Dear friends,
This is a statement we are seeking endorsement for from all left wing and
democratic minded Jewish people.
Ruth Braham
Education Officer
Melbourne University Student Union
Jews against oppression and occupation
With Israeli troops back in the towns and cities of the Occupied
Territories, it is time for more Jews to make their opposition to the
policies of the Israeli government clear. The following covering letter and
statement were formulated to enable Jews who are Zionists, Jews who are
anti-Zionists and Jews who are indifferent to the existence of the state of
Israel, alike to sign. The original document, in PDF format, can be
obtained from [EMAIL PROTECTED] Signatures should be faxed to (02) 9418
9787. When the list of signatories is sufficiently lengthy, it will be
mounted on a website and publicized by media release.
Covering letter
Rick Kuhn and David Liebhold
School of Social Sciences/Arts Faculty
Australian National University ACT 0200
10 May 2002
Dear Australian Jew,
Early in Claude Lanzmann's movie Shoah, he and his interpreter speak to a
man, Czeslaw Borowi, who has lived all his life at Treblinka ... Lanzmann
asks Borowi whether he and others working nearby, seeing the transports of
Jews arriving at the camp, were afraid (as he indicated they were for
themselves) also for the Jews. The interpreter gives Borowi's reply: 'Well,
he says, it's this way: if I cut my finger, it doesn't hurt him.' (From
Norman Geras, The Contract of Mutual Indifference.)
The countless historical atrocities against Jews were perpetrated by
relatively small groups of people. They were made possible by the
acquiescence of the majority. Let us draw the lesson and speak up against
the atrocities currently being perpetrated in our name.
We hope that you will join us, by signing the accompanying statement, in
making a stand for the values of justice, compassion and humanity and
against the growing public perception that:
(1) all Jews support the policies of the Israeli government; and (by clear
implication);
(2) all Jews are ruthless, warlike people who are willing to resort to any
means to defend what they perceive to be their interests.
When the list of signatories is sufficiently lengthy, we plan to post it on
a website and publicize its existence by media release.
We ask you for your telephone number and email address only so that we may
contact you if we need to. These details will not be posted on the website
or made public in any other way.
If you support this initiative, please help us collect more signatures.
Signed statements, with the information indicated at the end, may be faxed
to (02) 9418-9787.
Yours sincerely,
Rick Kuhn (Canberra)
David Liebhold (Sydney)
-------------------------
Statement
Jews Against Oppression and Occupation
We Australian Jews do not believe that the Israeli state is acting in the
best interests of Jews either in Israel or those who live in other parts
of the world.
Israel's dispossession, discrimination against and murder of Palestinian
people are crimes that should not be accepted by any human being. These
crimes have also increased the insecurity of Jews everywhere.
We believe that the fundamental cause of the current conflict between
Israel and the Palestinian people is the dispossession of the Palestinians
and their oppression at the hand of the Israeli state.
We call for the immediate withdrawal of Israeli military forces from the
West Bank and Gaza.
We call for a total Israeli withdrawal, including all settlements, from the
West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem.
We regard the equation of opposition to Israeli actions with antisemitism
as preposterous.
We call on Jews everywhere (and everyone else) to show solidarity with the
Palestinian people and to campaign for an immediate and total Israeli
withdrawal from the Occupied Territories.
Name Signature Tel. Email Suburb Occupation
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