Jewish Voice for Peace October Newsletter
JVP hopes that all of our Jewish readers had a happy and healthy High Holy Days season. We wish all of our Muslim readers peace and happiness during their holy month of Ramadan and always.
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In This Edition
Commentary Mitchell Plitnick on The difference between Bush and Kerry
What's New at JVP Disrupting Caterpillar, Presbyterians back new shareholder resolution
Quote of the Month Sharon aid says Gaza withdrawal meant to stall peace process
Jewish Peace News Gaza withdrawal, US vetoes UN resolution, new Israeli peace group
Talk Back Letters about our support for the Presbyterian Church
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The difference between Bush and Kerry
Mitchell Plitnick, Director of Policy and Education, Jewish Voice for Peace
While neither a Bush nor Kerry administration would challenge the "special relationship" between the US and Israel, the outcome of this election will likely make a real difference in the amount of death and destruction visited on both sides, but especially on Palestinians.
There are, to be sure, significant differences between presidential candidates John Kerry and George W. Bush. But when it comes to the Middle East, the differences are difficult to spot. In contrast to the 2000 election, however, when the direction each candidate might take if elected was not entirely clear, we can be pretty certain what the policies of Kerry and Bush will look like.
What Bush might do in another four years wouldn't be different in substance from his terrible first term, but it would be magnified, with potentially disastrous results. As for Kerry, his inclination toward a return to negotiations and a reduction of violence wouldn't bring peace or justice much closer, but would likely mean some lessening of the killing and destruction.
A Kerry presidency
As John Kerry began his campaign, he was in a paradoxical position. Most of America’s Jewish voters were quite anti-Bush, and could be counted on to vote for a Democrat. But the major Jewish organizations clearly saw that Bush’s stand on Israel was much more to their liking than Kerry’s. While most American Jews make presidential choices based on priorities other than Israel, these large Jewish organizations emphasize Israel above all, and they, rather than Jewish voters, are the players candidates try to win over (note: recent polls reinforce this. Most American Jews believe that Bush is more favorable to Israel, yet 75% are still projected as voting for Kerry). Because of this pressure, Kerry has moved away from earlier more reasonable positions, such as his criticism of Israel’s wall in the West Bank.
But campaign promises and actual policies are not the same. They often don’t even resemble each other much. Statements made by both Kerry and his running mate John Edwards have raised concerns among observers and have convinced many that the policies of a Kerry administration will be little different from a second Bush regime. Of course, no administration will challenge the “special relationship” between the US and Israel, and the flow of aid and political support for Israel will remain intact no matter who wins. This will be true until American citizens come out in sufficient organized numbers demanding a change. But within that framework, there are differences which, while perhaps not mattering much in terms of attaining a just peace, do make a big difference in the level of death and destruction for both sides, but especially for Palestinians.
Rather than listen to the campaign propaganda, one might do better to look at the people Kerry has assembled around him. These include Sandy Berger, Martin Indyk and Dennis Ross, all veterans of the Clinton years. These are, of course, some of the key figures responsible for bringing about the current state of affairs. Ross in particular played a central role in propagating the myth of the “Generous Offer”. That is the notion that at Camp David in 2000, the Palestinians were offered virtually everything they wanted, but refused this, opting instead for a violent assault on Israeli citizens. This is far from a fair description of the events at Camp David (see JVP’s Conflict FAQ for more on this), and the charade has caused a great deal of damage. Israeli and American belief in this myth makes peace much harder to achieve, and it will surely be reinforced in a Kerry presidency with Ross involved.
Still, all of these men, while certainly not disposed toward any kind of even-handedness, did generally favor keeping some kind of control over what they might see as “the occasional excesses” of the Israeli government. And they all strongly supported continued engagement with both the Palestinians and Syria. Their inclinations are more toward the Labor side of Israeli politics. That view favors a negotiated settlement and a Palestinian state, albeit a settlement where Israel retains control over most or all of Jerusalem, some kind of ongoing Israeli military presence in the West Bank and absolutely no return of any Palestinian refugees. It is far from the even-handed approach that is needed; that approach would dictate that Israel end its occupation of the West Bank and Gaza and that both sides negotiate in good faith over the outstanding issues.
There is no hope of that in a Kerry administration. Indeed, until we who oppose the occupation of Palestinian territories marshal the serious political force we are capable of assembling, there will never be an administration that will take that approach. But Kerry does favor working diplomatically, and is quite likely to exercise some restraint over Israeli actions in the Territories, just as Clinton did. This does not mean things will be the same. The short-sightedness of the Bush administration, its near-complete refusal to act to slow Ariel Sharon’s aggressiveness and the intense violence of the past four years have changed the playing field greatly since Clinton left office. But the inclination of a Kerry policy will be toward a return to negotiations and a reduction of violence. It won’t bring peace or justice much closer, but it is likely to mean some lessening of the killing and destruction.
