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

[Libby or Mort Frank]

I have two questions and a personal statement about using "Apartheid as our frame."

How does this challenge U.S. policy?

Is it true that Rep. Conyers is unhappy with the usage?

I personally think Israel is an Apartheid state.  I profoundly disagree that framing all our M.E. work around it will reach those who need to be reached.

Libby


  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Tura Campanella Cook 
  To: Joyce McLean ; National Middle East listserv ; Joan Drake 
  Cc: Libby Frank ; Kate Zaidan ; wisewomen at wilpf.org 
  Sent: Saturday, October 28, 2006 12:47 PM
  Subject: Re: [WCUSP] Apartheid as our frame? Dems Repudiate Carter Book


  Hi Odile. LT, Linda Belle, and all,

  Unless someone can organize this before the meeting in Austin, let's make room on next week's LT agenda for drafting a letter to Pelosi, etc. Be thinking of what we want to say and bring your draft to the meeting.

  I would take the initiative for doing it now, but still have meeting preparation details to work out. 

  Ideas re: Carter book and the book-signing tour (I see he will be in Austin on Dec. 14.) Anticipating some negative publicity, let's plan to actively support the book. Write editorial letters of support to coincide with Carter's appearance in your city. Get together with Women in Black and others to do a public event at the signing. Ask Code Pink to give Carter some kind of "pink" award for the book. Think about a WILPF-led visible event... 

  Linda Belle, does JAPA recognize adult books? could it be considered?

  In peace,
  Tura

  On Oct 28, 2006, at 9:41 AM, Joyce McLean 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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