By Janis Siegel, JTNews Correspondent
One of the single most contentious issues in the Israeli-Palestinian crisis has been the Jewish settlements. These small enclaves, built by the Israeli government in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip — known by many settlers as Judea and Samaria — have been associated with much of the Palestinian terrorism over the years.
The first fragile phase of President George W. Bush’s Road Map even prohibits any new construction in the territories, while demanding that Palestinians dismantle their terrorist infrastructure and cease promoting terrorist propaganda.
A new Jewish grassroots organization, Brit Tzedek v’Shalom (Jewish Alliance for Justice and Peace) has been using the issue of these settlements as their own map to take direct aim at the Israeli government. They have issued a political call to Jews in America and around the world.
Over the past year, Brit Tzedek has emerged on the Internet and in local chapters across the country. They hope to obtain thousands of signatures by initiating a year-long petition campaign drive that, if successful, will affect the relocation of the roughly 200,000 Jewish settlers back into Israel.
Headquartered in Chicago, 132 academics, clergy, human rights activists and a few celebrities have endorsed Brit Tzedek. Eventually, they expect to have representatives meet with elected officials both locally and nationally while conducting a nationwide education and media blitz about their views on the settlement issues.
The founders of Brit Tzedek believe that the settlements are a major obstacle to the peace and security of Israel and that they have become a serious and unnecessary financial burden for the Israeli government.
According to a July 2002 poll commissioned by Peace Now in Israel, 77 percent of the settlers moved to improve their quality of life, 20 percent moved for religious reasons, while three percent believed the settlements enhance Israel’s national security. Brit Tzedek leaders say the idea for the call came out of that poll and ongoing conversation about the return of the settlers taking place within Israel itself.
Instead of providing financial incentives to would-be settlers however, Brit Tzedek says Israel should use that money to “re-settle the settlers” back into Israel. They are betting that many American Jews will share the same conviction.
Diane Balser, professor of Women’s Studies at Boston University, national co-chair of the Advocacy/Public Policy Committee of Brit Tzedek, and co-chair of the Boston chapter was in Seattle in late June to kick off the official startup of the Seattle chapter.
“The strategy is to build a grassroots base and organize, on a local level, U.S. Jews who we feel believe in the principals that we lay out, [there] is a negotiated settlement — two-states,” said Balser. “Our goal is to influence foreign policy and create momentum in this country.”
Balser believes the call fits in with the Road Map, or it can stand on its own. Either way, she says both efforts are encouraging discussion and that’s what counts.
“We back the Road Map,” Balser said. “Brit Tzedek is very, very clear on supporting simultaneous movement on both sides. Where we differ from those groups that say that the Palestinians have to clear up everything is, from our point of view, in order for Abu Mazen to have any sort of power with the Palestinians, we have to back his efforts.
“It’s part of the partnership that’s going on on both sides,” she continued. “We also want the end of civilian damage done in all ways. We think that the best way to achieve it is not endless assassination.”
Brit Tzedek positions itself as an alternative to other “mainstream” Jewish voices. While they strongly disagree with Israel’s settlement activity, however, they want it to be known that they are just as committed to the well-being and safety of Israel as other so-called pro-Israel groups.
“We want to organize people that speak up against or disagree with Israeli policy,” said Balser. “We would like to tell the world that there are other voices in the Jewish world.”
According to their stated call, Brit Tzedek not only wants the United States to apply pressure on Israel and to “urge the Israeli government to reverse its longstanding financial inducements to Israeli settlers,” it also states the U.S. should “provide generous foreign assistance, and to solicit contributions from the European Union, other major industrial democracies and the United Nations for this massive relocation effort, irrespective of whether the Israeli government is ready to participate.”
“Whatever we do in terms of legislation is secondary to actually organizing and educating politically that group of people at this grassroots level. Our basic belief is that Jews on this issue are not really organized,” Balser added.
When organizers of the call began the online petition drive two months ago, they were hoping to collect 10,000 signatures by the same time in 2004. As of this writing, their Web site has counted over 5,600 signatures for the online petition in its first two months of operation. The Seattle chapter had tallied 230 signatures at the end of June.
“We need to rethink [the timeline],” said Balser. “You have spinoffs as momentum builds. Having ads in newspapers is one spinoff. Another spinoff is education days all over the place in universities. If a city decides it wants to have a resolution, they’ll have to decide locally. We can see if we want to do a Congressional resolution. Given the Road Map, it’s also possible for us to lobby the State Department at this period of time. It’s premature to say that’s exactly what we’re going to do.”
In Seattle, chapter co-chairs Jeremy Sher and Rainer Waldman Adkins see the initial response as a good sign and anticipate a growing chapter.
“You can become involved in educational programs,” said Adkins, describing the type of work the local chapter is planning to undertake. “A new program is called the Inclusivity Initiative. This is specifically to work with other Jews, learning how to talk to each other and to understand the motivations that shape our connections to Israel…to give ourselves the ability to listen to one another and to make informed decisions based on that listening.”
Adkins said people in Olympia and Bellingham interested in starting Brit Tzedek chapters in their communities have contacted him as well.
Both Adkins and Sher used the timing of Balser’s visit to Seattle to meet with a representative from the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle and Rep. Jim McDermott.
“We are working with elected leaders and leaders of the Jewish community,” said Sher. “We’re all acting out of our strong love for Israel, and when we proceed from that basis there’s a lot we can do together. We think we’re a positive place to come for people who want to support Israel and support peace.”
The Brit Tzedek Web site can be found at www.btvshalom.org.