[Peace-discuss] need for a flier about Lebanon/Israel

[Robert Naiman]

This might be helpful:


On 7/16/06, Jewish Voice for Peace <mitchell at jewishvoiceforpeace.org> wrote:
>
>            Dear Robert,
>
> From Gaza to Lebanon, the conflict over Israel has once again flared up
> into major violence, with civilians being the overwhelming majority of the
> victims. And, true to form, the blame game is in full swing. Cries of "they
> started it" can be heard loudly from all sides, and the voices talking about
> reasonable ways to end "it" are once again muted.
>
> It looks very much like we are at the beginning of a long period of
> renewed and intensified conflict in the Middle East. It is important to
> understand how these events came about, and to at least try to understand
> the motivations of the players involved. Click here<http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=153370130&url_num=1&url=http://www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org/publish/article_663.shtml>for JVP's extensive in-depth analysis.
>
> *Our View*
>
> Jewish Voice for Peace believes that all parties in the horrifying
> escalation of violence in the Middle East must be held accountable to
> international law. Israel's refusal to negotiate and decision to act with
> overwhelming force have escalated this situation to war. And we remind
> everyone that none of this would be happening were it not for Israel's
> continuing, illegal, immoral and unjustified occupation of the West Bank,
> Gaza and East Jerusalem.
>
> That said, Israel, like any other country, including Lebanon and the
> Palestinians living under Israeli occupation, has the right to defend
> itself. Hizbullah's attack on an IDF post within Israel's borders was a
> clear violation of international law, and its subsequent missile strikes on
> Israeli cities doubly so. Hizbullah does not have the excuse of living under
> Israeli occupation, as the Palestinians do, making this a clearly criminal
> act.
>
> But Israel's response has been to punish the civilian population of
> Lebanon with enormous force, and this is both illegal and intolerable.
> Just like in Gaza before, Israel has employed the barest form of collective
> punishment and completely refused to talk. They have targeted civilian, not
> military infrastructure.
>
> By taking this tactic, Israel has endangered not only Palestinian and
> Lebanese citizens, but also their own people. The entire region has moved to
> the brink of war because of these escalations. All parties, Israel,
> Hizbullah and the Palestinians, must adhere to international law. As a
> country that boasts of its democracy, Israel is even more responsible to act
> in a legal manner.
>
> We call on Hizbullah to immediately release the two Israeli soldiers they
> are holding and for Israel to immediately cease its military operations in
> both Lebanon and the Gaza Strip. We call on our government in the US to
> act immediately to bring about a cease-fire and to commence negotiations
> between Israel and the duly elected Palestinian Authority aimed at resolving
> the fate of the soldier being held by Palestinians; at ending all attacks by
> Israelis and Palestinians against each other; and at ending the 39-year old
> Israeli occupation and finally bringing a just peace to all the people of
> the region.
> *How Can You Help?
> *
>
> *1. Get the facts and spread the word*
> Click here<http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=153370130&url_num=2&url=http://www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org/videos/GazaBriefing.mp3>to hear a recording of the 1-hour news briefing with JVP's Director of
> Education and Policy, Mitchell Plitnick which was held on Sunday, July 9. Click
> here<http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=153370130&url_num=3&url=http://www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org/publish/article_663.shtml>to see JVP's in-depth analysis of the situations in Gaza and
> Lebanon. And click here<http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=153370130&url_num=4&url=http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/jvfp/tellafriend.jsp?tell_a_friend_KEY=715>to tell your friends about
> Jewish Voice for Peace.
>
> *2. Write a letter to the editor*
> People in and around your home town need to hear from you. Israel has been
> demolishing the civilian infrastructure in and in Lebanon. Targeting power
> plants, commercial airports and bridges cannot be construed as targeting
> combatants. While Hizbullah also violated international law by attacking
> Israel and then firing missiles at Israeli cities, Israel's response has
> been to attck civilians. That is unacceptable and an even greater crime.
> Your neighbors are probably as appalled by this as you are, and they need to
> see your words in print so they know they are in step with their own
> community. Click here<http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=153370130&url_num=5&url=http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/jvfp/pickMedia.jsp?letter_KEY=491>to send a letter to the editor at your local paper.
>
> *3. Write Congress*
> Tell Your Congressional representatives and the President that America
> cannot continue to stand idly by while the situation in the Middle East
> continues to deteriorate. Demand that our leaders press for the release of
> Palestinian political prisoners as well as Cpl. Gilad Shalit. Tell them that
> we insist that diplomacy and negotiations, not violence, be employed to
> resolve these issues. Demand that Israel stop its invasions of Gaza and
> Lebanon, that all civilians, Israeli, Palestinian and Lebanese must be
> protected and that negotiations must replace the violence at once.
>
> You can enter your zip code and get their phone and fax numbers by clicking
> here<http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=153370130&url_num=6&url=http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizations/jvfp/getLocal.jsp>.
>
>
> Or send an e-mail to your representatives and to the President from our campaign
> page<http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=153370130&url_num=7&url=http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/jvfp/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=4443>.
>
> You can also help to relieve some of the suffering in Gaza by donating to
> the Middle East Childrens' Alliance's drive to bring much-needed medical
> supplies in to the Gaza Strip. Click here<http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=153370130&url_num=8&url=http://www.mecaforpeace.org/GazaMeds.html>for more information.
>
>


-- 
Robert Naiman
Just Foreign Policy
www.justforeignpolicy.org

On 7/19/06, Karen Medina <kmedina at uiuc.edu> wrote:
> We really need to put together a flier about the current situation
> between Lebanon and Israel.
>
> The socialist group during the on-campus demonstration had one, but, to
> me it was far too emotional. My opinion is that we must assume that the
> "people" are reasoning people, that once they know the facts (all the
> facts, not just one side or the other) that they will not be fooled by
> anyone.
>
> "You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people
> all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time."  -
> Abraham Lincoln
>
> -karen medina
>
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>


-- 
Robert Naiman
Just Foreign Policy
www.justforeignpolicy.org
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