Brit Tzedek v'Shalom

Jewish Alliance for Justice and Peace

The Jewish Advocate

October 22, 2004
Shira Schoenberg and Molly M. Shaffer

Shimon Peres speaks at Kennedy School at Harvard Shimon Peres may be feeling a bit lonely these days. Although it is nearly impossible to imagine the Labor Party without Peres, he has spoken out against his party in favor of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s controversial Gaza withdrawal plan, which Peres views as a pragmatic, if far from perfect, step toward peace.

Some speculate that Peres hopes to run for prime minister in May elections, but having been defeated recently by his own party, some political observers ask, tongue-in-cheek, whether he will continue his career-long streak of never winning an election.

Although experts deny that his Oct. 20 visit to Harvard University – to address the development of nanotechnology – has any political import, the support of Israel’s best international friends – the American Jewish community – may well be a confidence booster for the elder Israeli statesman.

Peres, despite his absence from the governing coalition, still maintains an important role in the Israeli government, particularly as the Knesset vote on disengagement looms.

“Peres holds the key to the Israeli government’s survival,” said Barry Shrage, president of the Combined Jewish Philanthropies.

David Makovsky, senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, explained, “Labor is going to be pivotal as Sharon assumes his effort for Gaza withdrawal. Sharon can’t be assured full support within his own party. Whether he seeks to reconfigure his government or relies on support from the opposition, Labor support will be important.”

News Analysis

Dr. Larry Lowenthal, executive director of the American Jewish Committee’s Greater Boston Chapter, added, “Sharon will need to deal with Labor to pull off Gaza – he can’t without Labor. And, in turn, Labor will make demands which will embroil Israeli politics.”

Labor, then, may be important to the U.S.-Israel relationship. Warns Lowenthal: “If Sharon doesn’t pull it off, he will utterly strain American relations.”

Meir Shlomo, consul general of Israel to New England, when asked about American support of Israel, said: “It’s not just the administration and the Congress – it’s the American people whose opinion matters. Israeli policy makers always appreciate how the United States is feeling.”

Alan Solomont, former chair of the board at Combined Jewish Philanthropies, said: “The major role our community can play, aside from providing direct material and moral support to the people of Israel, is in influencing our own government to make the American-Israeli relationship a priority, to make the search for resolution of the conflict a priority.”

One prominent American political organization noted, though, that were Peres seeking political support he would be better off staying in Israel. Makovsky agreed, saying “Peres is well aware that on the eve of an election, the United States in not exactly about to engage in a major diplomatic initiative.”

Most local leaders agreed that the visit will benefit the Boston Jewish community more than it will help Peres.

For Solomont, who called Sharon’s disengagement plan “courageous and appropriate,” Peres is a political ally. Peres’s visit, he said, will afford the opportunity to hear someone “who shares our view that the status quo in terms of settlement in not helping Israel in terms of security.”

Solomont added, “He has a unique perspective, a body of wisdom, given the length of his service, his role, his involvement in every Israeli government since statehood. He’s spent the last two decades searching for a way out of the conflict.”

He noted that the American Jewish community has an interest “in being supportive of the Israeli leadership in general, to try to understand as best we can what’s going on there and how we can be helpful in achieving the objectives of establishing a peaceful future.”

Reuven Meir, director New England Region of IDF Friends of Israel, which sponsored Peres’ visit, said: “Professionals and community leaders need to hear what’s going on from him.”

Makovsky called Peres “a person whose very biography spans the existence of state of Israel,” and both the left and the right agree that there is something to be learned from him.

For Greg Margolin, and activist for the Land of Israel Committee who is on the board of directors of the Jewish Russian Center, the lesson is in what not to do. “We remember him most for the Oslo process, which is an unmitigated disaster that brought thousands of casualties. He invited 50,000 terrorist fighters, armed them and created a terrorist entity within its borders, an unbelievable threat to the well-being and safety of its citizens. Probably Peres was driven by good intentions, but the complete disconnect between the reality on the ground and his dreams is without parallel. Today, I would call everybody to look back and learn something.”

On the opposite end of the political spectrum, Beth Wasserman, co-chair of the Boston chapter of Brit Tzedek v’Shalom, said, “It’s very positive for someone from the Israeli peace camp who has a lot of experience to bring his message to Boston. We hear a lot about fear; Peres can mobilize people, give them some context to reach beyond the status quo to a more peaceful solution.”