Dear Comrade Holberg::
I found this to be a contra dictionary too. The Tikkun community does not want the U.S. Out of the Middle East because they believe a peace keeping force can provide the kind military strength to ensure both sides stop from killing each other. It is completely contradictory from a Marxist-Leninist viewpoint. If the Soviet Union was still intact Tikkun certainly would not accept the idea of a Soviets being part of the peace keeping mission. Rabbi Michael J. Lerner is not new to the peace or socialist movements. He was a founder of the now long defiant social democrat New America Movement or NAM. NAM was organized out of the corpse of the liberal left of SDS and other new left currents. It grew to about 900 members at its height. We must remember NAM was an anti Leiniist reformist socialist formation which later liquidated itself into the DSA (Democratic Socialists of America). In the DSA Lerner began to get back in touch with his left Zionist roots. The DSA had always supported the existence of Israel and the two nation solution. They never gave any recognition to the legitimate claims of the Palestinians. Later on as a Reconstructionist Rabbi he wrote a book on Marx and Marxism as it relates to the Jews as a whole. Now he no longer believes in dialectical materialism. Lerner expounds on Marx's ideas on Judaism. He illustrates how Marx's self-hating views reflected anti-Semitism of his day. Marx's own conversion to German Protestantism is part of the Jewish Diaspora. Marx was basically in the end an assimilationist and mislead many Jews like him down the road to destruction.. Lerner depicts the entire involvement of Jews within the left as being just a continuation of Marx's path or even worse embracing anti-Semitism. This is a significant departure from even his earlier NAM days. We must remember NAM was an anti Leiniist reformist socialist formation which later liquidated itself into the DSA (Democratic Socialists of America). In the DSA Lerner began to get back in touch with his left Zionist roots. The DSA had always supported the existence of Israel and the two nation solution. They never gave any recognition to the legitimate claims of the Palestinians or the program of the PLO. It is noted Lerner sees a difference between the Islamic Fundamentalists and the PLO which he feels he can work better with instead of Hamas.. The only way Tikkun Community participates in Antiwar actions is to link its demands for peace on both the Israeli and Palestinians. Israel must stop its hostilities rather than demanding immediate withdrawal. In the same breathe the Palestinians must stop their bombings of the Israeli homeland. An international peace keeping force must be set between the two and a truly two independent nation solution is the long range goal. To Tikkun's credit they care about the crimes being perpetrated by the Israeli Defense Forces. As things continue to erode and all out war in the Middle East begins it is going to be interesting to see how this group evolves. Tikkun is the first sign of an organized Jewish antiwar movement within the US. and if one sees this from the position of coalition building and getting the greatest number of people to protest the current imperialist war drive then I believe in the interests of significant unity we need to accept what Rabbi Lerner is trying to do in good faith as a Jewish leader from his position. Tikkun is being attacked by the right wing Zionists movement and there are many Jews who are members of Tikkun who are further to the left of Lerner and have no other place to go. Obviously Tikkun cannot expect us to give up our anti-imperialist viewpoint and be critical of his illusion that a UN Peace Keeping force is truly going to separate the two nations from fighting. It is also significant a current now exists which truly wants to ensure a Palestinian state with real self-determination. Tikkun is warning that what Sharon's views are is still to grab all the good land and leave the Palestinians with nothing whatsoever. As a Jew I am entering Tikkun and raising a Leninist viewpoint against calling for imperialist peace keepers. Also the demand for Immediate and Unconditional Withdrawal from the Occupied Territories without making any demands on the Palestinians who are the clear victims of the recent incursion. Defend the right to Palestinian self-determination which we cannot nor do we have the right to place demands on them. ----- Original Message ----- From: "A.Wosni" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Tuesday, April 09, 2002 3:34 AM Subject: Re: [L-I] Rabbi Lerner's Call for Civil Disobedience > Comrades, how can a Leninist list be instrumentalized for a (certainly well > meaning,no doubt about it) call for an intervention of US-imperialism in > Palestine or anywhere else in the world? We don't have to call for the > intervention of the master since he is