Reconciliation Is in Everyone’s Interest

Israel-Palestine: Reconciliation Is in Everyone's Interest

A new documentary that looks at the people most affected by the Israeli-Palestinian divide reminds us that lasting peace will come from popular movements, not political leaders. http://www.alternet.org/movies/44920/

JAJP Release two months ago still true now

(Jewish Alliance for Justice and Peace)


Two-State Solution ASAP Only Chance For Peace

LA Jewish Journal

October 20, 2006

Lebanon held the world's headlines for much of the summer as Hezbollah
and Israel waged sudden, furious battle. On the strength of the
internationally brokered cease-fire that brought a halt to the violence,
Israel has now withdrawn the last of its troops and the world is holding its
breath, hoping the cease-fire is sustainable.

But in the meantime, the Gaza Strip has continued to fester and collapse,
seemingly forgotten. The situation in Gaza has been deplorable since
Israel's unilateral withdrawal in August 2005, its population suffering
from hunger and growing desperation. Late spring saw further
deterioration and an escalation in the violence.

During a June 25 attack on an Israeli army base, two soldiers were killed
and Israeli Cpl. Gilad Shalit was captured.

Since that time, Gazans have been subjected to repeated Israeli attempts
to combat terrorism, resulting in enormous loss of life and damage to the
area's infrastructure. Newspaper readers know, for instance, that the war
in Lebanon led to the deaths of more than 850 Lebanese and 150 Israelis,
combatants and civilians. How many know that since June 25, more than
240 Palestinians, combatants and civilians, have been killed by the Israel
Defense Forces?

Meanwhile, Qassam rockets have continued to be launched into southern
Israel -- far fewer in recent weeks, but still a source of fear and tension
for those living within the rockets' range. Despite an iron-fisted response
to the Hamas attack and reports of a possible prisoner exchange, Shalit
remains in his captors' hands.

Most critically, the humanitarian situation in Gaza has gone from awful to
far worse. The New York Times reported earlier this month that "it is
difficult to exaggerate the economic collapse of Gaza," and Jan Egeland,
the United Nations undersecretary for humanitarian affairs, called Gaza "a
ticking time bomb."

Gaza's economy, health care and social services are near collapse, and
there are growing signs of malnutrition. Sixty percent of the population is
without electricity, due to Israel's bombing of Gaza's only power station.

Border crossings have been open for only a few days over the past several
months, leading to drastic shortages in basic human necessities: hospital
supplies, essential medicines and food. Seventy-nine percent of
households are now subsisting below the poverty line, and the World
Bank forecasts that if the current situation persists, 2006 may be the
worst year in Palestinian economic history.

As American Jews for whom Israel's well-being is of paramount
importance, we find it impossible to believe that these circumstances will
lead to Israel's security or help bring about a lasting peace. While it is
understandable that we focused our attention on Lebanon for many
weeks, we now call on the U.S. government and international community
to dedicate the resources employed in achieving the Hezbollah-Israel
cease-fire to address the looming disaster in Gaza and work toward
reviving negotiations for a two-state resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict.

First and foremost, the United States must work with Israel and the
international community to open the border crossings on a regular basis
to ensure receipt of desperately needed humanitarian supplies and the
establishment of a functioning economy. Indeed, the Israeli daily,
Ha'aretz, reported early this month that the U.S. Security Coordinator, Lt.
Gen. Keith Dayton, told a group of Israeli and Palestinian business leaders
that "without the restoration of commercial activity, there will be no
security in the area."

The possible formation of a Palestinian unity government may allow for
the resumption of direct aid to the Palestinian Authority but seeing to it
that more Palestinians get enough to eat and can meet their basic medical
needs will not be enough.

Ha'aretz columnist Gidon Levy said of Israeli actions: "There is a horror
taking place in Gaza, and while it might prevent a few terror attacks in the
short run, it is bound to give birth to much more murderous terror."

The only thing that can bring a final resolution of the conflict, creating
economic stability for Palestinians and Israelis alike, as well as the
longed-for end to the violence, is a negotiated, two-state solution.

Now that the cease-fire is in place and Israeli troops have left Lebanon,
the international community, led by the United States, must turn its
attention to Gaza. Continuing to ignore the problem will not make it go
away. On the contrary, if the crisis is not addressed soon, Palestinians
and Israelis alike will pay dearly as the peace process is further delayed.

Steve Masters and Diane Balser are the chair and co-chair of Brit Tzedek
v'Shalom's national advocacy committee. Brit Tzedek v'Shalom, the Jewish
Alliance for Justice and Peace, is a national grass-roots movement more
than 35,000 strong that educates and mobilizes American Jews in support
of a negotiated two-state resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

We hope that is True