Halla

Halla

Friday, July 28, 2006

This was passed on to me by a friend and given to her by her Rabbi!!
This is an Ad that is to be placed in the NY Times and other newspapers.....

STOP THE SLAUGHTER IN LEBANON, ISRAEL AND THE OCCUPIED TERRITORIES!

Convene an International Middle East Peace Conference to Impose a Just, Equitable and Lasting Settlement on All Parties
In the name of our sisters and brothers suffering and dying in Lebanon, Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, we, the undersigned religious leaders, scholars, academics, cultural leaders, poets, writers, philanthropists, social change activists, and citizens of the world demand that the Israeli government, the leaderships of Hezbollah and Hamas, the U.S. Government, the international community and the United Nations immediately take the following steps to stop the war in these countries:1. We demand that the Israeli government immediately halt its attacks on Lebanon. We join with the Israeli peace movement and the thousands of Israelis who demonstrated against this war in Tel Aviv on July 22, 2006 in their insistence that these attacks are utterly disproportionate to the initial provocation by Hezbollah, have killed innumerable innocent civilians, displaced half a million people, destroyed billions of dollars of Lebanon's infrastructure, and will not, in the long run, secure peace or security for Israel. We also call on the Israeli government to supply food, electricity, water and funds to repair the humanitarian crisis caused by its invasion of Gaza2. We demand that Hezbollah and Hamas immediately stop shelling or otherwise engaging in violence against Israel. These actions, which have killed numerous Israeli civilians, terrorized the people of Israel and damaged many towns and cities, played a central role in provoking the current crisis, and do nothing but harm the cause of Palestinian and Lebanese independence and democracy. It is this kind of violence which has over the years pushed many decent Israelis into the hands of its most militaristic and paranoid political leaders. 3. We demand that the U.S. government and governments around the world call on Israel, Hezbollah and Hamas to observe an immediate ceasefire, place an immediate embargo on all shipments of weapons to all parties in the war (including Syria and Iran), and join an international conference to provide security on the border between Israel and Lebanon. By endorsing Israel's attacks and explicitly giving it time to do more damage to the people of Lebanon, the U.S. government has become a party to this violence, which, together with American military actions in Iraq, is sure to create enmity towards the U.S. and Israel in the Muslim world for generations to come.These are the minimum steps necessary to stop the violence and the humanitarian disaster in southern Lebanon and the Gaza Strip. But these steps alone will not ensure that the region doesn’t return to an untenable status quo which will again eventually break into violence and new rounds of warfare.We therefore also issue:
A Call for Lasting Peace
We call upon the international community to hold an International Peace Conference to impose a fair and lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and to the conflict between Israel and other states in the region. Why do we say “impose”? There are too many forces in each country in the region who are committed to continuing this struggle forever. Their provocations will continue until the international community stops the violence once and for all and imposes conditions of peace that will allow the peace and reconciliation forces in each country to flourish. Such a solution would be based on the following conditions:
a. The creation of an economically and politically viable Palestinian state (roughly on the pre-1967 borders with minor border modifications mutually agreed upon between Israel and Palestine); and simultaneously the full and unequivocal recognition by Palestinians and the State of Palestine and all surrounding Arab states of the right of Israel to exist as a Jewish state offering full and equal rights to all of its non-Jewish citizens; b. An international consortium to provide reparations for Palestinians who have lost homes or property from 1947 to the present, and reparations for Jewish refugees from Arab states from 1947-1967;c. A long-term international peacekeeping force to separate Hezbollah and Israel in southern Lebanon and to protect Israel and Palestine from each other and from other forces in the region who might seek to control or destroy either state; and d. The quick imposition of robust sanctions against any party that refuses to sign or violates these agreements.
A New Spirit of Open-Heartedness and Reconciliation
We know that no political solution can work without a change of consciousness that minimally includes an open-heartedness and willingness to recognize the humanity of the Other, and repentance and atonement for the long history of insensitivity and cruelty to the other side. Both sides must take immediate steps to stop the discourse of violence and demeaning of the other in their media, their religious institutions, and their school text books and educational systems. They should implement this by creating a joint authority with each other and with moral leaders in the international community who can supervise, and if necessary, replace those in positions of power in both societies who continue to use the public institutions of the society to spread hatred or nurture anger at the other. Once the other parts of a lasting peace have been set in place, we call upon the parties to this struggle to launch a Truth and Reconciliation Commission, following t he model used in South Africa.
