FORUM
Israeli/Palestinian peace both probable, necessary
By Phil Zuckerman
Peace is possible American
soldiers may in* filling up the
sand dunes of the Persian Gulf
waiting to attack, and the ani
mosity between Jews and Arabs
may be escalating, but peace is
still possible It is not only pos
sible, but necessary
Commentary
It was with this hope and
conviction that students from
all over Western North America
met for a regional conference of
the Progressive Zionist Caucus
held at Mills College Nov. >1-11.
The PZC is a grassroots Jew
ish student organization whose
issues of concern range from
peaceful co-existence between
Jews and Arabs to gay and les
bian support.
As a member of Hillel and
the Jewish Student Union. I
represented the University at
the conference. Other represen
tatives came from as far away
as Kritish Columbia University,
Evergreen State College, and
nearly ail the University of
California campuses to take
part in the weekend seminar.
The two main topics of the
workshops anti discussions re
volved around two pressing is
sues: Israeli Palestinian poat e
(along with the thre.it of Sail
dam Hussein) and what it
means to call oneself a Progres
sive Zionist.
The issue of Israeli Pal
estinian peace is pretty clear
Israel must get out of the occu
pied territories and allow lor a
Palestinian nation In turn. Pal
estinians must prove that such
a move would not pose a threat
to Israeli security
To call oneself a progressive
Zionist means that we are Zion
ists in that we believe Jews
should have a country to call
there own we never question
Israel's fundamental existence
Yet we are progressive in that
we have a moral obligation to
voice our objection to the injus
tice of current Israeli policy
The possibility of war is star
ing the world in the face For
lews, even if the Israeli Pal
estinian conflict were solved,
the immediate threat to the ex
istence of Israel may hinge
upon Iraq
Unlike the United States. Is
rael has everything to lose
when it goes to war If Ameri
can lives are lost, it would tie .1
tragedy. Hut it would not mean
the end of tlir 1 'niteil States
For Israel, this is not the < ase
if Israel loses a war. it loses
Israel And Hussein has already
threatened to incinerate Israel
on numerous occasions
In attending this conference,
my confidence in a progressive
lewish 'Zionist voice was con
firmed lews i an believe in Is
rael and still criticize its op
pressive policies Hilt the i on
ference also built up my fears
that a war with lrai| is a strong
possibility, one which could
spell out a second lew ish holo
caust.
So as a progressive Jew I
want to do my share for the
cause of peace And right here
on our own campus I expert
enced how hard that i an lie
This past Monday I ap
proai bed the Muslim Student
Union to see if they would co
sponsor a day dedicated to Jew
ish Arab peace The response I
got was a slap in the face of re
ality: I was told that the Mus
lim Student Union will never
have anything to do with Jews
Not only must the occupied
territories Iw given up. hut Isra
el must cease to exist Only the
followers of Islam have a right
to exist in the Middle Fast, they
will not even consider a coali
LETTERS
Emotion check
People like me will come and
go throughout your life A
strong tost of your character
will come in the manner in
which you deal with my intru
sions. If you take exception to
comments fashioned in your di
rection — do nut lake it as a
personal attack, keep your
emotions in check — they will
only eclipse any rational dis
course you might wish to pro
vide. You do yourself and your
cause a disservice by whining,
slapping me or calling me
". . the embodiment of evil "
Instead, glean from the re
marks. however strident, what
you may to improve your lot In
your attempt to find some truth
in me you can begin to find the
truth wdthin yourself
Rise above your detractors. In
this way you can show me the
errors of my ways and means I
will not. nor have any desire,
to retract any of my flippant,
thoughtless and hypercritical
tirades — people like me sel
dom do.
However, 1 do sincerely be
lieve that you have the ability
(or anger) to overcome any and
all obstacles to make the team,
the University, the state —
Recycle This Paper
heck, even the nation proud at
the freedom Bow I
Who knows, you might, one
day. thank uie for mv misguid
ed efforts. If I live to see the
day.
kawika Holbrook
Eugene
THE FAR SIDE By GARY LARSON
r
1
"They re Neanderthals, Loona.... Every one
ot them.”
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Muslims
Although I left their office
feeling offended and humiliat
ed. it was .1 good lesson for me
Israel can look to no one for
support I really felt the true
meaning of Zionism if we
are not for ourselves, no one
will lie for US
lint at the same time my pro
gressive spirit held strong The
Muslim Student Union does
not speak for all Arabs There
are Arabs out there who ac
knowledge Israel There are
Palestinians who simply want
their own homeland and have
no intention ot .ingoing mem
selves with Hussein's destruc -
tive objectives
As >1 progressive Jew. I have
faith that Palestinians will win
their independence Vet their
c ause may lie moot if the w hole
area goes up in a puff of Iraqi
chemical warfare
If Americans invade Iraq, Is
rael will lie the first to feel Hus
sein's wrath Thus as American
Jews, our immediate commit
ment toward peat e (1111 wait no
longer
We have everything to lose
I’hil y.uckt'rnuin is a mwiilier
of the /(•wish Studont Union
Oregon
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