Para aqueles que não querem ouvir. Eles estão a ouvir!

I'm listening. That's it. It's that simple. As nearly any Jewish person today knows, young people aren't participating in Jewish life the way their parents and grandparents once did. And I'll be honest—as a rabbi, this worries me. The Jewish establishment tries to solve the problem by funding expensive projects to entice young people with things like free trips to Israel. At community events, organizers wring their hands when only a few young people show up. The truth is that the young Jews are there, ready to participate in Jewish life. They've always been there. And they're telling us what they want and need to be a part of this community.   We just haven't been listening. But I'm trying to change that. Starting with me, starting with you, starting now. The young Jews of Jewish Voice for Peace have made a stunning declaration of purpose that cannot be ignored.  Watch it now—and spread the word. And then read about its significance in a longer think-piece that I've written. They are telling us loud and clear: they want a Jewish community that unconditionally values all life equally. And an identity that doesn't demand that they justify taking another people's land. What they want is the values of justice that we taught them, but could never really embrace when it came to Israel and Palestine. Read what they have to say:   We exist. We are everywhere. We speak and love and dream in every language… We remember how to build our homes, and our holiness, out of time and thin air, and so do not need other people's land to do so … We refuse to have our histories distorted or erased, or appropriated by a corporate war machine. We will not call this liberation… We commit ourselves to peace. We will stand up with honest bodies, to offer honest bread…We are young Jews, and we get to decide what that means.   Better yet, watch them. And share this link with everyone you know. If you're young, Jewish, and proud, join them. If you're just proud, support them: Invite them to your synagogue (or church or school or mosque) to speak. Take them to lunch and listen, really listen. Or make a gift in honor of their efforts. Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, starts tomorrow night. This New Year, I ask you—whether you are Jewish or not—when you hear a young adult knocking at your door, please open it. And listen. Shana Tovah, Rabbi Brant Rosen, Co-Chair of Rabbinical Council Jewish Voice for Peace P.S. These young people are initiating an exciting campaign, the Go & Learn Campaign, that will aim to bring 1,000 people to youth-led educational events about the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement nationwide—stay tuned for when they will be in your area. Better still, send them a message of support so you can be sure to learn first about their plans.

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Hoje (23/09) na UN. Jewish Voice for Peace

Today, the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, presented a bid for the state of Palestine, based on the 1967 borders, to be considered by the Security Council for full membership in the United Nations. Shortly afterward, he addressed the General Assembly, where he reviewed, from the 1948 Nakba until today, the multitude of ways in which Israel has suppressed Palestinians' rights. While the question remains if the UN statehood bid adequately addresses the larger issue of Palestinian rights, Abbas' address importantly gave voice to the Palestinian struggle for self-determination. While there is no uniform support for this UN bid, today was undoubtedly a historic and moving day. After over 63 years struggling for global recognition, it was moving to see the countries of the world represented in the UN general assembly give President Abbas a rousing standing ovation. Not so for Prime Minister Netanyahu, who spoke shortly after Abbas. Netanyahu responded to the Palestinian leader with diversion and doublespeak instead of honest engagement, and peace slogans couched in hostility, aggression, and denial of Palestinian claims—a continuation of the standard Israeli tactic. We know from history that this empty rhetoric has been used by Israeli government for decades and will only mean further pain and oppression for Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and all over the world. As a Jewish-American organization, we believe it is important to remain focused on our primary responsibility:  having an impact on U.S. policy. As such, we will continue to speak out strongly against the U.S. using its veto power in the Security Council to reject this bid for statehood. We know now that President Obama will not do the right thing. Speaking at the UN on Wednesday, Obama lauded the Arab Spring—but rejected the Palestinian Autumn. The president retreated from his earlier positions that demanded Israeli accountability for its military occupation, and he did not acknowledge the ongoing role of the U.S. in maintaining that imbalance through its extraordinary economic, military, and diplomatic support for Israel, even when its actions violate international law, human rights, and U.S. policy.  And he didn't acknowledge that twenty years of the "peace process" has brought only a more entrenched occupation. Instead, Obama merely said that both sides should "sit down together, to listen to each other, and to understand each other's hopes and fears." (1) While this week has not been an easy one, we at JVP actually feel a redoubled assurance in the promise of our strategy to change the dynamics on display at the United Nations.  We know now, more than ever, that the President or Congress will not change on their own.  The array of power and money is simply too strong—for now.  We know, as with the examples of the civil rights movement and the anti-apartheid movement, to name just two, that it is movements like ours that force our governments to change their policies.  It was the steadfastness, the creativity, the demonstrations, the local organizing, and the BDS tactics that helped these movements and so many others for social justice eventually succeed.  So we'll let the politicians play their games, and meanwhile, our work will continue. Onward, Jewish Voice for Peace (1) http://www.nationaljournal.com/whitehouse/obama-s-speech-to-the-un-general-assembly-as-prepared-20110921

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EUA: A última oportunidade para fazer o que está certo!