Use This Moment to Challenge the Paranoid and Cynical “Political Realism” That Generates Endless Wars
The paranoid and allegedly “realistic” version of global politics asserts that we live in a world in which our safety can only be achieved through domination, or others will seek to dominate us first. Of course, when we act on this assumption, it becomes self-fulfilling. We propose, instead, a strategy of generosity—to act on the assumption that people have an enormous capacity for goodness and generosity (without negating the truth that certain conditions promote fear, anger and hatred which sometimes are expressed in horribly destructive ways). For the U.S. and other G8 countries, we call for a Global Marshall Plan: for each of the next twenty years, the U.S. and other G8 countries should dedicate 5% of their Gross Domestic Product to eliminating global (and domestic) hunger, homelessness, poverty, inadequate health care and inadequate education for the peoples of the world. This would have to be carefully monitored and apportioned in ways that ensure the care reaches the people for whom it was intended. But what is critical is the spirit in which it is done.Similarly, we urge Israel not only to return to its 1967 borders (with minor border modifications mutually agreed upon including a sharing of Jerusalem and of its holy sites) but to do so in a spirit of generosity and caring for the other before it is forced to return to those borders by the international community and before thousands more young Israelis and Palestinians die in these senseless wars that will otherwise continue in the coming years. The only protection that we in the advanced industrial countries of the world can ever really have for our lives is to spread a spirit of love so powerful and genuine that it becomes capable of reducing the anger that has justifiably developed against the powerful and the wealthy of the world.The “cynical realists” claim that others are entrenched in their hatefulness, and that war and domination is the only wa y to battle them. This kind of thinking has led to five thousand years of people fighting wars in order to “end all wars”—and it has not worked. It’s time now to try a new strategy of generosity, both economic generosity and generosity of spirit. As stated above, there will first have to be a transitional period in which real military protections are available to people on all sides of the struggle. But by beginning now to simultaneously commit our economic resources and change the way that we talk about those whom we previously designated as “enemies,” we can begin the long process of thawing out angers that have existed for many generations. Nothing can redeem the deaths and suffering that all sides have faced in this struggle for the past 120 years. But this very moment could also be the time in which the human race realizes the futility of violence and comes together not only to impose a lasting solution for the Middle East, but to begin a new era and to recognize that our own well-being depends on the well-being of everyone else on the planet. The International Middle East Peace Conference should be structured to achieve this end—which means it should have an explicit psychological and spiritual dimension and a visionary agenda.
We Affirm the Sacredness of All Human Beings
This is the moment to begin to make that real. The U.N. raised these possibilities 61 years ago, but relied on political arrangements while ignoring the need to simultaneously build ethical and spiritual solidarity among the people of the world, resolutions that most people never even heard about, a system that represented the elites of countries around the world but not necessarily the will of their own people, and fell into politicizing every issue. We need to strengthen international institutions that move in a new direction, but we also need a commitment of the heart from everyone on the planet. Our own countries must take the lead in a whole new approach to security and well-being. This may well be the last chance we in the advanced industrial societies have to avoid international catastrophe (either environmental or nuclear) by modeling something else besides brute power, military might, and indifference to the well-being of others. If not now, when?Unrealistic? Nope. What has proved unrealistic time and again—whether we are talking about US policy in Vietnam and Iraq or Israeli and Arab policies in the Middle East— is the fantasy that one more war will put an end to wars. The path to peace must be a path of peace.Religious and spiritual leaders are also making a global call for ten days of prayer and fasting toward the aim of peace, reconciliation, and ending violence, beginning July 27th and continuing through August 6th. Signed by:Rabbi Michael Lerner, editor, Tikkun and chair, The Network of Spiritual ProgressivesAnnie Lamott, author, Operating Instructions: A Journal of My Son’s First YearNan Fink, original publisher of TikkunRabbi Arthur Waskow, chair, The Shalom CenterProf. Cornel West, Professor of Religion, Princeton UniversityRev. Tony Campolo, Evangelical Association for Promotion of EducationRobyn Thomas, former executive director, Tikk un Community/NSP Peter Gabel, President Emeritus, New College of California, S.F.

