Brit Tzedek v'Shalom
Jewish Alliance for Justice and Peace
Action Alert
Action Alert - Completed
[POSTED: Dec 13, 2002]
Dear Members and Supporters,
Support the NIF initiative calling for the maintenance of democracy in Israel
Dear Members and Supporters,
Your response to our last action alert was heartening. We are
building an advocacy network that has real potential.
As many of you know, the current situation in Israel is undermining
the democratic nature of the country in several ways, not the least
of them the open adherence to and political legitimacy for policies
that call for the "transfer" of the Palestinian population out of the
West Bank and into Jordan, the growing tension and distrust between
Israel's Jewish and Palestinian Arab populations, the ease with which
critics of human rights abuses like Shulamit Aloni and Uri Avneri are
being called "traitors," and more.
Recently the New Israel Fund has taken the courageous step of
speaking out against this growing Israeli trend, breaking ranks with
the other Jewish community organizations by voicing criticism of the
Israeli government and asking for open debate of the issues.
This initiative upholds the spirit of Israel's founders, who not only
understood the essential elements of building a democratic state, but
went much further by enshrining these principles in Israel's
Declaration of Independence:
"The State of Israel S will be based on freedom, justice and peace as
envisaged by the prophets of Israel; it will ensure complete equality
of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of
religion, race or sex; it will guarantee freedom of religion,
conscience, language, education and cultures"
We urge you to support this important initiative by signing on to an
open letter sponsored by NIF expressing its concerns and critique. Go
to http://www.voicefordemocracy.org/ and sign on.
And please let us know you've done so with an email to
advocacy@btvshalom.org
L'Shalom,
Steve Masters, Co-Chair
Advocacy/Public Policy Committee