APN President & CEO Debra DeLee writes an impassioned letter about the folly and danger of Prime Minister Netanyahu's policies and the ways that APN and Shalom Achshav (Peace Now in Israel) are being effective.
Your donation will help tremendously.
Your donation will help tremendously.
--------------------------------------------------
April 2010
Dear Friend,
Today's Middle East story comes by way of Bialystock. That's Max Bialystock, the failed theater impresario of Mel Brooks's comic masterpiece "The Producers." With his long record of duds, Max decides to bet on failure. He picks a play he knows is a turkey, and then taps his backers for money, selling them shares that add up to more than 100 percent of the new production. Since the show is bound to bomb, he'll never have to deal with the consequences of contradictory promises he has made.
Of course the show becomes a success, and Max must meet his fate after the world discovers the contradictions.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu found himself in a farcical - but not funny - version of "The Producers" in March when, on the same day that Vice President Joe Biden was in Jerusalem, Netanyahu's government announced plans to build 1,600 new homes in East Jerusalem.
The critical reaction from the United States - the word "crisis" was used repeatedly - put into high relief the contradictory promises Netanyahu has made. To his right-wing coalition partners he acquiesced to continue building on occupied land. To the Americans and Palestinians he grudgingly agreed to a freeze on building in the West Bank.
Netanyahu can't have it both ways. Like Max Bialystock, he calculated that he could, and lost his bet. Max Bialystock went to prison. What will happen to Netanyahu - and more importantly - to Israel
Netanyahu's Max Bialystock moment opened up to public discussion the connection between the Israel-Palestinian dispute and events in the wider region. General David Petraeus, head of the U.S. Central Command, had already made that connection known to American officials. According to Foreign Policy Magazine, Petraeus "is very concerned about the 'growing perception among Arab leaders that the U.S. was incapable of standing up to Israel, that CENTCOM's mostly Arab constituency was losing faith in American promises, that Israeli intransigence on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was jeopardizing U.S. standing in the region.' "
Even for those of us who have long considered the settlement drive to be a type of addiction, or hubris, or madness, its corrupting force still has the power to shock.
Israeli government disregard of court rulings regarding settlements "is an immediate and material threat on democracy, on the rule of law and on the principle of the separation of powers," former Israeli Deputy Attorney General Yehudit Karp wrote to her successor, according to the Israeli daily Ma'ariv.
Among the examples she gave was the case of Beit Yonatan, an illegal six-story apartment. The Israeli Supreme Court ordered that the building be evacuated in 2007. The Jerusalem municipality announced it would defy the court ruling. In 2010, nearly three years later, Beit Yonatan is still occupied.
This should worry all friends of Israel. But some of Israel's supporters are often ambivalent about criticizing Israel, or calling for change: "Only Israelis can decide what is best for Israel," they say.
If so, what do we make of Sheldon Adelson?
Adelson, a Las Vegas casino king, is considered the world's wealthiest Jew. Israel Hayom, the free newspaper he established in Israel three years ago, is poised to overtake Yediot Acharanot as the country's number one in circulation. Adelson opposes a two-state solution, is a major financial backer of Netanyahu, and his Israel Hayom's editorial support for the prime minister is "unswerving," according to Ha'aretz columnist Anshel Pfeffer.
Then there is Irving Moskowitz, the American Jewish bingo magnate. For 40 years he has bought land in East Jerusalem in pursuit of the settler vision of a city that can never be divided or shared with the Palestinians.
Moskowitz has given tens of millions of dollars to American Friends of Ateret Cohanim, which operates a yeshiva in East Jerusalem. The group is dedicated to rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem, on the spot where the Dome of the Rock and the Al Aksa Mosque stand today. If any of its members or sympathizers should set that transformation in motion, more than just the two Muslim holy sites would likely explode. The entire Arab and Muslim world would go up in flames against Israel and the United States.
Adelson and Moskowitz don't believe in letting the Israelis decide what is best for Israel. Neither should we. We know the script for the right-wing funded Max Bialystock production: No agreement with the Palestinians; Ongoing tension with the United States; The end of the two-state solution's viability; The promise of a powder keg and holy war if Israel does not resolve the contradictions that the settlements impose.
We must give up our ambivalence about settlements. About peace. No one is ambivalent anymore about the effects of sub-prime mortgages. About credit default swaps. About the results of cigarette smoke. But our certainty came after their effects became destructively clear. It's not too late to preserve an Israel that is Jewish and democratic, secure and thriving.
