By Manny Frishberg, JTNews Correspondent
The national
president of the peace organization Brit Tzedek VShalom
stood behind a folding chair, one of a small circle set up
in the Stroum Jewish Community Center in North Seattle. A
small, compact woman with a crown of silver grey hair, she
could barely be heard until someone brought out a
microphone.
The meeting,
sponsored by Kadima and held the Sunday before Thanksgiving,
was Marcia Freedmans second day in Western Washington and
her voice was already showing the strain. She had spent the
previous evening on Bainbridge Island and awaited another
stop in Seattle before heading down to Olympia for an
evening appearance at Temple Beth Hatfiloh.
Freedman is
something of an historic figure in Israel an early
champion of womens rights and a member of the Knesset in
the 1970s. In government she worked for reproductive rights
and helped reform Israels abortion laws, as well as focused
attention and services on the problem of domestic violence.
But, she explained, she committed herself to living
full-time in the United States when she agreed to become the
president of the American Jewish Alliance for Peace and
Justice 18 months ago.
Like most
commentators on the Middle East in the past few weeks,
Freedman described a new hopeful atmosphere surrounding the
prospects for peace in the region. She said there are a
number of factors coming together now that make her more
optimistic.
There are three
major new developments in the Middle East, both with the
Palestinians and the Israelis, and here in the United
States, that are opening a window of opportunity that
could begin to lead us in the direction of a negotiated
settlement, she said. Whats happening on the Israeli side
is extremely interesting and pretty unexpected. I dont know
anybody, including myself, who ever would have predicted
that Ariel Sharon would have some major change of heart. But
that seems to be whats going on.
Many people on
the left and in the peace movement, she said, do not trust
Sharons word and only trust what he does, Freedman said.
While saying she agreed with the sentiment, she also said
she would put her money on his going ahead with the planned
evacuation of the Gaza settlements.
The fact that
Ariel Sharon said two months ago, or three months ago to the
central committee of his own Likud Party, We cannot
continue to maintain an occupation over an unwilling
population indefinitely … has totally changed the
discourse in the country, she added. My thought is that
its better to be believing him and find out that you were
wrong than to not believe him and find out that you are
wrong, Freedman said.
She predicted
that there would be a change in the Israeli government in
the next year most likely the formation of a national
unity government with the Labor bloc, with the other option
as a call for early elections. She said Sharon has until
March to get his budget adopted, and that she doesnt think
he will be able to do it with a parliamentary minority. A
third of his cabinet has resigned in recent months over the
Gaza issue.
The other thing
that happened that is extremely important, obviously, is the
death of Yasser Arafat, Freedman said. Among the frightful
possibilities that have not come to pass since his passing,
she continued, was the outbreak of chaos in the West Bank
and Gaza with an outright bid for power by Hamas or the
development of a political vacuum with no one stepping into
the breach. Instead, said Freedman, the old guard leadership
had acted to replace the charismatic one-man leadership
style of Arafat with a newly minted respect for the rule of
law by immediately announcing a date for new elections in
January.
Its looking
very promising and its also very iffy, she said, because
we dont know whats going to happen.
An additional
piece of hopeful news she mentioned was that Hamas is
reportedly considering entering into the January elections,
at least at the local and legislative levels.
Freedman said it
was important to recognize that Hamas has both a political
and a military wings and that, like the IRA and Sinn Fein in
Ireland, once the political entity becomes involved in the
governing process, the role of the military wing is
significantly weakened.
The third factor
she listed as a positive development for Israeli-Arab peace
is the reelection of George W. Bush. Freedman admitted to
being a strong Kerry supporter, but said it is a good thing
for this particular issue at this particular time that Bush
was reelected, and its a good thing for this particular
issue at this particular time that the new Secretary of
State is going to be Condoleezza Rice.
Brit Tzedek
VShalom has been spearheading a signature drive for an Open
Letter to the Next President, which they began circulating,
along with a number of other American Jewish organizations,
before the Nov. 2 elections. Freedman said Elliott Abrams,
who holds a position in the National Security Council, has
told them he will meet with them on behalf of the
administration and accept the petitions. She said it is up
to the U.S. to put the necessary pressure on Israel to
create the conditions on the ground for successful
Palestinian elections. They should withdraw troops from the
main population centers and open up the roadblocks and
checkpoints to allow freedom of travel within the
territories.
Thus far, Sharon
has said he would be willing to do so.
Since President
Bush does believe that it is the will of God that everybody
has elections, then he is very committed ideologically to
move forward, Freedman said.
The letter calls
upon the president to commit our nation to vigorous and
persistent engagement in the process of seeking a
settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian disputes, and that
you appoint an internationally respected envoy at the
highest level within the first 100 days of the new
administration.
Because it was
Bush who was reelected, Freedman said, he could
immediately say yes, and he has given us the declaration of
recommitment to get involved in setting up a Palestinian
state during his term as president.
Freedman noted
that Bush had also given a commitment to Tony Blair to
consider appointing a high level emissary when the British
prime minister was in Washington recently.
So were going
to be submitting a petition to a White House that has
already met our demands, pretty much which is pretty good
going.