(Space permitting, your name and identification, plus the names of hundreds of others.)

Click here to view the ad as a PDF file Actual size will be full page in the New York Times

TIKKUN: A Bimonthly Jewish Critique of Politics, Culture and Society (www.tikkun.org )The Network of Spiritual Progressives (www.spiritualprogressives.org )The Shalom Center (www.shalomctr.org ) [ ] Yes, add my name as one of the people signing the ad when you reprint it. I have enclosed a check made payable to TIKKUN (Copyright © 2005 Tikkun Magazine. Tikkun® is a registered trademark.2342 Shattuck Avenue, #1200, Berkeley, CA 94704510-644-1200 Fax 510-644-1255

6 Comments:

  • At Saturday, July 29, 2006 5:27:00 AM, Blogger Daniel of "Daniels Counter" said…

    Thanks for posting that.

    not bad. I think to satisfy also the Jewish right, the tolerancen wioll have to include the tolerance of the regrowth of protected Jewish communities in the Arab Muslim dominated world, so that those of strong faith casn live in various communes throughout and be visited by Jewish pilgrims.

    Another point, I believe that international muist mean only one thing. A platform of exprtession where teh international community only acts as mediator, facilitator and judge of fairness. Above all we need much real meetings. We might juist as well call the entire Jewish community and Muslim community to go and find a Jew or Arab they have not met yet to talk to and drink tea with each other and continue to do so regularly. Meetingeach other together with the reconciliatory moves will be a good way to overcome conflict.

    Lastly as the problems are not just Jewish / Arab, conflict resolution is equally required inter Israel, inter Palestinian and inter local Arab.

    There will however always be differences, and we must likewise learn to live with these.

    I for one hope that we will; grow in this direction.

    I will be in Neve Shalom in September to observe Inter Israeli - Palestinian grass root mediation at face value.

     
  • At Sunday, July 30, 2006 10:08:00 AM, Blogger Halla said…

    Ebal, I don't think that is fair or right assumption! I do not agree with the destruction and attack against Lebanese people and this could have been handled diplomatically.

    This should not have escalated into a war, no matter what everyone thinks the Syrians should have been brought to the table and included in any discussions about the Hizbollah.....thats what diplomacy is.

    I don't only fault the US for this but also our fellow arab countries like Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, etc....where are they? Why are they not intervening on their behalf?

    They are all AWOL!!

     
  • At Monday, July 31, 2006 7:32:00 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Halla you are so right!! There could have been a way. Why we as a human race always feel the need to complicate things. As a woman I wonder why the men of this earth,NOT country or religion. continue to feel the need to destroy in order to...well, what do you call what all of you are doing. Did you know you can actually fight someone without inflicting injury or suffering.I am no longer interested in what religion someone practices, do they practice humillity??? Halla how do we as woman change this. And this the million dollar question. It can only be answered in its weight in gold.Halla thinking of ALL of you stay safe write often.

     
  • At Monday, July 31, 2006 8:05:00 AM, Blogger Halla said…

    I know Delana, obviously war does not work.....What has it gotten for both our sides? nothing but further grief and hatred. I do believe though that most people want peace and a life where they can prosper, but when they are down in dispair with no hope they let the freaks of this world speak for them. I am checking into an organization (thanx to Daniel) called Women in Black....I will let you know what I find out. My Husband reminded me that to just keep watching the news is useless without doing something.....so why don't we??

     
  • At Monday, July 31, 2006 9:09:00 PM, Blogger John said…

    The type of Utopia described in that proposal will only be found in one place: the Kingdom of God.

    Thankfully, the way has been made open through the body and blood of Jesus, whereby we can enter His Kingdom. We look forward to His appearing and Kingdom, when He will come and judge the world, giving to the evil their just deserts, and welcoming the good into the joy of His eternal Kingdom.

    All who want to may receive this Kingdom now, into their heart. He will send His Holy Spirit into your heart, as a guarantee of your future welcome into His Kingdom. But the unrighteous cannot enter. When I received Jesus many years ago, I freely experienced the righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit that it seems the whole world is seeking.

