-Caveat Lector- http://www.arabnews.com/Article.asp?ID=21192
Arab News SAUDI ARABIA'S FIRST ENGLISH LANGUAGE DAILY US Jews fight for peace in Palestine and Israel By Barbara Ferguson, Arab News Correspondent Published on 18 December 2002 WASHINGTON, 18 December 2002 — Joshua Ruebner is a man with a mission. Critical of Israel’s occupation policy, two years ago he co-founded “Jews for Peace in Palestine and Israel.” With a current membership of 1,200, JPPI is taking on one of the most powerful lobbying groups in Washington, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). Ruebner admits it’s an uphill battle: “We’re gearing up for a difficult session in Congress. The big issue is how Congress is going to respond to Israel’s request of $14 billion in economic and military aid.” JPPI’s position is clear: “As long as Israel is getting military assistance from the US, it should abide by the US Arms Export Control Act, which prohibits the use of US weapons being used against civilians. Nationally, and internationally, the targeting of innocent civilians is considered a war crime.” He admits their position is different from other organizations that call for the ending of Israel’s military aid. “We don’t think that’s realistic in the current political system. We believe it’s more realistic to hold Israel accountable to existing US laws.” Ruebner says JPPI is making headway. Last summer, they took a congressional staff delegation to Palestine and Israel, with another group, American Muslims for Jerusalem. “This was the first time that a Jewish and Muslim group teamed up to show congressional staff the realities of the conflict on the ground,” says Ruebner. “We found ourselves thrust into an international diplomatic controversy, when Israel refused to allow the delegation into the West Bank. I explained to the police and border officials, in Hebrew, that this was an official American government delegation, but when an Israeli policeman came over to us and threatened us, we decided to leave for our own safety.” Ruebner said the staffers “were astounded,” as “nobody had ever heard of anything like this happening to a congressional delegation before.” He said what made it especially ironic was a week before Saddam Hussein had urged members of Congress, and their staff, to come to Iraq. “Israel was being less transparent and open than Iraq.” After a 2 ˝ day tussle, the State Department and the US Embassy in Tel Aviv told the group they could enter, but without the two Muslims representing AMJ, also American citizens. “We were very disappointed that our government acquiesced in Israel’s racist profiling,” he says. The delegation visited Ramallah, Hebron, Bethlehem and Jerusalem and Israel proper. “I think the staffers were deeply affected by what they saw. We went to refugee camps on the outskirts of Bethlehem, which have suffered greatly from the Israel reoccupation of last spring. “It’s very important to see exactly what the occupation is — because so much of it is abstract. Hearing about roadblocks, checkpoints, permits, licensing, and military roads, bypass roads are one thing, but to see it on the ground is completely different. “The Washington Report on Middle East said this trip was the best $20,000 ever spent on any Middle East peace program in a long time,” says Ruebner. The trip was very significant because AIPAC sends dozens of these congressional staff delegations every year, says Ruebner, “and they are successful in promoting a certain image of Israel which completely neglects aspects that are very unpleasant, specifically the occupation.” “As a Jew, I take seriously our religious obligation to work for justice, and I cannot be silent about the oppression that my brothers and sisters in Israel are guilty of.” But it has come at a cost. Ruebner says former friends refuse to speak to him, “and there is the ridiculous hate mail and occasional death threats, but all that is just a signal to me that we are on the right track.” — For more information about JPPI, log onto www.jppi.org. Copyright © 2002 ArabNews All Rights Reserved. <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/";>www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! 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