Together we're stronger than a right-wing newspaper. We're more influential than a bingo magnate. We need to raise this issue to the top of our list, even if it is already crowded with important challenges to be met. We must educate ourselves and each other about what former Israeli Deputy Attorney General Yehudit Karp called "the accumulation of cases in which the government aids and abets the disrespect and even the debasement of the law." We must contact our elected officials about the importance of ending Israel's binge building of settlements.
Americans for Peace Now (APN) drives the debate in Washington on pro-peace policy. Congressman Howard Berman - who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee - said this winter that "APN is among the most reliable and valuable sources of information about the peace process." His colleague, Congressman Henry Waxman added that APN has "a firm imprint on U.S. engagement in the peace process."
Shalom Achshav (the Israeli Peace Now movement) draws attention to the Israeli government's failure to pursue peace, despite its rhetoric in support of a two-state solution. More than a thousand Israelis attended a demonstration to kick-off this campaign in February.
APN gives voice to Americans who support peace for Israel in op-ed pages, on the Internet, and in social-networking mediums like Facebook and Twitter. Our reports and views can be found in the New York Times, on ForeignPolicy.com, in The Nation and in countless other publications.
Shalom Achshav staff and activists survey settlement construction in the West Bank. The New York Times wrote that the movement has "a record of careful and accurate reporting on settlement growth." The movement also brings Israelis to East Jerusalem and the West Bank by the busload so that they can better understand the impact that settlements have on peace.
APN mobilizes tens of thousands of activists via email to weigh in with their elected officials in Washington and with editorial boards. Guided by professional staff, our Action Alerts are timed to have a strong impact.
Shalom Achshav hosts educational seminars on what it takes to get to peace on Israeli campuses, in coffee houses, and in retreat centers.
Shalom Achshav petitions the Israeli Supreme Court to compel the Israeli government to stop settlement construction that violates Israel's own laws.
APN provides funding for Shalom Achshav's work in Israel.
See to it that this work continues. We must recognize and resolve the contradiction in the Netanyahu government's policy. That way, for Israel, the show will go on. Please make your tax-deductible contribution now.
Sincerely,
Debra DeLee
PS -- The partial settlement moratorium announced by Netanyahu is due to expire in September. As this date nears, media attention on settlements will increase. Shalom Achshav in Israel and APN in the United States are focusing our efforts at this time to push for a meaningful settlement freeze.
Debra DeLee is the former chair of the Democratic National Committee. She serves today as the president and CEO of Americans for Peace Now.
April 2010
Dear Friend,
Today's Middle East story comes by way of Bialystock. That's Max Bialystock, the failed theater impresario of Mel Brooks's comic masterpiece "The Producers." With his long record of duds, Max decides to bet on failure. He picks a play he knows is a turkey, and then taps his backers for money, selling them shares that add up to more than 100 percent of the new production. Since the show is bound to bomb, he'll never have to deal with the consequences of contradictory promises he has made.
Of course the show becomes a success, and Max must meet his fate after the world discovers the contradictions.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu found himself in a farcical - but not funny - version of "The Producers" in March when, on the same day that Vice President Joe Biden was in Jerusalem, Netanyahu's government announced plans to build 1,600 new homes in East Jerusalem.
The critical reaction from the United States - the word "crisis" was used repeatedly - put into high relief the contradictory promises Netanyahu has made. To his right-wing coalition partners he acquiesced to continue building on occupied land. To the Americans and Palestinians he grudgingly agreed to a freeze on building in the West Bank.
Netanyahu can't have it both ways. Like Max Bialystock, he calculated that he could, and lost his bet. Max Bialystock went to prison. What will happen to Netanyahu - and more importantly - to Israel
Netanyahu's Max Bialystock moment opened up to public discussion the connection between the Israel-Palestinian dispute and events in the wider region. General David Petraeus, head of the U.S. Central Command, had already made that connection known to American officials. According to Foreign Policy Magazine, Petraeus "is very concerned about the 'growing perception among Arab leaders that the U.S. was incapable of standing up to Israel, that CENTCOM's mostly Arab constituency was losing faith in American promises, that Israeli intransigence on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was jeopardizing U.S. standing in the region.' "
Even for those of us who have long considered the settlement drive to be a type of addiction, or hubris, or madness, its corrupting force still has the power to shock.
Israeli government disregard of court rulings regarding settlements "is an immediate and material threat on democracy, on the rule of law and on the principle of the separation of powers," former Israeli Deputy Attorney General Yehudit Karp wrote to her successor, according to the Israeli daily Ma'ariv.
