Brit Tzedek v'Shalom

Jewish Alliance for Justice and Peace

Educational Resources

recommended articles, November-December 2002

For articles on the following topics click below:

1. Current Events -
   1. Israeli Election
   2. The Israeli Defense Forces and Israeli Refusers
2. Brit Tzedek v'Shalom's Seven Principles
   1. Settlements
   2. Non-Violence
   3. The Occupation
   4. A Palestinian State
   5. Jerusalem
   6. Palestinian Refugees
   7. U.S. Foreign Policy
      
3. The Peace Process
   
   1. The Collapse of the Peace Process
      
   2. The Israeli Security Fence
4. Jewish Fears, Jewish Identity, Anti-Semitism, and the Holocaust

1. Current Events:
   
   
   1. The Israeli Election
      1. Sharon Gets His Chance to Fail by Yossi Beilin, New York Times (* note), November 3, 2002
         The former Israeli Justice Minister (who recently left the Labor Party and joined Meretz) cheers the collapse of Israel's National Unity Government and the decision to hold new elections. Beilin hopes that the Israeli people will recognize that the Sharon government has no plan to solve Israel's crisis and give the Israeli left a chance to advance the peace process.
         
         
   2. The Israeli Defense Forces and Israeli Refusers
      1. Israel Rules Reserves Must Serve in Occupied Territories by James Bennet, New York Times (* note), December 31, 2002
         In a controversial decision, the Israeli Supreme Court has ruled that Israeli military reservists do not have the right to refuse to serve in the Occupied Territories. This means that reservists who continue to refuse to participate in the Occupation will continue to be sentenced to time in jail for their acts of moral courage.
      2. "What Have I Done?" - A Hundred Soldiers Treated for "Intifada Syndrome" by Eitan Rabin, Ma'ariv, November 5, 2002
         This tragic article describes the shattered lives of hundreds of Israeli soldiers who have served in the IDF during the recent Intifada, many of whom are suffering from a form of post-traumatic stress disorder.
      3. Why I Won't Serve Sharon, The Guardian, July 5, 2002 by Staff Sergeant Shlomi Segall
         Segall explains why he will no longer be part Ariel Sharon's army.
      4. Go Figure Why You are Alive by Staff Sergeant Tal Belo (February, 2002)
         In this deeply personal account, Tal Belo describes what happened to him and some of his friends while on reserve duty in the Occupied Territories and why he has refused to serve there again.

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2. Articles related to Brit Tzedek v'Shalom's Seven Principles
   
   
   1. Settlements
      
      1. Israelis & Palestinians: What Went Wrong? By Amos Elon The New York Review of Books, December 19, 2002
         A brief history and analysis of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by one of Israel's leading writers, with a focus on how Israeli settlements have undermined the peace process and how Israel has missed opportunities to make peace.
         
         
      2. Dreams of Land Collide as Israeli Settlers Grow by Tim Golden, New York Times (* note), July 3, 2002
         A fascinating account of the continued settlement growth that has been occurring under the Sharon government, which acts as a form of creeping annexation that undermines the Palestinian dream of an independent state.
         
         
   2. Non-Violence
      1. We have Betrayed Our Children By Nurit Peled-Elhanan, Bereaved Parents Circle, Jerusalem Post, Nov 28, 2002
         Nurit Peled-Elhanan explains why dialogue and reconciliation are so important to achieving peace and reconciliation for the next generation of Israeli and Palestinian children.
         
         
      2. A New Intifada is Born by Daoud Kuttab, Toronto Globe & Mail, September 30, 2002
         Kuttab describes the growing Palestinian movement towards non-violent protests against the Israeli Occupation. He makes it clear that most Palestinians seek solutions based on non-violence, but he fears that the world is not paying attention.
         
         
      3. An Urgent Appeal to Stop Suicide Bombings, Al-Quds, June 20, 2002
         A campaign begun by leading Palestinian intellectuals, led by Dr. Sari Nusseibeh, the President of al-Quds University, calls on the Palestinians to oppose suicide bombings.
   3. The Occupation
      1. Eyeless in Gaza by Gideon Levy, Ha'aretz, December 15, 2002
         Levy describes the sad reality that a few weeks before Israel's election nobody is talking about the Israeli Occupation. He asks in a simple appeal to our consciences: "Does anyone care? [Do] innocent victims - women, children, the aged - exist only on our side?"
         
         
      2. The Violence of Curfew by Sam Bahour, Tikkun, November/December, 2002
         Sam Bahour describes the violent form collective punishment known euphemistically as "curfew" and how it affects the economic and personal realities of Palestinian daily life.
         
         
      3. Operation Defensive Shield: The Propaganda War and the Reality by Jessica Montell, B'Tselem Tikkun, July/August, 2002
         The Executive Director of the Israeli Human rights organization, B'Tselem, reports on the violation of human rights in Operation Defensive Shield, particularly in the Israeli attack on Jenin refugee camp. The article also discusses the various forms of collective punishment that Israel has used to punish the Palestinian population for recent terrorist attacks against Israelis.
         