Esta é apenas uma das organizações de judeus-americanos que está a favor do reconhecimento do Estado Soberano da Palestina.

E está a pedir-nos uma coisa simples que demonstremos o nosso apoio através de um simples clik.

Está à espera de quê?

Click here to tell Secretary Clinton and Ambassador Rice "It's time." Forty-one. That's the number of times the United States has used its veto in the United Nations Security Council to block efforts to secure Palestinian rights over the last 40 years. Now the United States and Israel want the Palestinian Authority (PA) to drop its bid for recognition at the United Nations —and if the vote goes to the United Nations Security Council as soon as next week, we think the U.S. might make that veto forty-two. That's just plain wrong. Please join 20,000 others in telling U.S. Hillary Clinton and UN Ambassador Susan Rice that the U.S. must NOT veto yet another push for Palestinian rights. To be sure, the Palestinian Authority bid for UN recognition is complicated. Israel and the United States- and their Jewish institutional backers—say they are opposed because such a move would be "unilateral". But what is more unilateral than a 44-year-long military occupation of another people? And what forum more multilateral than the United Nations?  Israel and the United States also say the Palestinians should return, instead, to the peace process. But the so-called "peace process" has meant several decades of expanding settlements and illegally confiscated land.  That said, and despite the emptiness of Israeli and U.S. rhetoric, there are real criticisms of the PA's effort. Palestinian leaders and civil society organizations have raised a number of concerns ranging from questions about the Palestinian Authority itself to the possible negative significance of the UN vote for refugee rights. As a Jewish-American organization, we know that Palestinians will be the ones who have to figure out their most effective strategies.   But we also know we need to continue to speak out for one thing everyone agrees upon: stopping the United States from continuing to play an obstructive role in securing a lasting and just peace. No matter what happens, the significance of the vote will be dwarfed by what happens the next day. There will still be an occupation. There will still be refugees. There will still be no Palestinian state. But there will be an extraordinary nonviolent people's movement in Palestine, in Israel, in the United States, everywhere in the world—and we should use the moment to escalate our demands for justice, fairness, and a future for all people in the region.   Our Palestinian and peace-loving Israeli allies on the ground will need our support more than  ever—and we'll be ready to provide it.  But for today, let's send the United States a message. The world is watching. USA? What side are you on? For freedom, Cecilie Surasky, Deputy Director Jewish Voice for Peace P.S. Please read our in-depth statement and exploration on the issues here.

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Um ano de cadeia não é castigo bastante para quem protesta pela liberdade