already intervening all the time. We > should call on the masses in the USA (and in the other imperialist countries) to > press their governments to stop intervention, because up to now and in the > future as well they are doing so by financing and arming Zionist settler > colonialism and reactionary Arab client regimes. Let's also be clear about the > fact that for revolutionary Marxists the poition of the Palestinian nationalists > on this matter is of minor importance. We have todefend the longterm interests > first of the world proletaqriat, second of the working class and masses in the > Arab world and third of the Palestinan people with the working class in the > first place. If we agree on one or two points with Arafat or even with Hamas - > okay.But this should be mere coincidence. > comradely A.Holberg > > xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx > > Yoshie Furuhashi schrieb: > > Date: Mon, 08 Apr 2002 11:57:29 -0700 > > From: Michael Lerner <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > X-Sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > To: Yoshie Furuhashi <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > > Would you please send this out to all your email lists--because some > > people on those list may wish to join us, or be strengthened in their > > resolve to make public statements. > > Thanks. > > Rabbi Michael Lerner > > > > The TIKKUN Community Invites you to participate with us in CIVIL > > DISOBEDIENCE IN PROTEST OF US FAILURE TO INTERVENE in the Middle East > > -- AND CALLS FOR U.S. governement TO TAKE LEAD IN CREATING A UN > > INTERNATIONAL PEACE KEEPING FORCE TO INTERVENE, SEPARATE AND PROTECT > > PALESTINIANS AND ISRAELIS FROM EACH OTHER. ACTIONS IN D.C., NYC, AND > > SF ON THURSDAY, APRIL 11 > > > > Here is the overview of the coming days. > > > > Wednesday, April 10: > > > > 7:30 p.m. Talk by Michael Lerner about the need for an > > International Force to Intervene in the Middle East. Temple Shalom, > > 8401 Grubb Road (corner of East/West Highway), Chevy Chase Md. > > > > Thursday, April 11th > > > > 10:30 assemble at State Dept. 2201 C Street, N.W., Washington DC > > (meet at corner of 22nd & C) > > 11:00 a.m. demonstration and possible civil disobedience--with Cornel > > West and Michael Lerner and others from the Tikkun Community. Civil > > disobedience will depend on events in the Middle East and the US > > stance--we are calling for the US, working through the UN, to > > constitute an Internation Force to Intervene. PLEASE NOTE: you don't > > have to get arrested to help make this demonstration important. Just > > come--there may not be arrests, but if there are, they will need lots > > of support. > > > > [WOULD YOU HELP US PLEASE BY CALLING NATIONAL MEDIA AND ASKING THEM > > TO COVDER THIS STORY OF A DEMONSTRATION DEMANDING US TO CONSTITUTE > > THROUGH THE UN AN INTERNATIONAL PEACE KEEPING FORCE TO MILITARILY > > INTERVENE AND SEPARATE AND PROTECT ISRAELIS AND PALESTINIANS FROM > > EACH OTHER. They can call Liat or Deb at 415 575 1200 for more > > information ] > > > > Here is the concrete information you may need: > > For Washington, D.C.: > > ****Meet Wednesday night, April 10, 2002. 7:30-9 p.m. > > Michael Lerner will speak on the topic "Prophetic Witness: Direct > > Action to Stop the Killings in the Middle East" at Temple Shalom, > > 8401 Grubb Road, Chevy Chase, Maryland (on East-West Highway close to > > 16th Street). > > Contact Judith Lelchook at (202) 782-4319 [daytime] or Yael Flusberg > > at (202) 745-2630 [evenings] for more information. > > Bring your friends. We look forward to seeing you there. > > > > ******Thursday morning: April 11 Nonviolent Protest (and possibly > > civil disobedience) at The U.S. State Department (near Foggy Bottom > > subway station) Be there at 10:30 a.m. Action begins: 11 a.m. Only > > people committed to non-violence are welcome. Let us know if you are > > coming: [EMAIL PROTECTED] If you know you are planning to > > participate in nonviolent civil disobedience, please send us your > > name, name of contact person should you be arrested and their phone > > number and email, your driver's license or other i.d. number, your > > home address, and your home phone and email. Do not resist arrest. > > And come on Wednesday night to the event at Temple Shalom if that is > > at all possible for you. Contact us: [EMAIL PROTECTED] or call > > 415 575 1200 > > > > *************** > > In NEW YORK CITY Thursday, April 11: Vigil at Israel Consulate with > > possible non-violent civil disobedience. Tikkun Community will follow > > thelead of John Deats,. of the Fellowship of Reconciliation. More > > info:Rev. Richard Deats Editor, Fellowship magazine Box 271 Nyack, > > NY 10960 845.358-4601. Fax 845-358-4924 > > > > ****Then, that evening, April 11, Rabbi Lerner will speak and meet > > with people interested in The Tikkun Community at the Church of St > > Paul and st. Martin, northeast corner of 86th and West End Ave, 7 > > p.m. Spread the word, please! And bring dessert! > > > > ************************ > > San Francisco: Thursday April 11 Israeli Consulate this Thursday at > > Noon at 456 Montgomery Street between Sacramento and California in > > downtown San Francisco, where we will hold a press conference during > > which we will present officials at the Consulate with a DECLARATION > > OF BAY AREA JEWS FOR AN END TO THE OCCUPATION AND FOR AN IMMEDIATE > > CESSATION OF VIOLENCE IN THE MIDDLE EAST. Possible non-violent civil > > disobedience,depending on world circumstances. > > > > Then, Sunday, April 21st: 1:30-6 p.m. West Coast Teach-In on The > > Middle East. Sponsored by The TIKKUN COMMUNITY in San Francisco > > (check the Calendar part of The TIKKUN COMMUNITY home page--screen > > down on www.tikkun.org-- in a few days for more details). > > > > ******************************* > > Boston: Sunday April 14 > > Rabbi Lerner and Cornel West speak to The Tikkun Community of'New > > England. 1 p.m. at Belmont Methodist Church. > > > > Spiritual Transformation and Social Change > > American Jews and Christians Together > > Rabbi Michael Lerner - Responses by Harvard Professor Cornel West > > > > 7 Workshops on: Reform of the Catholic Church, Peace in the Middle > > East, Mandates for Peace and Justice in Abrahamic Religions, > > Globalization of Capital, Bringing Spiritual Wisdom Into Our > > Workplaces, Professions and Schools, Negotiating with Evil > > > > Rabbi Michael Lerner will address the gathering. He will be speaking > > on the State of the Spirit and other subjects including the Middle > > East conflict, Sunday, April 14th. Professor Cornel West of Harvard > > University will be responding. The event will be held from 1:00PM ? > > 6:30 pm, in Belmont, MA > > > > There will be seven open workshops on matters of spirit and > > transformation after an address by Michael Lerner. Lerner is also > > speaking at a conference on The Anatomy of Evil in Worcester on April > > 13th at Holy Cross College. > > > > The April 14th event is co-sponsored by the New England branch of two > > reform oriented religious groups The Tikkun Community and Call To > > Action. Call To Action is a Catholic 25,000-member social action > > group, which is planning to have the first area workshop on needed > > reforms in the Catholic Church. Tikkun Community has emerged from > > the approximately 10,000 readers of Tikkun Magazine and Lerner is > > leading a workshop on how to find peace in the Middle East. Together > > the groups are also having workshops on the (1) spiritual foundations > > for peace and justice in the Christianity, Judaism, and Islam; (2) > > how to wage peace in an atmosphere of war; (3) bring spirituality > > into our workplaces, (4) globalization of capital, (5) negotiating > > with evil. > > > > Join TIKKUN COMMUNITY co-chairs Rabbi Michael Lerner and Cornel West > > in a demonstration at the State Department in D.C. at 11 a.m. on > > Thursday, April 11, or in similar demonstrations in NYC and S.F. that > > same day. Sorry to inconvenience you during the work week, but the > > slaughter is happening right now. Some of us may engage in > > non-violent civil disobedience (depending on whether it makes sense > > given developments till that moment), others will be there to > > publicly support our call for an international force to intervene > > immediately to separate and protect both sides. > > > > This is the moment to act decisively. If you share our outrage at the > > slaughter of innocents on both sides of this struggle in the Middle > > East, then join us in putting our bodies on the line for sanity. > > > > STOP THE KILLINGS ON BOTH SIDES! > > > > Yes, we are glad that President Bush is calling for Israeli troops > > and tanks to withdraw from Palestinian cities. But as long as they > > remain ready to return the moment Bush's attention turns back to his > > insane plan for a war against Iraq, Ariel Sharon will be able to use > > the pretext of the (inevitable) next strike by Hamas (which benefits > > every time their terror is rewarded by a strike by Israel at Hamas' > > domestic enemy the Palestinian Authority) to return to complete the > > devastation of Palestinian society. Only the presence of a > > well-equipped and very large international force, led by the United > > States, can actually achieve the goal of creating safety for the > > Palestinian people. And only when that safety is achieved will Arafat > > be able (or willing) to actually do something to stop terror, which > > in the meantime appears to Palestinians to be the only way they can > > retain their dignity in the face of humiliation and powerlessness. > > > > But separation is not enough--peace requires that the international > > community, acting through the UN, impose on both parties a settlement > > of the