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September 9 2007 * Volume 9, Issue 33
Iran Initiative
National Rally to Stop Iran. Iran’s President Ahmadinajad is coming to New York for the United Nations General Assembly. The American Jewish community must make our voices heard and do all we can to stop him from funding and supporting terror and developing nuclear weapons. To this end, the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, and the New York JCRC, in cooperation with the JCPA, UJC, and UJA-Federation of New York, are sponsoring a rally in New York City on Monday, September 24 at 12 noon to send that message to him and the rest of the world. The gathering will be held across from the United Nations at Dag Hammarskjold Plaza (47th Street and 1st Avenue.) Click here for more information on the rally
The IAEA-Iran Partnership. A recent Information Circular published by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) includes the text of the “Understandings of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the IAEA on the Modalities of Resolution of the Outstanding Issues.” The document states that this agreement “shall further promote the efficiency of the implementation of safeguards in Iran and its ability to conclude the exclusive peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear activities." In a piece by Ephraim Asculai, from the Institute for National Security Studies, the author challenges these statements of the IAEA in light of the Advance Protocol guidelines and based on the requirements by the UN Security Council for Iran to stop its enrichment activities. The article concludes that “instead of going straight to the issues of outmost importance, the IAEA continue[s] on its route of non-confrontation, diverting attention by focusing on minor issues and buying time for Iran, thus making Iran's attainment of a military nuclear capability an almost foregone conclusion.” Click here to read this article.
JCPA/UJC Israel Advocacy Initiative
German Unions Follow U.S. Labor to Oppose Boycott Against Israel. On September 6, 2007, the president of the Confederation of German Trade Unions (DGB), Germany’s largest labor federation, expressed clear opposition to a boycott campaign against Israel. DGB President Michael Sommer expressed in a statement presented to the confederation's Executive Board of the DGB, “The DGB takes a firm view that a just and comprehensive peace between Israelis and Palestinians can only be achieved by means of negotiations between the democratic representatives of both sides, with the participation and encouragement of the international community.” The statement continues, “The DGB categorically rejects calls for boycotts that are targeted one-sidedly at Israeli citizens, institutions and products. Anyone resorting to a one-sided boycott of Israel will in fact weaken the position of the majority on both sides who are ready for peace and will play into the hands of radical and fundamentalist forces.” To read the entire DGB statement, please click here. To view the Jewish Labor Committee’s response praising the DGB statement, please click here.
International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC) and Israeli Soldiers. Last week the head of the ICRC has met the Hamas leader to try to gain access to the captured Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit. The ICRC asserted that that they will continue to make every effort to establish contact with Shalit, as well as Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev, the Israeli soldiers who were captured by Hezbollah in the Summer of 2006. The ICRC commented that establishing such contact, and restoring links between the soldiers and their families, remains a matter of highest priory. To read more, please visit BBC News.
Free the Soldiers Campaign. The American Zionist Movement is spearheading a campaign demanding a “Sign of Life,” inspired by the words of Karnit Goldwasser, wife of abducted soldier Ehud Goldwasser, at a recent rally in NY on behalf of the kidnapped soldiers. The campaign consists of sending postcards to the UN Ambassadors of Lebanon, Iran, and Syria, urging them to use their diplomatic powers to produce a sign of life from the abducted soldiers, while working towards their immediate release. For more information on the Sign of Life campaign visit www.azm.org. Today marks 425 days of captivity for Udi Goldwasser and Eldad Regev, and 442 days for Gilad Shalit. Help make sure their families know that they are not alone in their struggle. You can also visit a website made by the families of the kidnapped soldiers by clicking here.
Israel’s “Bubble” Floats to the U.S. The hit Israeli movie The Bubble by Eytan Fox and Gal Uchovsky, made waves upon its release last year. Appearing in cinemas by coincidence at the beginning of the Second Lebanon War, the insightful tragic-comedy highlighted the 'bubble' of Tel Aviv, where young Israelis are able to put aside the 'matzav' - the political troubles that plague their country - and live life to its fullest. Not only bringing the subject of Israel's societal differences to the national debate, the film was hugely entertaining, and after appearing at numerous international film festivals, was sold for commercial release in over 30 countries. Now its U.S. debut is taking place in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco, with more cities to come soon. To read more, please visit ISRAEL21c.
Save Darfur
24 Hours for Darfur. (http://www.24HoursForDarfur.org) is hosting a rally on Sunday, September 16, 2007 from 11:00am until 2:00pm as part of the Global Day for Darfur. The rally will take place in New York City at the Dag Hammarskjold Plaza near the United Nations Headquarters (on 47th Street between 1st and 2nd Avenue). The goal of the rally is to bring pressure upon international leaders by screening hundreds of short video appeals from Darfuris demanding political action be taken to end the violence in Darfur. This event will bring together several Darfur experts from leading human rights organizations to speak about establishing a long-term peace process including JCPA Executive Director, Steve Gutow. In addition, the Darfur People's Association of New York will be collecting clothes and school supplies to be sent to Darfuri refugees in Chad. Children's clothing is especially needed. 24 Hours for Darfur is also still seeking donations to support its efforts. Donations are tax deductible and can be made online at http://www.24hoursfordarfur.org/volunteer.php.