A year in jail not enough punishment for protesting Israel's military went to court for the right to keep holding in jail Palestinian organizer Abdallah Abu Rahmah, the cousin of slain protester Jawaher Abu Rahmah. Happily for the Israeli Army, it's a military court so they complied. Abdallah is now to serve an additional 2-3 months. Presumably they believe that's enough that when Abdallah is released, Palestinians won't mind having their land stolen or their political and human rights denied. I wouldn't bet on it. I think the fact that a man committed to unarmed protest can end up in millitary court tells you everything you need to know about the Israeli regime. This will definitely be an example to others, but not the way the military wants it to be. e. Here's the account from Popular Struggle of the harshening of Abdallah's sentence on appeal. After ordering to keep Abdallah Abu Rahmah in detention past his release date on the 18th of November 2010, the Military Court of Appeals sided with the prosecution's appeal demanding to aggravate the one-year sentence imposed on Abu Rahmah. The prosecution asked the court to harshen the sentence so that it exceeds two years imprisonment. However, the judge gave a sentence of a total of sixteen months. He has been in jail for exactly thirteen months and one day. He will now serve three more months to complete the sixteen month sentence. The judge sided with the military prosecution in front of a packed courtroom, which included the German and Spanish heads of consul in East Jerusalem, as well as diplomatic representatives from France, Malta, Sweden, Austria, United Kingdom, and the European Commission. Despite international outrage, the prosecution openly argued that the sentence should be extended for political reasons, namely "to serve as a deterrence not only to [Abu Rahmah] himself, but also to others who may follow in his footsteps." Abdallah Abu Rahmah served as the coordinator of the Bil'in Popular Committee Against the Wall and Settlements until his arrest last year. Such arguments by the prosecution expose the real motivation behind the countless recent arrests of anti-Wall organizers and activists, which is to squash the popular struggle movement in the West Bank. Gabi Lasky, Abdallah Abu Rahmah's lawyer:  "Israel has tried violent means to hinder and stop the popular unarmed demonstrations in the West Bank. Military courts are an instrument of the occupation and their verdicts are devised to help the occupation continue. This decision makes a mockery of the law and justice itself." On October 11th 2010, Abu Rahmah was sentenced to twelve months imprisonment for his prominent role in his village's successful campaign against the construction of Israel's Separation Barrier on its lands. Abu Rahmah was convicted of two Freedom of Expression charges – incitement and organizing illegal demonstrations, but was cleared of all charges connecting him with direct violence. Abu Rahmah was to be released from prison on November 18th, when the prison term he was sentenced to ended, but was kept in jail on the order of the Military Court of Appeals. The controversial decision directly conflicts with the jurisprudence of the Israeli Hight Court on the issue, instructing that a prisoner should only be kept under arrest after his term was over in the most extenuating of circumstances. Abu Rahmah was declared a human rights defender by the European Union, and his conviction and sentence generated international outrage, and was denounced by human rights organizations and the international community alike, including EU foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton. Background   Abu Rahmah, the coordinator of the Bil'in Popular Committee Against the Wall and Settlements, was arrested last year by soldiers who raided his home at the middle of the night and was subsequently indicted before an Israeli military court on unsubstantiated charges that included stone-throwing and arms possession. Abu Rahmah was cleared of both the stone-throwing and arms possession charges, butconvicted of organizing illegal demonstrations and incitement. An exemplary case of mal-use of the Israeli military legal system in the West Bank for the purpose of silencing legitimate political dissent, Abu Rahmah's conviction was subject to harsh international criticism. The EU foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, expressed her deep concern "that the possible imprisonment of Mr Abu Rahma is intended to prevent him and other Palestinians from exercising their legitimate right to protest[...]", after EU diplomats attended all hearings in Abu Rahmah's case. Ashton's statement was followed by one from the Spanish Parliament. Renowned South African human right activist, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, called on Israel to overturn Abu Rahmah's conviction on behalf of the Elders, a group of international public figures noted as elder statesmen, peace activists, and human rights advocates, brought together by Nelson Mandela. Members of the Elders, including Tutu, have met with Abu Rahmah on their visit to Bil'in prior to his arrest. International human rights organization Amnesty International condemned Abu Rahmah's conviction as an assault on the right to freedom of expression. Human Rights Watch denounced the conviction, pronouncing the whole process "an unfair trial". Israeli organizations also distributed statements against the conviction – including a statement by B'Tselem which raises the issue of questionable testimonies by minors used to convict Abu Rahme, and The Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) which highlights the impossibility of organizing legal demonstrations for Palestinians in the West Bank. Legal Background   Abu Rahmah, the coordinator of the Bil'in Popular Committee Against the Wall and Settlements, was acquitted of two out of the four charges brought against him in the indictment – stone-throwing and a ridiculous and vindictive arms possession charge. According to the indictment, Abu Rahmah collected used tear-gas projectiles and bullet casings shot at demonstrators, with the intention of exhibiting them to show the violence used against demonstrators. This absurd charge is a clear example of how eager the military prosecution is to use legal procedures as a tool to silence and smear unarmed dissent. The court did, however, find Abu Rahmah guilty of two of the most draconian anti-free speech articles in military legislation: incitement, and organizing and participating in illegal demonstrations. It did so based only on testimonies of minors who were arrested in the middle of the night and denied their right to legal counsel, and despite acknowledging significant ills in their questioning. The court was also undeterred by the fact that the prosecution failed to provide any concrete evidence implicating Abu Rahmah in any way, despite the fact that all demonstrations in Bil'in are systematically filmed by the army. Under military law, incitement is defined as "The attempt, verbally or otherwise, to influence public opinion in the Area in a way that may disturb the public peace or public order" (section 7(a) of the Order Concerning Prohibition of Activities of Incitement and Hostile Propaganda (no.101), 1967), and carries a 10 years maximal sentence.   • Email to a friend • Article Search • View comments • Track comments • • More Recent Articles East Jerusalem update: 1 Palestinian organizer drops his appeal, another arrested Israeli Army's anonymous version of Jawaher's death contradicted by everyone Horrible start to a new year: Palestinian woman killed by tear gas at protest Keep the fight for democracy going Four cases against Israeli democracy