, artists, scholars and activists. MuzzleWatch is dedicated to creating an open atmosphere for debate about US-Israeli foreign policy by: a) shining a light on incidents that involve pressure, intimidation, and outright censorship of critics of US-Israeli policy; b) showing that there is a real environment of intimidation that keeps people from speaking honestly and openly making groups that use silencing tactics accountable; c) While the site encourages people from across the political spectrum to debate freely and vigorously, personal or excessively abusive attacks will not be tolerated. Repeat offenders may be banned from the board."

Jewish Left-Wing Community Website: "This website and group is not made up of one single political idea but instead it is created by individuals with a variety of Left-Wing beliefs (Marxist, Anarchist, Social Democratic, Animal Rights, and Environmentalist) working together to support exiting Jewish and Non-Jewish Political Organisations. ... Our website works in general for five different goals: 1) To support and build support for the Peace movement in Israel; 2) To campaign against the Neo-Con and Free-Market policies of all governments; 3) To raise support for Left-Wing politics within the Diaspora Jewish Communities; 4) To defend Jewish Communities from Anti-Semitism and to defend Muslim, Gypsy and other groups against racism; 5) To inform the Jewish Communities (whom are largely unaware of what has been occurring) about the brutality of the Occupation against the Palestinians."

Online One State Bibliography in English: "In the case of Israel/Palestine, the simple truth is that it has been a de facto one state since 1967. Today, the only realistic path forward is to come to grips with this reality and begin working toward peace by making this de facto reality a de jure one. Israel, having an absolute monopoly on power since 1967, has made this inevitable today. Even if some sort of “two-state” Bantustan or ghetto scheme were to be implemented today, it will not result in peace but be little more than a temporary stalling tactic as the demographic balance continues to shift in favor of the Palestinians. The one state idea is an idea whose time has come."

The links to the Israeli "Anarchists Against the Wall" organization were updated to their new URL: http://www.awalls.org/

The Bundist Voice: "Zionism has, strangely enough, both combined and separated the two notions of Judaism as a nationality and Judaism as a religion. It has also befuddled the boundaries between national-self identification and nationalism. In response to these notions, some Israeli Leftists have been examining an alternative. At a gathering this month in Bund House in Tel Aviv, they tried to sort out the mess of the concepts of Leftism, Jewishness, Israeliness and socialism. The Bund was a socialist labourers’ (actually workers’) movement that was active in pre-revolutionary Poland and Russia. Yitzhak Luden, who together with a few of his comrades has been keeping the flame burning, spoke at the gathering and simply but clearly sketched out the combined message of the Bund’s banner: A socialist Jewish movement. When workers are being discriminated against, he said, the Bund struggles alongside them. If Jews are in danger in any country, the Bund joins their struggle. Herein lies the fundamental difference between Zionism and Bundism: not all Jews are expected to pack their belongings and make Aliya to Israel. On the contrary, says Luden: A Jew’s homeland is his or her country of residence."

Jewish Witnesses for Peace and Friends: "Jewish Witnesses for Peace and Friends have organized weekly vigils on Saturday morning at Beth Israel Congregation, a Conservative synagogue in Ann Arbor, since September, 2003. ... The organized Jewish community has declared war on the vigils. City Council passed a resolution against the vigils, ... This follows public threats against council by a member of Beth Israel, who posted an "open letter" on the so-called AASPURN web site, which seeks to raise money for Israel against the vigilers. The Councilmember who drafted the resolution claims absurdly that the vigils violate a state law against disrupting religious services (among other falsehoods in the resolution) and decries the "enormous pain" caused by the vigils, and the impotence of the people targeted---including the local movers and shakers of organized Jewry, who raise funds and organize events and dominate opinion on Israel's behalf."

Other Links:

Insanehedrin: "The “New” Sanhedrin was conceived and is being used by heretics, Jewish and Gentile, who want to overthrow HaShem's Torah (given to bring peace in the world) and turn it into a fanatic's torah to bring anarchy into the world. There are kooks behind this who want to create "warrior Noahides." The innocent and the ignorant are doing the grass-roots work for the heretics by drooling over these sugar-coated articles that they are feeding to the media! The Halachic authorities of this generation including Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, the leading haredi Ashkenazi spiritual leader, and Rabbi Ovadia Yosef and Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu, who are premier Sephardi halachic leaders, have refused repeated requests to offer their support." Simply, the leading Rabbis of the generation have REFUSED to support it. The Orthodox Rabbinate in America thinks the “New” Sanhedrin is a joke. There is NO support for this "Sanhedrin" from the Rabbis that actually count, who the kooks in the “New” Sanhedrin have labeled as traitors for not joining them or giving their support."

Independent Jewish Voices (UK): "We are a group of Jews in Britain from diverse backgrounds, occupations and affiliations who have in common a strong commitment to social justice and universal human rights. We come together in the belief that the broad spectrum of opinion among the Jewish population of this country is not reflected by those institutions which claim authority to represent the Jewish community as a whole. We further believe that individuals and groups within all communities should feel free to express their views on any issue of public concern without incurring accusations of disloyalty. We have therefore resolved to promote the expression of alternative Jewish voices, particularly in respect of the grave situation in the Middle East, which threatens the future of both Israelis and Palestinians as well as the stability of the whole region."

