[WCUSP] Apartheid as our frame? Dems Repudiate Carter Book

Sat Oct 28 23:55:06 CDT 2006

I finally got back online after my talk in San Diego and have been
reading this. (I've just crossed the border back into Arizona from
California and I'll get home tomorrow, after spending the night in
Yuma, AZ.   Attendance at the meeting was low, but was also
primarily Jewish.  Among the attendees, there was only one who 
didn't like what I had to say.  I understand many of her family
are actually Hungarian Holocaust survivors (and who knows how
many may have died).  It's very hard for some people to hear
anything negative about Israel, even when it's true.  We are
dealing with a version of the "sacred cow," something not to
be chewed, swallowed, or digested.

I overheard my hostess telling her husband about the meeting.
She said some of the members told her it was their best meeting
ever.  I delivered facts and urged the audience to try to 
understand things from the point of view of the Palestinians.
But I also said that it is more important to listen than to
absolutely agree.  Even if you think the other is absolutely
wrong to feel the way he/she does, listening to that person
will help you to understand what motivates them.  And the
listening should be mutual.

Perhaps we can suggest to legislators that they look at how
long it took for Americans to recognize that America had made
a mistake going into Iraq.  It was hard for people to believe
the U.S. was less than perfect.   It is also hard for Jews to
believe Israel is less than perfect.  But we can remind our
legislators that many Jews have figured this out, and that
there is a lot of open debate on this topic within Israel.
Stifling debate here will only delay the peace process longer,
and the people whose names have been mentioned claim that they
are committed to the peace process.

Barb T.

--- Joyce McLean <jmclean at jps.net> wrote:

> great that you are in favor of a letter....letters to pols should always 
> have a question....perhaps the question should be "what if anything would it 
> take for you to stop supporting the present Israeli policies?".....you know 
> what I mean even if it's crudely phrased....you want  to support the 
> existence of Israel?.. we strongly feel that Israel can only be secure when 
> the present  ongoing injustices cease....the description  apartheid doesn't 
> sit well...what word does? - Does it make Israel's future safer?.....----  
> Original Message ----- 
> From: "yvonne simmons" <roweenayvonne at yahoo.com>
> To: "Joyce McLean" <jmclean at jps.net>; <JoanWDrake at aol.com>; 
> <lmfrank1 at verizon.net>; <beejayssite at yahoo.com>; <kzaidan at wilpf.org>; 
> <wcusp at wilpf.org>
> Cc: <turacc at earthlink.com>
> Sent: Saturday, October 28, 2006 10:19 AM
> Subject: Re: [WCUSP] Apartheid as our frame? Dems Repudiate Carter Book
> 
> 
> > Dear Joyce, I agree with you that a letter be written
> > to our Dem leaders expressing our discontent. I do
> > feel that Carter has done us all working for justice
> > and freedom in Palestine and Israel a favour although
> > I have not read the book many citizens will who have
> > no or little knowledge of the issue will.
> > My sister-in-law teaches at Greenwich University. Her
> > father is or was a Turkish Cypriot diplomat and when
> > she wrote in favor of the academic boycott her words
> > somehow got to the USA and she recieved angry mail
> > from the States. She said that England's jews are
> > different in how they react about Israel and Palestine
> > and are more moderate. You are not nagging, I see this
> > as an opportunity to educate the about the dire
> > situation in Palestine. I feel we need to have the
> > courage and sensitivity to address the situation on
> > the ground in Gaza and the West Bank. The Israeli  I
> > videoed at the IEC from WILPF said that within the
> > Israeli section of WILPF there were differences and
> > heated arguements about divestment  and academic and
> > non-academic sanctions and this will hurt Israel but
> > Daphne that without the US support the occupation
> > would end. In solidarity Yvonne.
> >
> > --- Joyce McLean <jmclean at jps.net> wrote:
> >
> >> yeah...so excuse my 'nagging'.... though it may just
> >> be a waste of paper....can't a letter be written to
> >> the Dem leaders Pelosi, Conyers,etc and perhaps as a
> >> model for all to send to their own
> >> Congressperson....expressing our discontent at their
> >> criticism of Carter and their refusal to acknowledge
> >> the injustices being done against
> >> Palestineans.....could Kate write up such a proposed
> >> letter and unless there is a 'block' it be sent and
> >> posted......
> >>   ----- Original Message ----- 
> >>   From: JoanWDrake at aol.com
> >>   To: lmfrank1 at verizon.net ; beejayssite at yahoo.com ;
> >> kzaidan at wilpf.org ; wcusp at wilpf.org
> >>   Cc: turacc at earthlink.com
> >>   Sent: Saturday, October 28, 2006 6:20 AM
> >>   Subject: Re: [WCUSP] Apartheid as our frame? Dems
> >> Repudiate Carter Book
> >>
> >>
> >>   Over the past twenty years or more I have
> >> concluded that there is no way of framing the issues
> >> posed by Israel's 60-year long military occupation
> >> of Palestine that will be acceptable to the US
> >> Jewish community. So I see little difference in
> >> mincing words or being expansive when trying to
> >> reason with or appeal to Jews in the US on this
> >> issue; I don't believe our choice of vocabulary
> >> words will make much difference in being heard and
> >> responded to in a reasoned discussion. Reason does
> >> not work -- international human rights conventions
> >> and the Geneva Accords have no impact on Israeli
> >> policy -- words of the victims have no impact and
> >> the facts on the ground have no impact on the wall
> >> of silence and steadfast denial that American Jewry
> >> has built around Israel's total debasement of the
> >> Palestinian community and its people. Golda Meir
> >> denied the very existence of Palestine and
> >> Palestinians -- and today's generation follows in
> >> that vein by denying Israel's vicious policies of
> >> extermination and control. While there are notable
> >> exceptions in our community, such as Libby and Odile
> >> and their Israeli counterparts, they are few and far
> >> between and they do not speak for the mainstream --
> >> and their attempts to point a way to peace and
> >> stability in the region is appreciated more in
> >> activist circles than within their own community. I
> >> know that they experience the same frustrations that
> >> those of us working on the issue have experienced.
> >> The knee jerk response to Carter's book title by
> >> Democratic Party office holders is quite
> >> understandable -- you don't serve in Congress unless
> >> you are in line with AIPAC policy -- the politicians
> >> who have spoken out on the matter clearly want to
> >> hold on to their jobs. I really think the current
> >> debate is not very enlightening or helpful -- call
> >> it what you like, but if it looks like a duck, walks
> >> like a duck, and quacks like a duck...?
> >>
> >>
> >>
> > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >>
> >>
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> >
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