         
      4. Forced off the Air in Ramallah by Daoud Kuttab, New York Times
         (* note) , April 6, 2002
         Kuttab explains how Sharon's forces destroyed his independent TV station which was helping construct a new Palestinian civil society. Among other things they were broadcasting the Palestinian version of Sesame Street.
         
         
   4. A Palestinian State - Some Recent Proposals
      1. The Bush Administration's "Roadmap" to a Palestinian-Israeli Peace, Al Ayyam, November 20, 2002
         
         
      2. The Nusseibeh-Ayalon Agreement - Ha'aretz, September 3, 2002
         Overview, by Doni Remba, President, Chicago Peace Now
         A simple outline for a peace settlement proposed by the former Palestinian Authority representative in Jerusalem and the former director of the Israeli intelligence agency.
         
         
      3. Plan for Separation from the Council for Peace and Security - April, 2002
         A proposal for unilateral Israeli withdrawal proposed by over 1000 former Israeli generals and intelligence officers.
         
         
      4. Saudi Peace Plan (Arab League Summit, Beirut, March 28, 2002)
         The Saudi plan for making peace along the pre-1967 boundaries in line with UN Resolutions 242 and 338. In Will Israel Take a Chance? (New York Times, February 21, 2002), Henry Siegman, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, argues that the Saudi Plan represents a major advances in the Peace Process and question why the Sharon government has failed to respond positively to this important opportunity.
         
         
   5. Jerusalem
      1. Breeding Grounds of Despair and Fatigue by Amira Hass, Ha'aretz, December 30, 2002
         Amira Hass describes the Jerusalem that tourists never see - the slum that is Arab East Jerusalem.
         
         
      2. Homes Lost and Found Where an Israeli Project Rises by James Bennet, New York Times (* note), April 11, 2002
         This article follows up on controversial 1997 Israeli decision to build Har Homa in East Jerusalem overlooking the Palestinian city of Bethlehem
         
         
   6. Palestinian Refugees
      1. Clearing-up the Right of Return Confusion by Jerome Segal, Jewish Peace Lobby, Middle East Policy, June, 2001
         Jerome Segal describes the often unexplored realities behind the Palestinian refugees' demand for a right of return. He explains a plan for a "choice-based right of return," in which Palestinians choose among a variety of structured options including compensation. He makes it very clear that under such a plan, recognizing Israel's moral responsibility for the plight of Palestinian refugees does not have mean the dismantling the state of Israel, as many Jews fear.
         
         
   7. US Foreign Policy
      1. Lieberman's Precedent by M.J. Rosenberg, Israel Policy Forum, December 27, 2002
         Rosenberg analyzes the recent trip to Israel by Senator Joe Lieberman, the leading American Jewish politician and a potential Democratic Presidential candidate. Unlike most members of Congress, Lieberman is taking a balanced approach that gets beyond the black-and-white definitions of the conflict and criticizes both the Palestinians for terrorism and the Sharon government for its policy of settlement expansion.
         
         
      2. Economist Tallies Swelling Cost of Israel to US by David R. Francis
         The Christian Science Monitor, December 9, 2002
         A short article describing the high cost of the US-Israel "Special Relationship"
         
         
      3. Roadblocks on the Path to Peace by Gareth Evans and Robert Malley The New York Times (* note), Oct 24, 2002
         An explanation of why the Bush Administration "Roadmap" is unlikely to bring an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement anytime soon.
         
         
      4. The Men from JINSA and CSP by Jason A. Vest, The Nation, September 2, 2002
         An explanation of how conservative policy Institutes have become extremely influential in shaping American foreign policy in the Middle East.
         
         
      5. The Israel Lobby by Michael Massing, The Nation, June 10, 2002
         This short article describes the power and influence of the pro-Israel lobby and analyzes why much of the media is hesitant to cover this important story.
         
         
      6. America Can Persuade Israel to Make a Just Peace by Former President Jimmy Carter, 2002 Nobel Peace Prize winner, The New York Times (* note), April 21, 2002
         The former American President and 2002 Nobel Peace Laureate lays out an explanation of how the US can play a more constructive role in the Middle East.
         
         

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3. Peace Process
   
   
   1. The Collapse of the Peace Process
      1. The Oslo Peace Process - Lessons Learned by Gershon Baskin, December 2002
         Baskin tries to explain some of the complex lessons that have been learned from the failure of the Oslo Peace Process in hopes of trying to lay a better foundation for the future.
         
         
      2. Locked in War's Embrace by Amy Wilentz, Los Angeles Times, October 13, 2002
         Novelist Amy Wilentz analyses the actions of the "Bulldozer" - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. She concludes that Sharon is perpetuating the cycle of violence with the Palestinians. Her thoughtful analysis shows how Sharon and Hamas share the same goal: destruction of the Oslo peace process. They seem to be succeeding.
         