A second Bush term
Many assume that a second Bush administration will be much like the first. But some strong differences are likely to emerge.
A second Bush term might be called “Bush Unleashed”. It would mean four years of “we ain’t seen nuthin’ yet.” In his first four years in office, Bush has fundamentally altered the diplomatic playing field in Israel/Palestine. He has given Israel a guarantee that they would never have to return to the borders as they existed before the 1967 war and that there would be no return of any Palestinian refugees into Israel. Crucially, this means that the US has decided this in Israel’s favor without any discussion with the Palestinians. While it has long been understood by many that this was America’s outlook, the public proclamation of these points reverses decades of American policy which stated that such sensitive issues need to be dealt with in direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. Bush has endorsed Sharon’s unilateralism, something America has generally opposed. He has in fact done more to change the basics of Middle East diplomacy than anyone since Henry Kissinger’s policy of “stalemate”, which permanently removed the United States from the international consensus formed around UN Resolution 242, the basis of “land for peace” reached in the wake of the 1967 war.
The major likely change would be the appointment of a new Secretary of State. Many believe that Colin Powell will not be back in that office if Bush is re-elected. Powell has often looked quite uncomfortable while spouting the party line, a line he often knew to be absurd or even dangerous. And it has been clear for some time that Powell and the State Department have been resigned to a secondary role in policy formation behind Donald Rumsfeld and the Defense Department..
Powell, for all of his own hawkishness, has been a voice of comparative reason amid a cacophony of neoconservative voices. Should the new Secretary of State be someone who is more closely aligned with the Rumsfeld/Cheney camp, there would be even greater aggression, not just in Israel/Palestine but everywhere around the world. The UN would not even be an afterthought anymore. Nor would any allies but for the few closest ones that stay in line, as England and Israel have. There can be little doubt that the close relationship with Sharon would be even closer in a second term.
There are also some indications that the Pentagon is growing increasingly uneasy with the neocon program. Sources have said the FBI investigation into Douglas Feith’s office and into AIPAC was initiated at the behest of the Pentagon. Feith has even hinted he may not be back for the second term if there is one. But at this point, Rumsfeld and Cheney are sufficiently schooled in the neocon program, and are sure to continue to rely on the neocon clique for guidance, whether they are in office or not. In any case, it seems overwhelmingly likely that any departing neocons will be replaced by others from the same school, though perhaps less well-known ones.
In short, four more years of Bush working hand in hand with Ariel Sharon could elevate this conflict to levels of violence never thought imaginable.
Contact: mitchell@jewishvoiceforpeace.org
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 Caterpillar in Las Vegas, Presbyterian support
This September, JVP's Seth Schneider and Sydney Levy slipped into the prestigious Caterpillar-sponsored Sentinels of Safety Awards held at the MINExpo in Las Vegas, Nevada. Standing in front of 500 industry executives, including Caterpillar representatives, they disrupted the ceremony and unfurled the poster in the photo on left (sign held by Seth Schneider). Read more about what happened here. (Photo below: Sydney Levy in the mouth of a D-10 bulldozer on display at the expo.)
JVP also filed another historic shareholder resolution with Caterpillar, once again co-signed by the Roman Catholic Sisters of Loretto. With $3 million in Caterpillar stock, the Presbyterian Church USA has said they will support the resolution which asks Caterpillar to review whether the sale of its equipment to the Israeli army comports with the corporation's own Code of Worldwide Business Conduct. "We supported this resolution last year and there is no reason why we couldn't do so this year," said PCUSA's Bill Somplatsky-Jarman. Allies should plan to come to the annual shareholder meeting in Chicago on April 14, 2005.
The Presbyterian Church USA continues to draw fire for their recent vote to selectively investigate divestment in companies that profit from the harming of Palestinian or Israeli civilians. Jewish Voice for Peace remains the only national Jewish organization that unequivocally supports their vote. Almost 2,000 JVP supporters have signed our petition in support of the Presbyterians, and we hope to begin speaking at Presbyterian Churches. Read JVP's full statement here.
Gaza incursion
A rocket fired September 29 from Gaza into the Israeli town of Sderot killed two Israeli toddlers, aged two and four. These tragic deaths triggered a massive Israeli military incursion into Gaza, dubbed Operation Days of Penitence, which is now in its third week. Thus far, 116 Palestinians ad five Israelis have died, and nearly a quarter of those injured or dead are children. Read JVP's statement.
