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Letter to Christian Friends of Israel from Rabbis Joy Levitt & Michael Strassfeld

May, 2005: See the Rabbis' thoughtful letter, an update from October 2004

Dear Friend of Israel,

The phrase "Christian friend of Israel" is usually associated with fundamentalist Christians who, because of both their conservative politics and apocalyptic theology, support Israel unquestioningly and oppose any Israeli territorial compromises that could lead to creating a Palestinian state--even one which Israel could live alongside in security. With Armageddon so near, these so-called Christian Zionists are willing to see the fight through until the very last drop of Israeli and Palestinian blood has been spilled.

We know that's not you.

At the same time, your image of the American-Jewish community might be that of a disciplined monolith that supports every action of Israel's government, no matter how destructive -- an unshakable phalanx that stands ready to brand anyone who believes peace between Israel and the Palestinians can and will be achieved through negotiation and compromise as an anti-Semite and enemy of the Jewish State.

That's not us.

We're Americans for Peace Now, the American counterpart of the veteran Israeli peace movement Peace Now--the same movement that brought out more than 150,000 Israelis last year to rally in Tel Aviv's Rabin Square and call on Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to evacuate settlements in Gaza and renew negotiations with the Palestinians.

Since then, events have breathed new life into a peace process that was pronounced dead on arrival when the second intifada began in 2000:

· Longtime Palestinian leader Yassir Arafat died. Elected to succeed him was Mahmud Abbas, a pragmatist who long ago concluded that terrorist attacks against Israelis would not bring any benefit to his people;

· Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon announced a withdrawal from Gaza and its settlements this summer, and his subsequent actions in Israel's fractious political arena indicate he means to go through with it; and

· George Bush has re-entered the arena of Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking and indicated more of a willingness to play the "honest broker" in the region.

These tentative, hopeful signs require strong American support. And that's where Americans for Peace Now comes in. We are a moderate, rational voice, declaring again and again that a negotiated settlement between Israel and the Palestinians will not represent a loss for Israel, but a very tangible gain. If that is your belief as well, it is proof that you, too, have Israel's best interests at heart, and desire her to prosper--not to be the overlord of another people.

And that's why we invite you to add your voice to ours. To keep the message coming-- ever stronger--that closing some settlements while expanding others is counter-productive. That reserving the "right" to resume "armed struggle" against Israel is wrong. That building a security fence, without making accommodations for Christians to be able to visit holy sites, is insensitive and plainly unnecessary. And that denying the reality and legitimacy of Israel is madness.

A steady stream of polling data continues to show that Prime Minister Sharon's settlement evacuation plan is supported by majorities of Israelis, Palestinians and Americans.

Recent surveys show that 75 percent of Israelis support renewing political negotiations with the Palestinians. And 52 percent of Palestinians oppose military operations against Israeli targets. That last number is up from 29 percent just six months ago.

In this country, a survey conducted by the Marttila Communications Group for the Anti-Defamation League found that 74 percent of Americans believe Israel is serious about reaching a peace agreement with the Palestinians; and that 64 percent think the Palestinians are serious. And American Jews stand behind the Gaza withdrawal. A survey by the Ameinu organization found that 62 percent back Sharon's disengagement plan.

Americans for Peace Now (APN) is pro-Israel and pro-peace. Today I am reaching out to you, a friend of Israel for the right reasons, to join our cause. Because extremists of all stripes are working to scuttle attempts for peace, for disengagement, for negotiation.

And they are getting attention. When Prime Minister Sharon visited President Bush in Crawford, Texas, recently, 2,000 Christian and Jewish demonstrators were on hand. Led by Rev. James Vineyard, a Baptist minister from Oklahoma, and organized in part by David Romanoff, a Jew from New Jersey, the group protested the planned withdrawal from Gaza-or, as Romanoff characterized it in an interview with the New Jersey Jewish News, "giving Israel away on the sacrificial altar."

Views like that demonstrate why APN is so important. We give voice to the sober center that will not be swayed by demagoguery or oversimplifications. We understand that neither the Palestinians nor Israelis are going to disappear tomorrow.

The value of moderation cannot be underestimated. Americans for Peace Now is the only U.S.-based charitable organization of its type that has granted millions of dollars to support the moderate, common-sense agenda and activities of our Israeli counterpart, Peace Now.

