Showing posts with label David McReynolds. Show all posts
Showing posts with label David McReynolds. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Monday, May 18, 2009
"Authentic Rabbis": A Photo by David McReynolds
My friend, David McReynolds
sends me more valuable articles, links, announcements than I can possible comprehend, and I won't claim to understand fully the significance of this photo.
We have the inalienable right to misspell.
That spelling of heresy just jumps off that sign.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Meretz USA Statement Shared by David McReynolds
Meretz USA calls for immediate and absolute cessation of violence between Israel and Hamas
New York, New York - December 29, 2008 Meretz USA Chairman, Theodore Bikel, and Honorary Life President, Harold Shapiro, have called for an, "immediate and absolute cessation of violence between Israel and the Hamas," stressing the urgent need to, "forestall a humanitarian disaster in Gaza, preserve Israel's security, and maintain space for diplomatic progress."
Bikel and Shapiro stated that any cease-fire must be accompanied and buttressed by three elements:
· Sustained diplomatic talks between the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority;
· The verifiable termination of weapons smuggling into the Gaza Strip;
· The lifting of the economic blockade on Gaza.
The full text of the statement by the Meretz USA Chairman and Honorary Life President follows:
Meretz USA calls for the immediate and absolute cessation of violence between Israel and the Hamas.
Understanding that only such a result can forestall a humanitarian disaster in Gaza, preserve Israel's security, and maintain space for diplomatic progress, we urge all parties concerned to engineer an urgent and complete cease-fire that will be accompanied and reinforced by the following elements:
Neither the Israeli government nor the Hamas are beyond reproach. Hamas' policy of intentionally targeting Israeli non-combatants; its public declaration ending the cease-fire earlier this month; its dangerously provocative rocket and mortar fire into Israel to underscore its defiance; and its notorious unwillingness to recognize Israel or abide by the agreements made by the Palestinian Authority should not be overlooked by those quick to blame Israel for all ills.
At the same time, Israel has been the dominant party in the conflict for 40 years - continuing its settlement policy unabated, trying to impose its will on the Palestinian people and leadership, denying civil and human rights to millions of Palestinians under occupation, and far too often failing to adequately distinguish in its harsh reprisals between legitimate military targets and the Palestinian civilians who are made to suffer.
At this perilous time, we prevail upon all sides to step back from the brink, lest an ill-advised Israeli ground offensive in Gaza multiply the pain and suffering on both sides and push the prospect of peace even further away.
About Meretz USA
Meretz USA for Israeli Civil Rights and Peace works for a genuine peace between the State of Israel and its neighbors including the creation of a viable, peaceful Palestinian state based on a negotiated land-for-peace solution. Meretz USA supports full civil and human rights for Israeli citizens, regardless of ethnicity, race, religion, gender, national origin, or sexual orientation.
Website: http://www.meretzusa.org/
New York, New York - December 29, 2008 Meretz USA Chairman, Theodore Bikel, and Honorary Life President, Harold Shapiro, have called for an, "immediate and absolute cessation of violence between Israel and the Hamas," stressing the urgent need to, "forestall a humanitarian disaster in Gaza, preserve Israel's security, and maintain space for diplomatic progress."
Bikel and Shapiro stated that any cease-fire must be accompanied and buttressed by three elements:
· Sustained diplomatic talks between the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority;
· The verifiable termination of weapons smuggling into the Gaza Strip;
· The lifting of the economic blockade on Gaza.
The full text of the statement by the Meretz USA Chairman and Honorary Life President follows:
Meretz USA calls for the immediate and absolute cessation of violence between Israel and the Hamas.
Understanding that only such a result can forestall a humanitarian disaster in Gaza, preserve Israel's security, and maintain space for diplomatic progress, we urge all parties concerned to engineer an urgent and complete cease-fire that will be accompanied and reinforced by the following elements:
1. Sustained diplomatic talks between the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority.
Such talks should be aimed, in the short term, at easing conditions in the West Bank and Gaza in order to reduce tension and strengthen Palestinian moderates; and, in the long term, at the achievement of an equitable two-state solution which hardliners on both sides - Hamas being one of them - continue to oppose.
2. The verifiable termination of weapons smuggling into the Gaza Strip.
The cease-fire should not serve as a respite during which the Hamas expands and improves its armaments and military capability.
3. The lifting of the economic blockade on Gaza.
The consistent provision of humanitarian aid must be guaranteed and the security situation must not be exploited by Israel to collectively punish the Palestinian people through the smothering of their economy.
Neither the Israeli government nor the Hamas are beyond reproach. Hamas' policy of intentionally targeting Israeli non-combatants; its public declaration ending the cease-fire earlier this month; its dangerously provocative rocket and mortar fire into Israel to underscore its defiance; and its notorious unwillingness to recognize Israel or abide by the agreements made by the Palestinian Authority should not be overlooked by those quick to blame Israel for all ills.
At the same time, Israel has been the dominant party in the conflict for 40 years - continuing its settlement policy unabated, trying to impose its will on the Palestinian people and leadership, denying civil and human rights to millions of Palestinians under occupation, and far too often failing to adequately distinguish in its harsh reprisals between legitimate military targets and the Palestinian civilians who are made to suffer.
At this perilous time, we prevail upon all sides to step back from the brink, lest an ill-advised Israeli ground offensive in Gaza multiply the pain and suffering on both sides and push the prospect of peace even further away.
About Meretz USA
Meretz USA for Israeli Civil Rights and Peace works for a genuine peace between the State of Israel and its neighbors including the creation of a viable, peaceful Palestinian state based on a negotiated land-for-peace solution. Meretz USA supports full civil and human rights for Israeli citizens, regardless of ethnicity, race, religion, gender, national origin, or sexual orientation.
Website: http://www.meretzusa.org/
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Rabbis For Obama
My prolific emailing friend, David McReynolds, sent me an article from HAARETZ about rabbis supporting Obama. Here's an excerpt:
A group of liberal American rabbis have denounced Republican presidential candidate John McCain's campaign as leaning toward "hate speech" in its treatment of Democratic rival Barack Obama.
"The manner in which Senator McCain, Governor [Sarah] Palin and their supporters refer to Senator Obama is creeping toward hate speech," Rabbis for Obama said in a statement on Thursday.
"As leaders of the Jewish community we are well aware of the dangers of using inflammatory political language to marginalize individuals and groups. Increasingly those speaking on behalf of the McCain campaignhave been demonizing Senator Obama as not being like us."
Here's the article:
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1029326.html
A group of liberal American rabbis have denounced Republican presidential candidate John McCain's campaign as leaning toward "hate speech" in its treatment of Democratic rival Barack Obama.
"The manner in which Senator McCain, Governor [Sarah] Palin and their supporters refer to Senator Obama is creeping toward hate speech," Rabbis for Obama said in a statement on Thursday.
"As leaders of the Jewish community we are well aware of the dangers of using inflammatory political language to marginalize individuals and groups. Increasingly those speaking on behalf of the McCain campaignhave been demonizing Senator Obama as not being like us."
Here's the article:
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1029326.html
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