Sudan Bombs North Darfur Town: Rebels. Sudanese government aircraft bombed a rebel-held town in Darfur on Monday, insurgent groups said, hours after the government said it was investigating a bloody rebel raid on one of its bases last month. Reports of the attack came seven weeks before rebel groups and the Khartoum government are set to meet for peace talks, and coincided with renewed calls from the United Nations for the two sides to cease hostilities and prepare for the arrival of a 26,000-strong force of U.N./African Union peacekeepers. Click here to read more.
Darfur Peacekeeping Chief Confident Mission will Launch on Target. A large and complex peacekeeping operation planned for Darfur will launch on time and could, within months, improve security in the war-torn region of western Sudan, the mission's head said. Rodolphe Adada, the head of the joint U.N. and African Union peacekeeping mission for Darfur, in Khartoum, Sudan, Monday. Adada said contributing nations have already committed more than the 26,000 required troops for the force, and he expects the peacekeepers to deploy in October. "That won't mean we'll have all the elements of the force on the ground, but we'll be operational," he said in an interview with The Associated Press late Sunday. Click here to read this entire article.
ENOUGH. Chaotic conditions and increased violence in both Darfur and eastern Chad are the echoes of the genocidal policy promoted by Sudan. John Prendergast and Colin Thomas-Jensen, respective co-chair and policy advisor to ENOUGH and co-authors of the paper, challenge recent news reports that suggest the genocidal attacks by Khartoum's militias have largely ended and that Darfur's agony is now borne of anarchy. Prendergast says, "The rise in inter-communal fighting -- one of the principal objectives of the genocidal counter-insurgency strategy -- masks the more intentional, better resourced, and well camouflaged strategy pursued by the Sudanese regime to control Darfur and its people, within which many of those leading the fighting on the ground today are but pawns." Click here to read ENOUGH's latest strategy briefing.
What’s Happening
The JCPA wishes everyone a happy and healthy new year. Shana Tova.
New JCPA Staff. In the coming weeks, the JCPA will welcome two new staff members: Amos Kamil will join the JCPA as the director of the Israel Advocacy Initiative, and Eve Eisenberg will be working on fundraising and grant development.
New JCPA Blog. This week, the JCPA will launch a new blog, which can be found at www.jewishpublicaffairs.blog.com. We will be posting relevant updates and discussion topics and it is our hope that the blog will provide another forum for enhanced communication between the many voices in our community. Stay tuned for our first post later this week and please feel free to share your thoughts with us.
This Week in Washington
This Week in Washington. This week, General David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker, the two top United States officials in Iraq will report to Congress on the progress of the current operations in Iraq. General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker will appear before a joint hearing of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees. Later in the week, General Petraeus will return to Capitol Hill to testify before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the Senate Armed Services Committee.
JCPA Launches National Anti-Poverty Campaign. On Friday, September 14th, the JCPA will kick off its national anti-poverty campaign entitled “There shall be no needy among you” (Deuteronomy 15:4). To launch the campaign, JCPA Executive Director, Steve Gutow and JCPA Chair, Lois Frank, will be joined by Representatives Chris Van Hollen, Raul Grijalva, Keith Ellison, and leaders in over 20 communities, as they embark on the “food stamp challenge” or living on the nutritional budget of a food stamp recipient for a week. Check out the JCPA’s new poverty website by clicking here, to find resources on how to join the challenge, information on the campaign and how you can get involved, and press and policy materials. We hope you will join us as we mobilize the Jewish community to take additional steps to confront poverty!
Recommended Reading
Promising Freedom, Hamas Pressures Journalists. Steven Erlanger, New York Times journalist, wrote an article in the New York Times today about Hamas’ treatment of journalists in the Gaza Strip. Although Hamas promised to protect press freedoms in Gaza, its police force has been intimidating journalists. To read this article, please visit NYTimes.com.
Analysis of The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy. Harvard Professor Stephen Walt’s and University of Chicago Professor John Mearsheimer’s new book entitled The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy hit bookshelves last week. The book has generated much controversy and debate. Jeff Robbins, U.S. Delegate to the U.N. Human Rights Commission during the Clinton administration, wrote a commentary in the Wall Street Journal, Anti-Semitism and the Anti-Israel Lobby.
What It Means to Love Israel. Last week, Christianity Today published an editorial commenting on a letter sent to President Bush by 34 evangelical leaders at the end of July, a letter which commended his attempts to "reinvigorate … Israeli-Palestinian negotiations" and affirmed his "clear call for a two-state solution." Through this editorial, the magazine, a signatory to the letter, elaborated on this moderate evangelical position vis-à-vis Israel, which rejects both the dispensationalist and replacement theology views. It explained that the term Zionism simply means “support for a Jewish return to sovereignty in their ancient homeland, with a majority Jewish culture.” Finally, it concluded that the mainstream evangelical community longs for a solution that provides “a secure Jewish homeland and self-determination and prosperity for Palestinians,” because “in God's eyes, the peace of Jerusalem is to bless all peoples.” Click here to read this Christianity Today editorial.
Upcoming Events
JCPA Task Force and Board Meetings.
October 21-22, 2007 - New York City
Click here to register
JCPA Leadership Mission to Israel
October 8-14, 2007
JCPA 2008 Plenum
February 23-26, 2008 - Atlanta
Supporting JCPA
JCPA speaks to you each week, alerting you to what the community relations field is doing to safeguard the rights of Jews here, in Israel, and around the world and to protect, preserve and promote a just, democratic and pluralistic American society. For three generations, we have brought together diverse voices in the Jewish community to unite a strong Jewish public policy force.
We hope you will continue to enjoy our three weekly emails.
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Thank you so much for your support.
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