Common Ground: "In this booklet we attempt to find a way out of this mutual cycle of lawlessness, calling for a return to uncompro-mising respect of the international law in all issues. The majority of Arab politicians outside of Palestine have already found their way out of the darkest age of lawless-ness (with a few glaring exceptions). It is only a matter of time when the leaders of the Arab League will convert also Palestinian politicians to the path of peace and justice. But will the western world be able to convert Israeli politicians, or will Israeli politicians be able to convert the western world to permanently cancel the right of Palestinians to their legal private lands?"

Plataforma de Madrid para la Paz en el Conflicto Palestino-Israelí: "A pesar de que los obstáculos son muchos y complejos, pensamos que la solución del Conflicto Palestino-Israelí es posible, basándonos en las últimas encuestas realizadas tanto en Palestina como en Israel, en que el 75% de ambos pueblos desean LA PAZ aceptando como solución la creación de dos Estados. Siete años sin negociaciones directas, miles de muertos y heridos, deterioro de la vida económica y social en Palestina, Gaza continua sitiada, siguen cayendo cohetes Qassam en Sderot y en el Neguev, y en Cisjordania la ocupación sangrienta, asfixiante y brutal continúa determinando la vida de todos los palestinos. Mientras tanto, los diversos intentos de negociación para alcanzar la Paz no fructifican y se incrementa el temor por una Guerra Civil en el Líbano."

New Articles:

21 March 2007: "AIPAC Hijack: With Friends Like These", Realistic Dove, by Gidon D. Remba

20 March 2007: "Can American Jews unplug the Israel lobby?", Salon, by Gary Kamiya

18 March 2007: "Talking About Israel", New York Times, by Nicholas D. Kristof

15 March 2007: "AIPAC Successfully Lobbies to Neuter Congressional War Making Power", Jewschool, by "Mobius"

9 March 2007: "German Jews Feud Over Criticizing Israel", The Forward, by Ben Weinthal

1 March 2007: "Don't do it. Don't Attack Iran: Statement of a Group of Colorado Jews", Rocky Mountain News, by a group of Jewish activists in Colorado

13 February 2007: "Journey of a ('Self-Hating') Jew", Dissident Voice, by David Rovics

11 February 2007: "The new Jewish question", The Observer, by Gaby Wood

10 February 2007: "Let a thousand flowers bloom: The Jewish establishment never spoke for us, nor allowed us to speak for ourselves.", The Guardian, by Arthur Neslen

9 February 2007: "Left-wing Critics of Israel Launch Blog To Combat Alleged Intimidation", The Forward, by Rebecca Spence

1 March 2007: "Dissidents set for Australia-wide media campaign", Australian Jewish News, by Jason Frankel

4 January 2007: "Hurricane Carter", The Nation, by Henry Siegman

Personal Jewish Websites:

Tikun Olam: Richard Silverstein: "Unlike some religious traditions, Judaism comprehends evil as something inherently human. In the Zohar, it is this evil or impurity which causes the sacred keylim ("vessels") to break. Performance of mitzvot ("commandments") are the means to repair the vessels and so transmute evil into good. A Kabbalist would have no problem understanding that hatred and violence between Israels and Palestinians are evils that pollute the world. Likewise, I'd like to think such a Kabbalist might look favorably on efforts like this blog to repair this battered region with acts of gemilut chesed. ... I have been interested in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since I was a teenager in 1967 and have worked all my adult life to promote dialogue and mutual recognition."

David Rovics: songs of social significance: "David Rovics has been called the musical voice of the progressive movement in the US. Amy Goodman has called him "the musical version of Democracy Now!" Since the mid-90's Rovics has spent most of his time on the road, playing hundreds of shows every year throughout North America, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East. He and his songs have been featured on national radio programs in the US, Canada, Britain, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Denmark and elsewhere. He has shared the stage regularly with leading intellectuals (Noam Chomsky, Howard Zinn), activists (Medea Benjamin, Ralph Nader), politicians (Dennis Kucinich, George Galloway), musicians (Billy Bragg, the Indigo Girls), and celebrities (Martin Sheen, Susan Sarandon). He has performed at dozens of massive rallies throughout North America and Europe and at thousands of conferences, college campuses and folk clubs throughout the world."

20 January 2007: This is the first regular update since the site has been refurbished. We do intend to bring back the popular "hate mail" feature in these updates, but to date we haven't received any. Anyway, new additions include:

New Articles in the Press:

20 January 2007: "Israeli Holocaust trustee blasts Hebron settlers", Ha'aretz, by Dan Williams

10 January 2007: "Anti-Zionism, Sephardic Style", The Jewish News, by Steven Plaut (a radical right-winger)

3 January 2007: "Don't preach to the choir: Instead of speaking out in the mainstream British press, leftwing Jews should be using their direct line to Israel to voice their criticisms.", Guardian Unlimited, by Josh Freedman Berthoud

Personal Jewish Peace Sites:

Gila Svirsky: A Personal Website: "I created these pages as a resource for those studying the peace movement in Israel, particularly the women's peace movement. It includes many of my email reports since 1988 ("Dispatches from the Peace Front"), as well as a book telling the early history of Women in Black in Israel. When we do get to peace between Israel and our Arab neighbors, women peace activists will deserve a special place in history."

