CONTACT: Mitchell Plitnick, JVP
Co-Director, 510-465-1777 office, 510-484-6472
cell
Jewish Voice for Peace welcomes cease fire, calls
for more action to end all forms of violence
OAKLAND, CA - February 9,
2005 - Jewish Voice for Peace, one of the country’s
largest and oldest grassroots Jewish peace
organizations, applauds the announcement of a cease-fire
between Israel and the Palestinians. At the same time,
the group says that such quiet can not be
sustained without substantial moves toward ending
Israel's occupation of the West Bank and Gaza
Strip.
Mitchell Plitnick, JVP's Director of
Education and Policy, said, "It's wonderful that
both sides have pledged to stop bombings and shootings.
But as long as other forms of violence continue, the
cease-fire will be short-lived. The occupation, with its
home demolitions, checkpoints and daily harassments, and
a wall slicing through the West Bank and disrupting
daily Palestinian life, is itself a constant and massive
act of violence."
While pleased with America's provision
of $350 million in aid to the Palestinian Authority, and
the support it has given to Palestinian president
Mahmoud Abbas since his election, Jewish Voice for Peace
insists that much more is needed if this truce is to
last.
Plitnick said, "Today is a day to
celebrate the lives that will not be lost in the coming
days. But if we want this cease-fire to last the
American government needs to stay the course. It needs
to stand by both the Palestinian and the Israeli
people and push hard for the dismantling of the wall,
and for the Gaza withdrawal to be replicated on the West
Bank. There needs to be consistent progress toward
ending the occupation if we want to avoid sliding right
back into the fighting. And that means the Palestinians
get the West Bank and Gaza Strip, they share Jerusalem
with Israel and the two countries come up with a just
resolution of the Palestinian refugee issue consistent
with international law. That's where we need to go, and
if we're not moving toward that future we'll be moving
right back to bombs, tanks, missiles and guns."
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