[Peace-discuss] Fwd: Jewish Manifesto. How You Can Help

[Al Kagan]

>Delivered-To: akagan at alexia.lis.uiuc.edu
>X-Sender: a-fields at staff.uiuc.edu
>Date: Thu, 18 Apr 2002 13:59:45 -0500
>To: wfeinber at ux1.cso.uiuc.edu
>From: Belden Fields <a-fields at uiuc.edu>
>Subject: Fwd: Jewish Manifesto. How You Can Help
>Cc: akagan at alexia.lis.uiuc.edu
>Status:  
>
>
>>Reply-To: "Ken Schubert" <kesc001 at e-posten.net>
>>From: "Ken Schubert" <ken.schubert at e-posten.net>
>>To: "Ken Schubert" <ken.schubert at e-posten.net>
>>Subject: Jewish Manifesto. How You Can Help
>>Date: Wed, 17 Apr 2002 23:40:47 +0200
>>X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200
>>
>>
>>Dear signatory of the Jewish Manifesto:
>>
>>Thanks to your initiatives, stories and items about the Jewish 
>>Manifesto have begun to appear in newspapers around the world. The 
>>most effective way for us to command attention right now is to 
>>publish more articles. I have put together a press release that you 
>>can send to your local newspaper, or another newspaper or wire 
>>service/news agency in your country. Feel free to translate it into 
>>your language if you feel that is necessary. Please add your phone 
>>number on the last line where I wrote xxxxxxxx so that the 
>>newspaper has a local contact in addition to me.
>>
>>Here is the best way to get the press release to your newspaper or 
>>wire service:
>>
>>1. Call the main phone number of the newspaper and ask for the 
>>phone number and fax number to both the editorial and news 
>>departments of the newspaper.
>>
>>2. Add your phone number to the press release where I have written 
>>xxxxxxxx. Fax the press release to both fax numbers. If you do not 
>>have access to a fax machine, ask the newspaper to give you the 
>>mailing addresses of the two departments and send the press release 
>>by regular mail through the post office.
>>
>>3. After you have faxed or mailed the press release, call each of 
>>the two departments at the newspaper to confirm that they have 
>>received it and give them your phone number again.
>>
>>I think this is a straightforward approach that could have a very 
>>large impact in a short period of time. Please e-mail to me if you 
>>need any help or to tell me what results you have obtained with 
>>your newspaper. Even when they do not publish an article, their 
>>response will be very helpful to me. If any articles are published, 
>>let me know right away so that I can use that information in our 
>>effort
>>
>>Below is the text of the press release. You can also view it at 
>><http://www.swedishenglishtranslation.com/pressrelease.htm>www.swedishengli 
>>shtranslation.com/pressrelease.htm (without the line about your own 
>>telephone number).
>>
>>Thanks to each and every one of you for the wonderful support I 
>>have received.
>>
>>Ken
>>
>>  PRESS RELEASE<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = 
>>"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
>>
>>Jewish Manifesto
>>
>>Stockholm, Sweden
>>
>>16 April 2002
>>
>>A total of 1,328 Jews from 28 countries have currently signed a 
>>manifesto describing Prime Minister Ariel Sharon as Israel s worst 
>>enemy, condemning his policies against the Palestinians, and 
>>calling for an unconditional and immediate end to the Occupation. 
>>The number of signatories is growing considerably from day to day.
>>
>>The petition is based on Rabbi Hillel s definition of the essence 
>>of the Jewish religion, That which you find hateful to yourself, do 
>>not do unto others, arguing that a return to that fundamental 
>>principle of the Jewish tradition is the true alternative to Sharon 
>>s confrontational and immoral policies.
>>
>>Entitled the Jewish Manifesto, the petition first appeared in 
>>Dagens Nyheter, Sweden s biggest morning newspaper, on Friday, 
>>April 5, 2002. A total of 34 Swedish Jews and 3 U.S. Jews endorsed 
>>the petition at that time. Since then, the Manifesto has been 
>>spread from person to person around the world by word of mouth, 
>>phone and e-mail.
>>
>>The response to the Manifesto has astonished and overwhelmed its 
>>organizers. Ordinary Jews from all walks of life, age groups and 
>>backgrounds have expressed their shock at the actions of the 
>>Israeli government. Many have written eloquently of the history of 
>>persecution that the Jews have suffered and the moral values that 
>>their religion and culture has taught them. The great majority of 
>>people have signed the Manifesto by e-mailing directly to Ken 