Seek Peace and Pursue it!: The website of Israeli peace activist and photographer Yair Gil. Most of the text is in Hebrew, but it is a massively visual site featuring photos from all manner of Israeli rallies and demonstrations for peace and against the occupation.

Jewish EGroups, Lists and Petitions:

ICAHD Action List: "If pressured to address specific issues we believe that it will make it more difficult for the Israeli government to hide behind the popular excuse of security. Israel can assert that the "Security Barrier" is to avert terror attacks but when broken down to specific examples the excuse crumbles. Many other policies can be exposed in the same manner. Additionally, having up-to-date, specific information can help empower local activists in their own campaigns. We anticipate sending out emails as much as a few times each week for this campaign and of course encourage everyone to join up. Recognizing that not everybody has the time and inbox space, we have set up a new listserve for this."

Jewish Individuals:

Tali Fahima: "Tali Fahima, 30, was the first Israeli jailed for "collaboration". She admitted the charge in a plea deal in which she avoided treason charges. ... She is banned from leaving the country, contacting foreign agents or entering the Palestinian-controlled areas in the occupied West Bank, Ms Steltzer said. Speaking to supporters who gathered to see her release, Ms Fahima said: 'I don't regret anything, and I will continue to work against the occupation and for peace.'"

Smadar Lavie: "Smadar Lavie is an anthropologist and author. A Mizrahi Jew born and raised in Israel, she received her BA in Social Anthropology from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem in 1980. She received her Ph.D. from the University of California-Berkeley in 1989 (Majors: Sociology and Social Anthropology; Minors: Medieval Islamic Civilization, Musicology). Professor Lavie is a member of the Mizrahi Democratic Rainbow Coalition, of Ahoti for Women in Israel, and of other political, feminist and anti-racist organisations."

Sami Shalom-Chetrit: "Dr. Sami Shalom Chetrit was born in Qasr as-Suq, Morocco, in 1960 but, as he says himself, he "relocated to Israel with my Arab-Jewish family in 1963". He grew up in an immigrant working class neighborhood in the port city of Ashdod (the former Palestinian village Asdud). He is active in Mizrahi oppressed communities on alternative equal education and community empowerment. An educator and poet, Chetrit helped establish a new alternative school, Kedma. His first book, Openings (1988), received a prestigious literary prize. His most recent book in Hebrew is The Ashkenazi Revolution is Dead (1999). To his credit, he is one of the few Israeli writers who have signed the the appeal for peace in Palestine which was issued by the International Parliament of Writers."

David Shasha: David Shasha is an American-born Arab Jew, of Syrian descent, living in Brooklyn. Holding a Master’s Degree in Jewish/Middle Eastern Studies from Cornell University, he is an activist, an educator, an author, an archivist and the Director of The Center for Sephardic Heritage. "One of the least known and most important terms entered into the current Jewish discourse in Israel by modern Zionism is the Hebrew word hasbara. Hasbara is a word which is meant to indicate the arguments that a Zionist must be prepared to make on behalf of the Jewish State and has become a veritable watchword of Zionist self-perception. Those Jews who violate the rules and terms of hasbara are seen as unrepentant enemies of Israel and serve to endanger its very existence."

Yehouda Shenhav: "Shenhav holds a Ph.D degree from Stanford University, was head of the Department of Sociology at Tel Aviv University (1995–1998), and has taught at several universities in the United States, including Stanford University, Princeton University, Columbia University, University of Wisconsin–Madison, and the University of Iowa. Shenhav has published numerous articles in the sociological literature on American management, American capitalism, social stratification, nationalism and ethnicity. "

Mordechai Vanunu: "About my case now, I served the full sentence, even if it was an injustice. I am demanding my total freedom, that could be only by leaving Israel for the free world. Israel continues to punish me. They arrested me, I am under restrictions, not to leave, not to speak freely. I am demanding my freedom of speech, freedom of movement. There is no justice by Israel democracy system. I am calling to US media to report, to interview, for my human rights, freedom, and for telling the truth about NWs in Israel. I am staying in East Jerusalem under occupation, among Christians and Palestinians. I like to meet friends, supporters, talk about my case, every one is very welcome. My future plan is to continue to do for peace, and abolition of NWs."

Oren Yiftachel: "Born during the 1950s in a northern Israeli kibbutz, where socialism was not a curse and social justice was not a mere theory, and lived there until the 1970s. Worked on-and-off (mainly 'off') in Australia and Israel until settling in Beer-Sheva, Israel, in 1993. In the meantime, building a family with partner and best friend Amanda, and with young friends Naomi, Asher and little-tiny Ella. Currently working in Ben Gurion University, barracking for Hapoel Beer-Sheva Sheva (the improving local football team...), and trying to cope with the awe of living in the Promised Land, the Holy Land, the homeland of two peoples, or the land of endless conflict, depending on one's perspective."