 West Bank well named after Jewish Voice for Peace
Texas-based Palestine Children's Welfare Fund is building 3 water wells in the West Bank town of Jayyous, a city world famous because it has been nearly strangled by Israel's wall. They have dedicated one of the wells to Jewish Voice For Peace. PCWF writes, "members of Jewish Voice For Peace have been inspirational and courageous in their work and dedication in support of the children of Palestine and their efforts to educate the public in the United States regarding the plight of the Palestinians through their website and educational events." (photo to left, Gordon Hutchins protests the separation wall in Jayyous.)
Other news
Jewish Voice for Peace is a founding member of a Bay Area coalition of Jewish peace groups called Jews Against the Israeli Wall. The group put up hundreds of posters throughout the Bay Area on the Jewish New Year that featured a photo of the Israeli separation wall just a few feet from a Palestinian home's back door. The text read, "How would you like this wall cutting through your backyard? This Rosh Hashanah, tear down the wall." More actions are planned.
The first run of Reframing Anti-Semitism, our book which offers alternative Jewish perspectives on  anti-Semitism, has sold out! Order our newest edition with a spiffy new cover and endorsements from experts like Chris Toensing of Middle East Report and Brian Klug.
Brit Tzedek v'Shalom has initiated an open letter from American Jews to whoever wins the presidential election. JVP and many of our members would clearly not agree with some of the language and the points they make. Nonetheless, the situation now is so grave that we certainly do not want to wait around for everyone to agree on every point. Please read the Brit Tzedek letter and sign it if you feel you can.
JVP friend and former ambassador Carleton Coon recently went to the West Bank with fellow retired US diplomats. Read about his trip here. He also has a new book One Planet, One People, Beyond 'Us vs. Them' a topic of clear interest to friends of JVP. Advisory board member professor George Lakoff of UC Berkeley also has a new book out, Don't Think of an Elephant: Know Your Values and Frame the Debate--The Essential Guide for Progressives. This is a must-read for all of us working for Middle East peace.
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Inspired? Donate to JVP and support our work for a just peace.
Senior Sharon adviser reveals true goal of Gaza withdrawal
"The significance of the disengagement plan is the freezing of the peace process," Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's senior adviser Dov Weisglass told Ha'aretz, in an interview for the Friday Magazine.
Weisglass, who was one of the initiators of the disengagement plan, added, "And when you freeze that process, you prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state, and you prevent a discussion on the refugees, the borders and Jerusalem. Effectively, this whole package called the Palestinian state, with all that it entails, has been removed indefinitely from our agenda. And all this with authority and permission. All with a presidential blessing and the ratification of both houses of Congress."
"The disengagement is actually formaldehyde," he said. "It supplies the amount of formaldehyde that is necessary so there will not be a political process with the Palestinians."
See Jewish Peace News below for more.
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Jewish Peace News Highlights |
Following are some highlights from Jewish Peace News, the free news service offered by Jewish Voice for Peace. Get pre-selected stories from global news sources sent to your email box regularly, with thoughtful analyses prefacing each article. Go to your personal subscription page to sign up now.
Top PM aide: Gaza plan aims to freeze the peace process (Ha'aretz) Sharon aide makes clear Likud's opposition to peace
U.S. vetoes UN resolution demanding end to Gaza offensive (Ha'aretz) Yet another US veto of a UN Security Council Resolution
Position Paper on Posting Signs at the Sites of Demolished Palestinian Villages (Zochrot) A new tactic and a new Israeli peace group
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We've received a huge amount of email thanking us for our support of the Presbyterian Church. Here is a small sampling:
I want to express my support for your stand on the Wall. I am an American Jew who opposes the occupation by Israel and the building of the Wall in the occupied territories and salute you for your stand on this matter.
Victor H.
San Francisco, CA
You folks are real heroes. I know you get lots of hate mail and other unpleasant responses for what you're doing, so I hope this post will neutralize at least one of those posts. You probably know that one of the titles of a book about Raoul Wallenberg is "Righteous Gentile." Well, you and your staff are Righteous Jews. I thank you from the bottom of my (raised a Christian) heart.
Catherine P.
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
Keep the feedback coming. Let us know what you think about the shorter newsletter.
About Jewish Voice for Peace
Jewish Voice for Peace is a diverse and democratic community of activists inspired by Jewish tradition to work together for peace, social justice, and human rights. We support the aspirations of Israelis and Palestinians for security and self-determination. Learn more about us at www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org. Send questions, comments or concerns to the JVP staff at info@jewishvoiceforpeace.org.
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