Comment by Donald Dale, UNJPPI member.
The UCC is far from alone as a denomination in adopting a firm stance, rooted in both ancient scripture and 21st century economics, as opponents of Israel's intransigent position insisting on the continued marginalization and acts of displacement of Palestine's Muslim population,
and
A vocal minority of the Jewish populations of both the USA (JVP -- this forwarded message) and Canada (Independent Jewish Voices, Canada) are vocal opponents of Israeli policy toward Palestinians.
and
A vocal minority of the Jewish populations of both the USA (JVP -- this forwarded message) and Canada (Independent Jewish Voices, Canada) are vocal opponents of Israeli policy toward Palestinians.
Reps of both the Presbyterian Church (USA) and IJV,(Can) have been present at meetings of the UNJPPI. Their resolve, heard in UNJPPI meetings in 2012 & 2013 after the 2012 General Council had passed its controversial motion censoring Israel's treatment of its Palestinian neighbours, was heard as voices in solidarity with Palestinians, in which we in the UNJPPI could be, and now are, participants.
Kelly O., you, maybe Paul, & quite possibly, every minister of the UCC, received in early April this year, a letter and brochure from "The Centre for Israel & Jewish Affairs". The letter states that the 2012 GC vote on boycott, and the 2013 Unsettling Goods Campaign of Dec, 2013, "impedes peace and does nothing to create conditions where trust can be nurtured".
The letter and brochure refer to the "Seek Peace Initiative". Eight NGOs are described. All are either academic or populist in nature. Some operate entirely inside Israel, several work more broadly in the Middle East, one brings Jewish & Palestinian ISRAELI youths (my emphasis) to Canada each summer to live and work together on a variety of concerns which they encounter throughout their lives IN ISRAEL. I don't doubt that they do nurture trust within their memberships. The point of my capitalized words is that NONE of these NGOs says so much as one single word about Israeli-Palestine issues in the post-1967-war occupied territories, nor about the continuing siting of more Jewish settlements ILLEGALLY in those lands. Those who have worked to resolve THAT situation range from Church denominations to the Scandinavian countries to the United Nations. All such initiatives have been thwarted by Israel's utter refusal to respond to any and all calls for justice.
In MY opinion, the undoubtedly useful NGOs cited and the work they are doing on behalf of Jewish-Muslim/Palestinian reconciliation is certainly commendable. However, along with the myriad other voices seeking justice for Palestinians and an end to the illegal Israeli settlements on lands captured during the 1967 war, these voices within Israel have produced NO CHANGE in Israel's policies or behavior. The utterly insensitive Israeli government and its intransigent policies toward all Muslim Palestinians is BY FAR the MAJOR IMPEDIMENT TO PEACE. It is time NOW that these NGOs should meet together and jointly commit to publicly supporting the BDS initiatives currently being pursued from outside Israel. Decades of talk and resolutions have proven to be ineffective.
The Centre for Israel & Jewish Affairs seems committed to perpetuating the status quo among the various ethno-religious groups in Israel. It would be well advised to raise concerns for the public image of Israel and of Jewish people everywhere. Blindly supporting Israel and its decades long behavior toward Palestine's land and its people can only result in more and stronger words of censure. My fear, as I hope it is theirs, is that serious antisemitism may develop if change does not occur.
Regards to all,
Don
Kelly O., you, maybe Paul, & quite possibly, every minister of the UCC, received in early April this year, a letter and brochure from "The Centre for Israel & Jewish Affairs". The letter states that the 2012 GC vote on boycott, and the 2013 Unsettling Goods Campaign of Dec, 2013, "impedes peace and does nothing to create conditions where trust can be nurtured".
The letter and brochure refer to the "Seek Peace Initiative". Eight NGOs are described. All are either academic or populist in nature. Some operate entirely inside Israel, several work more broadly in the Middle East, one brings Jewish & Palestinian ISRAELI youths (my emphasis) to Canada each summer to live and work together on a variety of concerns which they encounter throughout their lives IN ISRAEL. I don't doubt that they do nurture trust within their memberships. The point of my capitalized words is that NONE of these NGOs says so much as one single word about Israeli-Palestine issues in the post-1967-war occupied territories, nor about the continuing siting of more Jewish settlements ILLEGALLY in those lands. Those who have worked to resolve THAT situation range from Church denominations to the Scandinavian countries to the United Nations. All such initiatives have been thwarted by Israel's utter refusal to respond to any and all calls for justice.
In MY opinion, the undoubtedly useful NGOs cited and the work they are doing on behalf of Jewish-Muslim/Palestinian reconciliation is certainly commendable. However, along with the myriad other voices seeking justice for Palestinians and an end to the illegal Israeli settlements on lands captured during the 1967 war, these voices within Israel have produced NO CHANGE in Israel's policies or behavior. The utterly insensitive Israeli government and its intransigent policies toward all Muslim Palestinians is BY FAR the MAJOR IMPEDIMENT TO PEACE. It is time NOW that these NGOs should meet together and jointly commit to publicly supporting the BDS initiatives currently being pursued from outside Israel. Decades of talk and resolutions have proven to be ineffective.
The Centre for Israel & Jewish Affairs seems committed to perpetuating the status quo among the various ethno-religious groups in Israel. It would be well advised to raise concerns for the public image of Israel and of Jewish people everywhere. Blindly supporting Israel and its decades long behavior toward Palestine's land and its people can only result in more and stronger words of censure. My fear, as I hope it is theirs, is that serious antisemitism may develop if change does not occur.
Regards to all,
Don
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