Among the examples she gave was the case of Beit Yonatan, an illegal six-story apartment. The Israeli Supreme Court ordered that the building be evacuated in 2007. The Jerusalem municipality announced it would defy the court ruling. In 2010, nearly three years later, Beit Yonatan is still occupied.
This should worry all friends of Israel. But some of Israel's supporters are often ambivalent about criticizing Israel, or calling for change: "Only Israelis can decide what is best for Israel," they say.
If so, what do we make of Sheldon Adelson?
Adelson, a Las Vegas casino king, is considered the world's wealthiest Jew. Israel Hayom, the free newspaper he established in Israel three years ago, is poised to overtake Yediot Acharanot as the country's number one in circulation. Adelson opposes a two-state solution, is a major financial backer of Netanyahu, and his Israel Hayom's editorial support for the prime minister is "unswerving," according to Ha'aretz columnist Anshel Pfeffer.
Then there is Irving Moskowitz, the American Jewish bingo magnate. For 40 years he has bought land in East Jerusalem in pursuit of the settler vision of a city that can never be divided or shared with the Palestinians.
Moskowitz has given tens of millions of dollars to American Friends of Ateret Cohanim, which operates a yeshiva in East Jerusalem. The group is dedicated to rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem, on the spot where the Dome of the Rock and the Al Aksa Mosque stand today. If any of its members or sympathizers should set that transformation in motion, more than just the two Muslim holy sites would likely explode. The entire Arab and Muslim world would go up in flames against Israel and the United States.
Adelson and Moskowitz don't believe in letting the Israelis decide what is best for Israel. Neither should we. We know the script for the right-wing funded Max Bialystock production: No agreement with the Palestinians; Ongoing tension with the United States; The end of the two-state solution's viability; The promise of a powder keg and holy war if Israel does not resolve the contradictions that the settlements impose.
We must give up our ambivalence about settlements. About peace. No one is ambivalent anymore about the effects of sub-prime mortgages. About credit default swaps. About the results of cigarette smoke. But our certainty came after their effects became destructively clear. It's not too late to preserve an Israel that is Jewish and democratic, secure and thriving.
Together we're stronger than a right-wing newspaper. We're more influential than a bingo magnate. We need to raise this issue to the top of our list, even if it is already crowded with important challenges to be met. We must educate ourselves and each other about what former Israeli Deputy Attorney General Yehudit Karp called "the accumulation of cases in which the government aids and abets the disrespect and even the debasement of the law." We must contact our elected officials about the importance of ending Israel's binge building of settlements.
Americans for Peace Now (APN) drives the debate in Washington on pro-peace policy. Congressman Howard Berman - who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee - said this winter that "APN is among the most reliable and valuable sources of information about the peace process." His colleague, Congressman Henry Waxman added that APN has "a firm imprint on U.S. engagement in the peace process."
Shalom Achshav (the Israeli Peace Now movement) draws attention to the Israeli government's failure to pursue peace, despite its rhetoric in support of a two-state solution. More than a thousand Israelis attended a demonstration to kick-off this campaign in February.
APN gives voice to Americans who support peace for Israel in op-ed pages, on the Internet, and in social-networking mediums like Facebook and Twitter. Our reports and views can be found in the New York Times, on ForeignPolicy.com, in The Nation and in countless other publications.
Shalom Achshav staff and activists survey settlement construction in the West Bank. The New York Times wrote that the movement has "a record of careful and accurate reporting on settlement growth." The movement also brings Israelis to East Jerusalem and the West Bank by the busload so that they can better understand the impact that settlements have on peace.
APN mobilizes tens of thousands of activists via email to weigh in with their elected officials in Washington and with editorial boards. Guided by professional staff, our Action Alerts are timed to have a strong impact.
Shalom Achshav hosts educational seminars on what it takes to get to peace on Israeli campuses, in coffee houses, and in retreat centers.
Shalom Achshav petitions the Israeli Supreme Court to compel the Israeli government to stop settlement construction that violates Israel's own laws.
APN provides funding for Shalom Achshav's work in Israel.
See to it that this work continues. We must recognize and resolve the contradiction in the Netanyahu government's policy. That way, for Israel, the show will go on. Please make your tax-deductible contribution now.
Sincerely,
Debra DeLee
PS -- The partial settlement moratorium announced by Netanyahu is due to expire in September. As this date nears, media attention on settlements will increase. Shalom Achshav in Israel and APN in the United States are focusing our efforts at this time to push for a meaningful settlement freeze.
Debra DeLee is the former chair of the Democratic National Committee. She serves today as the president and CEO of Americans for Peace Now.
Tweet
Email a friend
feed
twitter
facebook
Leave a comment