>>Schubert in Stockholm. He has compiled the names and maintained 
>>constant contact with the signatories, both individually and as a 
>>group.
>>
>>For further information on the Jewish Manifesto, feel free to 
>>e-mail to Ken Schubert at 
>><mailto:ken.schubert at e-posten.net>ken.schubert at e-posten.net
>>
>>You may also call me locally at xxxxxxxx to talk about the Manifesto.
>>
>>Below please find the full text of the Jewish Manifesto. The 
>>Manifesto is also available in several languages at 
>><http://www.jipf.nu/>www.jipf.nu
>>
>>
>>
>>Jewish Manifesto: Sharon is Israel s Worst Enemy
>>
>>Many of us who have initiated and signed this manifesto lost family 
>>members during the Second World War. They died in concentration 
>>camps or perished in the mass graves of Eastern Europe. Often they 
>>had to dig their own graves before being catapulted into them. 
>>Others of us are survivors of Nazi persecution.
>>
>>We totally repudiate Ariel Sharon s claim to speak in the name of 
>>world Jewry. He certainly does not speak in ours.
>>
>>Israel s declaration of war on the Palestinians could easily 
>>escalate into a major regional conflict. Israel has nuclear 
>>weapons, and there is little doubt that Sharon is fully prepared to 
>>use them. In our view, he and his policies have almost 
>>single-handedly brought the Middle East to the point where disaster 
>>could strike at any moment. Sharon is the biggest threat to the 
>>Israeli people and to Jews around the world.
>>
>>The Saudi proposal adopted by the Arab League handed Sharon a 
>>unique historic opportunity to make peace. His only response was 
>>ruthless violence.
>>
>>Sharon is incapable of concluding agreements or forging 
>>compromises. A peaceful solution is impossible as long as he 
>>remains in power. He has never in his career done anything but 
>>resort to the toughest conceivable military measures. The Israeli 
>>resistance and peace movements deserve all the support we can give 
>>them.
>>
>>As far back as 1952, Sharon commanded the infamous special 
>>operation Unit 101, whose task was to carry out reprisals on the 
>>Palestinian and Arab side of the armistice lines. During the next 
>>couple of years, he was responsible for two attacks on Palestinian 
>>villages that left almost 100 civilians dead. Israeli Prime 
>>Minister Moshe Sharett condemned the atrocities.
>>
>>In 1982, Defense Minister Ariel Sharon fashioned Operation Peace in 
>>Galilee otherwise known as Israel s invasion of Lebanon. This time 
>>the toll was 20,000 killed and more than 100,000 homeless. Better 
>>than 80% of the victims were civilians, and at least 6,000 children 
>>were orphaned.
>>
>>An International Commission of Inquiry set up by Nobel Peace 
>>Prizewinner Seán MacBride determined that the Israelis had been in 
>>violation of international law during the Lebanese war. An Israeli 
>>government commission headed by Supreme Court President Yitzhak 
>>Kahan concluded that Sharon had not done enough to stop the 
>>massacre of 800 unarmed civilians at the Sabra and Shatila refugee 
>>camps.
>>
>>In less than two years, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has managed to 
>>torpedo the agreements that took Israel and the Palestinians many 
>>years of patient accommodation to achieve.
>>
>>Sharon contends that Israel is above the Geneva Conventions and 
>>international law. That puts him in the company of the world s 
>>cruelest and most despicable dictators. On Sharon s orders, 
>>ambulances and hospitals are ambushed, doctors are shot, and 
>>pregnant women are left to die or give birth at Israeli checkpoints.
>>
>>Our alternative to Sharon is the Jewish tradition of humanism and 
>>faith in the future. When challenged by a stranger to sum up the 
>>Jewish religion while he hopped on one foot, the great Rabbi Hillel 
>>replied simply, That which you find hateful to yourself, do not do 
>>unto others. That is all of the law. The rest is merely commentary.
>>
>>We demand that Israel immediately and unconditionally withdraw from 
>>the Occupied Territories, that an international peacekeeping force 
>>be sent to the region, that Israel comply with international law, 
>>and that Israel declare at once its willingness to negotiate peace 
>>on the basis of all U.N. resolutions.


-- 


Al Kagan
African Studies Bibliographer and Professor of Library Administration
Africana Unit, Room 328
University of Illinois Library
1408 W. Gregory Drive
Urbana, IL 61801, USA

tel. 217-333-6519
fax. 217-333-2214
e-mail. akagan at uiuc.edu