As members of Jewish communities around the world, we are horrified
by the violence that is sweeping the streets of Palestine/Israel,
costing the lives of over 30 people, both Palestinians and Israelis in
the past two weeks alone. A 2 year old girl in Gaza was the youngest of 4
Palestinian children who were killed in the past two weeks. A 13
year-old Israeli boy is in critical condition after being stabbed nearly
a dozen times. Over a thousand people were injured in the same period.
Fear has completely taken over the streets of Jerusalem, the center of
this violence. Israelis shooting Palestinian protesters in and around
East Jerusalem. Palestinians stabbing and shooting Israeli civilians and
policemen in the middle of the streets. Israeli forces killing
Palestinian suspects when they are clearly not a threat and without
trial. Palestinians throwing stones at passing cars. Israeli mobs
beating up Palestinians or calling on police to shoot them. Humiliating
strip searches of Palestinians in the streets – all of these have become
a daily occurrence in the city in which we are raised to pray for
peace, as well as other places in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank.
While violence is visible on the streets, it is also occupying
people’s minds and hearts. Fear is bringing out the worst of people, and
the demand for more blood to be shed, as if this will repair the damage
done. Fear and racist rhetoric are escalating the situation. The
Israeli government is once again responding in a militarised way: there
have been hundreds of arrests; Palestinian access to the Al-Aqsa mosque
compound has been limited; parts of the Muslim quarter of the Old City
of Jerusalem have been closed to Palestinians; open-fire regulations
have been changed to allow the use of sniper fire against children; a
minimum sentence for stone throwing has been introduced, including for
over 150 children arrested in East Jerusalem alone in the past few
weeks; and now there are talks of enforcing a curfew, or even a closure,
of East Jerusalem.
All these constitute collective punishment on the entire population
of East Jerusalem with over 300,000 people. In the past, these measures
have proven themselves ineffective at ending violence. Decades of
dispossession, occupation and discrimination are the main reasons for
Palestinian resistance. Further Israeli military repression and ongoing
occupation and siege will never end the Palestinian desire for freedom
nor will it address the root causes of violence. Indeed, the current
actions by the Israeli government and army are likely to create further
violence, destruction, and the entrenchment of division. Only justice
and equality for all will bring peace and quiet to the residents of
Israel and Palestine.
As a group of Jews from around the world we believe that immediate
change needs to come from the Israeli government and Israeli people. It
is incumbent on all Jews around the world to pressure the Israeli
government – and those who follow and support its words and deeds – to
change its approach. The military crackdown must cease immediately,
Palestinians must be allowed complete freedom of movement. It is also a
responsibility of Jewish people worldwide to obligate the countries in
which we live to immediately cease the economic and military support of
the ongoing Israeli occupation in Palestine and siege of Gaza.
We call on our Jewish communities, and our broader communities, to
publicly insist on an end to the violence, occupation, siege and
military response and instead demand equality and freedom for the
Palestinian people and justice for all.
Shomeret Shalom Rabbinic School & Learning Center
Independent Jewish Voices Canada
Australian Jewish Democratic Society (AJDS)
Women in Black, Melbourne
Jewdas, UK
Tzedek Chicago
South African Jews for a Free Palestine
Jewish Voice for Democracy and Justice in Israel/Palestine (jvjp), Switzerland
Een Andere Joodse Stem, Another Jewish Voice – Belgium
Jewish Socialists’ Group – UK
Sahar Vardi, Jerusalem
Micha K. Ben David, Jerusalem
Daniel Mackintosh, London
Ilana Sumka, Belgium
Yael Shafritz, London
Rabbi Brant Rosen, Chicago
Rachel Diamond, London
Sivan Barak, Melbourne
Jordy Silverstein, Melbourne
Bianca Neumann, São Paulo
Gabriela Korman, Porto Alegre
Annie Cohen, London
Eran Cohen, London
James Kleinfeld, London
Joseph Finlay, London
Lev Taylor, London
Shajar Goldwaser, São Paulo
Iara Haasz, São Paulo
Lilian Avivia Lubochinski, São Paulo
Elena Judensnaider Knijnik, São Paulo
Yuri Haasz, São Paulo
Juliana Westmann Del Poente, São Paulo
Breno Altman, São Paulo
Igor Fillippe Goldstein, São Paulo
Pedro Haasz Lakatos, São Paulo
Moriel Rothman-Zecher, Jerusalem.
Aryeh Bernstein, Chicago
Micah Hendler, Jerusalem
Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb
Robin Rothfield, Melbourne
Joan Nestle, Melbourne
Jem Light, Melbourne
Sue Leigh, Melbourne
Ben Silverstein, Sydney
Alex Nissen, Melbourne
Margaret Jacobs, Melbourne
Rae Abileah, USA
Shereen Usdin, Cape Town
Lily Manoim, Cape Town
Merlynn Edelstein, Cape Town
David Fine, Cape Town
Dr. Fran Shahar, Atlanta
ilise cohen, Atlanta
Michal Shilor, Jerusalem Raoul Fishman
Judy Favish, Cape Town
Sheila Barsel, Cape Town
David Sanders, Cape Town
Heidi Grunebaum, Cape Town
Anya Topolski, Belgium
Dror Feiler, Sweden, Chair person for EJJP
Please share this statement, which was
initiated by an international Jewish network of groups and individuals
working for justice in Palestine. We reclaim Jewish identity not as a
nationalist identity but as one that celebrates our diverse roots,
traditions & communities wherever we are around the world. We
believe that it is essential for there to be a global Jewish voice to
challenge Israel’s destructive policies, in solidarity with the
Palestinian struggle. This international Jewish network aims to become
that voice.
If you would like to sign on to this statement as an individual or a group, please contact me through the comment board on: http://rabbibrant.com/2015/10/16/stop-the-killing-end-the-occupation-a-statement-from-the-global-jewish-network-for-justice/