conflict, based on Israeli withdrawal to the pre-67 borders > > (with slight emendations to include Jewish sections of Jerusalem and > > Gush Etzion), reparations for Palestinian refugees (and for Jewish > > refugees from Arab lands), a Truth and Reconciliation commission, and > > a new spirit of generosity and open-hearted repentance from both > > sides for the evils they have committed. Both sides are responsbile > > for the present mess, but they are unable to settle this without the > > intervention of outside international leadership. > > > > If you can't come to D.C., create some action in your own community. > > A march to some nearby federal building, or get a group of people > > together to form a local chapter of The Tikkun Community and call a > > press conference in support of our demands, or suddenly appear inside > > a federal building and get your message known, or do some other > > dramatic but totally non-violent and non-property-destructive action. > > > > One key guideline: make it clear that we are equally outraged at > > Palestinian violence against Israeli civilians as by the human rights > > violating daily assault on human dignity that is being carried out by > > the Israeli army in its current rampage through Palestinian homes in > > major cities. Far from providing security for Israel, Ariel Sharon is > > guaranteeing the creation of yet new terrorists. We want to stop the > > cycle--and to do that, we call upon the US through the UN to > > intervene. > > > > If you can't do direct action, you can do the following: > > 1. Send us $1,000, $500, $250 or whatever you can afford to help us > > buy some ads in support of this message. > > > > 2. Join The TIKKUN COMMUNTY (go to www.Tikkun.org or call us at 415 > > 575 1200 to give us your credit card information. > > > > 3. Go to the website and on the Home page www.tikkun.org go to the > > section on The TIKKUN COMMUNITY and there connect with our media > > project under Current Projects. Follow some of our ideas for how to > > reach and challenge the media--so that they give a more balanced > > coverage. > > > > 4. Come to volunteer time in our San Francisco office. > > > > 5. Help us create a national conference of students Oct 11-14 in New York City > > > > 6. Come to our activisttraining to be an activist-- > > * July 3-7 at Walker Creek Ranch an hour north of San Francisco > > * Aug. 10-14 at Omega Institute in Rhinebeck New York > > > > 7. Help us reach out to opinion shapers in your community--so we can > > break the hold of AIPAC and others in the Jewish establishment who > > have managed to intimidate public officials into believing that they > > can't speak the moral truths they see for fear that the Jewish lobby > > will destroy their political future. The same dynamic impacts on the > > kinds of people who get promotions in news agencies. Help us show > > people in your community that another voice exists: help us make The > > Tikkun Community an effective force for community education and > > social action. > > > > Whatever you do, many blessings to you. > > > > As we approach the commemoration of the Holocaust, it is all the more > > imperative that we not allow the memory of those who died be misused > > to justify current immoral policies which, while not at the level of > > Nazis or genocide, are nevertheless disgusting and likely to generate > > shame among Jews for generations to come. We who love the Jewish > > people must defend its interests by tryiing to change what Israel is > > doing. And this is not just an imperative for Jews--Christians also > > should be joining us and working for these same goals: because our > > bottom line is that everyone on the planet deserves to be treated as > > though created in the image of God. > > > > -- > > Yoshie > > > > * Calendar of Events in Columbus: > > <http://www.osu.edu/students/sif/calendar.html> > > * Anti-War Activist Resources: <http://www.osu.edu/students/sif/activist.html> > > * Student International Forum: <http://www.osu.edu/students/sif/> > > * Committee for Justice in Palestine: <http://www.osu.edu/students/CJP/> > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Leninist-International mailing list > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > To change your options or unsubscribe go to: > > http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/leninist-international > > > _______________________________________________ > Leninist-International mailing list > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > To change your options or unsubscribe go to: > http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/leninist-international > _______________________________________________ Leninist-International mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] To change your options or unsubscribe go to: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/leninist-international