And the dollars Americans for Peace Now grants to Peace Now in Israel immediately translate into facts on the ground in Israel. Your contribution will help extend the reach of Settlement Watch-our settlement watch-dog initiative. Peace Now, and Peace Now alone, has dedicated its limited resources to tracking the settlement movement: the expansion of existing settlements, the creation of illegal outposts.

It was Peace Now and its Settlements Watch project that revealed the Israeli government's complicity in establishing illegal outposts on the West Bank.

It was Peace Now's Settlement Watch that found that settlers in the West Bank and Gaza were receiving over $450 million dollars more than Israelis living in Israel proper from the Israeli government in fiscal year 2001 -- from tax incentives, mortgage breaks and education benefits enticing Israelis to move to and remain in the settlements.

It was Peace Now and APN that refuted the propaganda of the anti-peace camp in our newspaper and magazine ads, and continues to do so.

It was APN that conducted a forum on Capitol Hill, during which the senior diplomats of Israel, the Palestinians, Egypt, and Jordan spoke together, for the first time, about the unique opportunity that exists for Israel and the Palestinians.

Ambassador Ayalon, of Israel, said about the event, "I think it is very timely and I think that it has been quite some time since there was a forum which included the ambassadors from Jordan, Egypt, Israel, and a representative of the PLO together in one forum. I think maybe also it symbolizes the changes of the time, and I hope the time is changing." This cautious optimism was the dominant message from the four diplomats.
Something else came out of the Ambassador's conversation with reporters after the event. One correspondent asked if Ayalon's participation in a program sponsored by APN would cause political problems for him at home. Ayalon did not flinch. He said that it is entirely natural for the Israeli embassy to work with APN. Continuing, he observed that APN is the Zionist organization with the credibility and relationships needed to invite the Arab ambassadors.

It was Peace Now that kept the communications channels open with like-minded Palestinians during the intifada so, at the right moment, there would be someone to talk with.

It was APN that brought a nuanced, progressive approach to Israel advocacy on college campuses.

It was Peace Now and APN that revealed that municipal budgets from settlements are used for anti-government incitement. In fact, as this letter is written, Peace Now's petition to the Israeli courts has, at least, temporarily halted the transfer of Israeli tax dollars to the Yesha Council of Settlements.

Past events have made it clear that any solution to the conflict requires vigorous American participation. The two sides can't do it alone-and only the U.S. has the clout and trust to help get the job done.

That means the louder our voice is, the better we will be heard in the halls of Congress, where we need to convince its members to support a genuine peace in the Middle East. And in the White House, where we must demonstrate to the Administration that there is wide and deep support for the Road Map--which requires the Palestinians to end terror and Israel to end its settlement drive--and a need for President Bush to back up his words with strong action. That's why we urge you to join with us. Because you support Israel for the right reasons.

Join us and help APN to bring peace messengers to synagogues, churches and college campuses in the United States, to preach a moderate, rational approach to solving the conflict. Messengers like Sari Nusseibeh, president of Al Quds University in Jerusalem, a proponent of non-violence, and a partner with former Israeli Shin Bet chief Ami Ayalon of a civil initiative to support a two-state solution.

Join us and add your support to a multi-religious American coalition seeking to bring a negotiated settlement to the Israel-Palestinian conflict, a settlement that will save lives. This settlement would also benefit America's strategic interests by reducing tensions in a volatile region, raising America's credibility in the Arab and Muslim world, and depriving some Arabs and Muslims of their well-worn argument that they can't support the U.S., they can't open their societies, or they can't join in regional cooperation with Israel, because of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Join us if you believe that as we grow in numbers we grow stronger. Join us because you don't want the future to belong to the zealots, the fundamentalists, the territorial maximalists who would rather spill Jewish blood than see peace come to the Land of Israel.

Join us if you believe that Israel must choose security over settlements, demography over geography and democracy over theocracy.

Join us to strengthen the image of a "Christian friend of Israel" as a progressive, fair, informed supporter of peace.

Join us, because it is the right way to bring peace to the Holy Land.

Please make your tax-deductible contribution today to Americans for Peace Now. And exercise your right to speak up about what needs to be done in the Middle East.