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Power in numbers

DP2.jpgMy name is David Pine. I represent APN on the West Coast. Like you, I am dedicated to doing all I can to help Israel achieve peace with its neighbors, including a two-state solution with the Palestinians.

And like you, I have closely watched the news from Egypt. We've learned from the people of Egypt that numbers count.  President Mubarak, like a pharaoh with a hardened heart, refused to step down, but it became clear that he had no choice; the crowds were too large and too passionate.

Let's bring the power of numbers to work for us. Please make a donation for peace.

In Israel, Peace Now is putting boots on the ground in support of a two-state solution negotiated with the Palestinians, with security for Israel. In the United States, APN is the voice for peace with Congress, in the media, and on college campuses.

The time for action is now.  We need you now to join our ranks now in order to make a bold statement about the need for a two-state solution.

Egypt is the largest - but not the only - change that has occurred in the Middle East:

* Al Jazeera released the Palestine Papers last month. These leaked documents reveal that the Palestinian Authority's negotiating position is closer to the Israeli position than most people knew. The papers prove that Israel has a good-faith partner for peace.

* Israeli officials issued an arrest warrant for Rabbi Dov Lior, of the Kiryat Arba settlement near Hebron. Lior provided a written endorsement to a vile book called Torat Hamelech, which advocates the killing of innocent babies on the enemy side during warfare "if there is a good chance they will grow up to be like their evil parents." Contemptuously, Lior said his rabbinic status trumps the authority of Israeli officials.

This contempt for the laws among radical settlers, combined with a propensity for violence, is an obstacle to peace that needs to be confronted. It is a danger that Peace Now in Israel and APN in the United States are warning about.

Your support helps to make sure that debate on Israel within the Jewish community goes deeper than cliches and catchphrases.

APN was a lonely, early voice in the organized Jewish community saying that it would be a mistake to stump for Hosni Mubarak as protesters were taking to the streets: Denying the reality of change in Egypt does not help Israel; it only guarantees that Israel's future relationship with Egypt will be more difficult.

The more people who demand change, the stronger the message will be and the larger the movement for change. Just look at Cairo.