         
      3. Investing in the Language of Peace by David Newman, Tikkun, July/August 2002
         A leading Israeli scholar and religious peace advocate argues that the peace process failed in large part because it remained a peace process between elites which failed to develop a grassroots language of peace and reconciliation between ordinary Israelis and Palestinians.
         
         
      4. Camp David: A Tragedy of Errors by Robert Malley and Hussein Agha, New York Review of Books, August 9, 2001
         This groundbreaking article provides the best account to date on what really happened at Camp David during the Summer of 2000. Malley (who was on President Clinton's National Security Council) and Agha (who was on the Palestinian team) provide a first-hand account designed to begin the process of breaking down the Camp David myth - "that Israel offered everything, and the Palestinians rejected it." The reality of what happened at that failed peace conference is much more complex.
         
         

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4. Jewish Fears, Jewish Identity, Anti-Semitism, and the Holocaust
   
   
   1. Is Unity Good for the Jews? By Jo-Ann Mort, Los Angles Times, December 22, 2002
      Jo-Ann Mort of Americans for Peace Now pleads to Jews to return to the days of "two Jews, three opinions," when disagreement and debate was source of pride in the Jewish community. She fears that Jews often pretend to speak with unanimity regarding Israel and thus mask the important and deep disagreements that exist over the future of Israel. While there must be unity around our support for Israel's continued safe existence, we must not be afraid to have an open debate about its policies.
      
      
   2. Count Me In by Nan Fink Gefen, Tikkun, November/December, 2002
      Nan Fink Gefen shares her unique perspective as a Jewish convert trying to grapple with the painful difficulties of fighting for justice in Israel without feeling disloyal to her chosen faith.
      
      
   3. On Anti-Semitism and Criticism of Israel By Emily Hauser, Chicago Tribune, December 9, 2002
      A dual US-Israeli citizen explains why it is critically important to separate often legitimate criticism of Israel from anti-Semitism. While anti-Semitism is always wrong, criticism of Israel may often stem from legitimate grievances with Israeli actions and policies.
      
      
   4. Manufacturing Anti-Semitism by Uri Avnery, Tikkun, November/December, 2002
      Avnery describes how Israel's abuse of the Palestinians is leading to the growth of anti-Semitism. The tragic irony is that the creation of a Jewish state was suppose to protect Jews from anti-Semitism, but now appears to be doing exactly the opposite by creating more dangers for Jews both in Israel and in the Diaspora.
      
      
   5. Seven Pillars of Jewish Denial by Kim Chernin, Tikkun, September/October, 2002
      Chernin explores the complex Jewish fears and psychology that make it very difficult for Jews to criticize Israel and allow us to rationalize Israeli mistreatment of Palestinians.
      
      
   6. The Diaspora and the Intifada By Rabbi Ben-Zion Gold, director emeritus, Harvard Hillel Based on a speech delivered at Harvard Hillel on April 14, 2002
      Boston Review, October/November, 2002
      Rabbi Gold, a Holocaust survivor, explains that Diaspora Jews must be willing to criticize Israeli actions as "an expression of respect and love for the people of Israel."
      
      
   7. Ad Condemning Anti-Semitism on Campuses Misses the Point By Susannah Heschel, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, October 14, 2002
      Susannah Heschel writes that the real threat facing many faculty members on campus comes not from anti-Israel activists, but rather from Israeli right-wingers attempting to intimidate any Jewish faculty member who publicly opposes the policies of the Sharon government. She cites Daniel Pipes' Campus Watch as a major example of this problem.
      
      
   8. Living with the Holocaust: The Journey of a Child of Holocaust Survivors by Sara Roy, Journal of Palestine Studies, Autumn 2002
      In this remarkable personal article, Sarah Roy explains how growing up as the child of Holocaust survivors has shaped her views of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
      
      
   9. Thoughts on Anti-Semitism by Penny Rosenwasser, Brit Tzedek v'Shalom Board Member Tikkun, July/August, 2002
      Penny Rosenwasser discusses how fear of anti-Semitism plays a role in the ongoing conflict. She tries to explain why equating Israeli behavior with Nazism is a counterproductive means of criticizing Israeli actions.
      
      
   10. Healing Israel by Cherie Brown, Brit Tzedek v'Shalom Vice-President, Tikkun, May/June, 2002
       Cherie Brown analyzes why it is difficult for Jews to trust the peace process and lays out some simple, equitable principles for peacemaking.
       
       
   11. Against Ethnic Panic: Hitler is Dead by Leon Wieseltier, The New Republic, May 27, 2002
       The literary editor of the New Republic offers a sage warning to American Jews that the current rise in anti-Semitism in Europe and terrorism in Israel should not lead Jews to hysterical panic about the Jewish future in Israel and America. He reminds Jews that we are, historically speaking, "the luckiest Jews who ever lived." He warns Jews that the Netanya Passover bombing was not a new Kristallnacht and the current situation is not the beginning of a second Holocaust that Jews have come instinctively to fear whenever there are attacks on Jews.