    We currently live in the phase of human history in which the Kingdom of heaven is being announced, and all who want to are entering it - meanwhile the wicked and the good live alongside each other in this world. But the last day will come, in which, like a great harvest, He will root-out the weeds and throw them into the fire (the wicked), but the wheat He will gather into barns, into His Kingdom (those who have accepted the gift of righteousness through Jesus the Saviour).

    The Kingdom of heaven is now being announced to all mankind, and all who want to, no matter whether they are Jew, Palestinian, Lebanese or anyone, are entering in. Ethnicity makes no difference in the Kingdom of heaven. God loved the whole world and sent Jesus to die for all of us, so that whoever believes in Him need not perish but have eternal life. The troubles of this present world are not even worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be our's when Jesus comes in His Kingdom. Having purchased eternal redemption for us through His blood, Jesus now sits in the heavens, and welcomes all to come to Him to receive salvation. That is of eternal importance, while the affairs of this world are passing away.

    No new proposed political or religious system or Anti-Christ system (anti, "in the place of", in the place of Christ) can ever achieve the type of kingdom described in that article, the peace which the whole world longs to experience. The Messiah (the Christ) has already come - God visited us through the baby born in a manger, born of a virgin, who healed the sick, whom men crucified and buried, who rose again the third day, who was seen of many witnesses, who ascended into heaven. His Name is Jesus.

    I also believe God delights in every ethnic race having their own homeland here and now. Consequently, there is a right place for the Jews, and there is a right place for the Arabs, to call home. Because 100% peace won't be achieved outside of God's Kingdom, the borders need to be determined on the basis of what is RIGHT, not on the basis that some Utopian peace will be achieved.

    What criteria, or philosophy, or basis should be used to determine what is RIGHT? The article proposes a return to the pre-1967 borders - but who says even those borders were RIGHT? The answer ofcourse, is the WORD of God.

    What does God's Word say about the borders between Israel, Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, and the Arabians? If a map of Israel's historical territory which God gave the Jews is super-imposed over a map of the modern-day Middle East, we find that Israel's homeland included all of the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, the Golan Heights, substantial areas of land east of the Jordan River (into modern-day Jordan), perhaps a small way further north into southern Lebanon and into a small section of south-west Syria, and just a little more of the Sinai Peninsular towards Egypt.

    If all this was made Israel's territory today, it still gives the Palestinian Arabs 75% of the territory that was Britain's original "Palestine" Mandate, giving Israel just 25%. God's Word also speaks of His love for Egypt, Lebanon and Syria, and the Arabian - and recognizes their homelands. Iran and Iraq are also mentioned. Worldwide, Arabs would still have 600 times more territory than Israel, even if all their Scriptural territory was once again their's. Arabs around the world outnumber Jews by 50:1. Modern-day "Jordan" was originally part of Britain's "Palestine" Mandate, before part of Palestine was partitioned into a Palestinian State called Transjordan. Jordanian Arabs and Palestinian Arabs are said to be identical historically, ethnically, religiously, and geographically - they even have the same flag. In effect, it could be said that a "Palestinian" State for Arabs was already created by Britain long ago, three times larger than the State of Israel.

    But regardless of what partition plan is used, real and lasting peace will only be found in the hearts of those who truly know Jesus whether Jew or Gentile, those who look forward to His coming and Kingdom. The reason for trouble in the world is because a Divine Law has been broken - and all the world stands guilty before God, both Jew and Gentile. That's the reason for all our troubles.

    But God sent His Son to redeem us all from our sins and iniquities, both Jew and Gentile, Jew and Palestinian, Jew and Lebanese, American, British, everyone. We can receive His redemption in our hearts now, by repenting of our sins and believing in our heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, and by confessing with our mouth that Jesus is Lord. For those who do this, a magnificent welcome awaits them into the coming Kingdom of God.

     
  • At Thursday, August 03, 2006 7:58:00 AM, Blogger Daniel of "Daniels Counter" said…

    Halla looks somebody knows exactly how we all will sit in peace, ;-) At least John is sure...!

     

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