Street roots
13
Jan. 9, 2009
Peace will never thrive with hungry, angry neighbors
S andy Polishuk a n d Joel
Gltch co c h a ir the Portland
Chapter of B r it Tzedeh
v'Shalom /Jewish A lliance
fo r Justice a n d Peace. B rit
Tzedeh v ’Shalom is the
.U n ite d States largest
grassroots Jewish
organization dedicated to
prom oting a negotiated
tw ostate resolution o f the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
BY SANDY POLISHUK
A ND JOEL GLICK
peace efforts.
And yet, if we have learned nothing else
CONTRIBUTING COLUMNISTS
from Israel’s six decades of existence,
he current violence raging between
surely we should have learned that there
Israel and th e Palestinians is a
is no military solution to this conflict It
source of great concern to the
cannot be managed, it cannot be
entire American Jewish community. We controlled, and as we saw in Lebanon in
rightfully worry for the well-being of the
2006, any further efforts to achieve
Israelis currently living under threat of
military victory are doomed to perpetuate
rocket attack, and we wish desperately for
the circumstances of violent hostility
true peace and security in the region.
But if we are truly concerned for
Israel’s well-being, we must also be
worried about Israel’s attacks on Gaza and
the appalling number of deaths and
injuries of civilians.
The Palestinian people, particularly
those living in the Gaza Strip, have
suffered much in th e past several years,
notably since the victory of Hamas in
closely contested elections three years ago
this month.
The international community was,
rightfully, dismayed to see such an
extremist organization take over the
governing of the Palestinian Authority. Yet
all reports indicated that the Palestinian
people had voted not for Hamas’s
terrorism but for its anti-corruption bona
fides - and in spite of these facts, the
world responded with a general blockade.
The end result was, and continues to be, a
humanitarian crisis in which hundreds of
thousands of Palestinians need food aid
every day.
In spite of the Bush administration’s
constant verbal assurances that it was
among the parties.
working toward reconciliation, it in fact did
T he question is n o t w h eth er Israel’s
nothing of the kind, instead failing to
governm ent has th e right to p ro tec t its
adequately support moderate Palestinian
citizens - it’ h as not only the*right, but th e
forces, failing to take seriously th e Arab
obligation.
The question instead must be: Does
League offer for an end to the conflict in
military action serve to protect Israelis, or
exchange for a two-state solution, and
in fact further endanger them? Will peace
failing to take any serious, concrete action
be brought any closer by more Palestinian
after convening the Annapolis peace
suffering, more excuses for Hamas
conference.
retaliation, a more deeply non-functioning
Moreover, by continuing to encourage
Palestinian society?
Israeli settlement in the West Bank, and
The answer, clearly, is no. Israel cannot
keeping Israel from negotiating with Syria
live in peace and security as long as its
(in spite of repeated overtures), the U.S.
government actively undermined future
T
neighbor is hungry and angry, and parents
on both sides are mourning their children.
The only thing that can bring peace is
negotiation. And after this week, it should
be obvious that the only way that Israel
and the Palestinian people will come back
to the negotiating table is if the American
government takes a firm stance and brings
them there.
When President-elect Obama takes
office late r th is m onth, h e m u st take
im m ediate action to e n d th e violence and
open a new door to peace. T h o se in th e
’’A m erican Jew ish com m unity w ho w ish to
se e o u r new adm inistration succeed w here
th e last one failed will inundate th e W hite
House, Senate, and House of
Representatives with calls for a sustained,
genuine diplomatic effort, one that calls
for compromise on all sides, and has as its
goal a mutually acceptable two-state
agreement.
If we truly love Israel, we will advocate
vigorously for true peace.
A n Israeli man
casts a shadow on
his house that was
damaged after a
rocket attack in
Ashkelon on
Jan. 5.
REUTERS/BAZ RATNER
Thank you for helping Sisters meet its new donor match!
07360901 .......a great need!
New Sisters' donors in November and December
rere matched 1 to 1 by The Rose E. Tucker
W ritab le Trust and The Collins Foundation, and all
lonors were matched 50 cents on each dollar
hrough a generous group o f individuals and
jusinesses. Thanks to each o f them, and to each of
,ou w ho chipped in!
CALL OR DROP BY TO
DONATE OB INQUIRE
Although the match is over, w e did no t meet our
overall goals fo r November and December, and we
Mother Nature’s
Earth Friendly Baby Products
still need your help. To support Sisters O f The Road
and the vital w ork w e do all year long, you can
211 NW DAVIS
TIAND, OB 97209
503-228-5657
donate online at www.sistersoftheroadnrg,o r by
calling (503) 222-5694, o r by mailing gifts to 133 N W
Sixth Ave., Portland OR 97209.
thank you for all your support!
OR VISIT US ONLINE AT
WWW.STBBBTROOT8.ORG
Large selection
of cloth diapers & wraps,
natural baby & mama
care products,
baby slings & carriers,
organic cotton
baby clothes, wooden toys,
LEARN M O RE ABO UT
>se City Resource ------------
tty’s most
irehenslve guide to
ind-area social services,
tizations and agencies.
Call Eddy Barbosa at Street “
at 503-228-5657 or w rite to
pdxrosecityresource@hotmail.com
STREET R O O TS, O UR
personal service
V EN D O R S A N D PO VERTY
..«C V
WM&oiQpV
IS S U E S AT
W W W .S Y B E E T R O O T S .W I S I
S P A C E S .C O M A N D A T
W W W .S T R E E T R O O T S .O R G
2627 SE Clinton St.
503-230-7077