Contents
Greetings from Cairo
Declaration
Deir Yaseen - Ami Isseroff
Dilaogue
- Asem Jodeh
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Greetings from Cairo
PEACE has received the following from Prof. Lotfi El-Kholi of the Cairo
Peace Movement:
Dear Mr. Isseroff,
Thank you for your e.mail dated 11 September 1998.
We read the declaration "Palestinian-Israeli Peace Settlement" and we
congratulate you and your colleagues on the occasion of announcing this initiative.
Cairo Peace Movement salutes your courage and determination and hope that peace between
peoples in the region can be achieved despite Nathanyahu's policies.
Please keep informing us of your activities and the way you perceive peace and stability
in the Middle East.
With best regards
Lotfy El Khouly
(PEACE is honored to acknowledge the encouragement of Cairo
Peace. We have followed the establishment of Cairo Peace with hope and admiration.
A.I.)
Declaration
Hundreds have signed the Peace Declaration RE A final settlement. This is a start - but it
is not enough! If you haven't signed, please let use know why - it is an interesting basis
for dialog. In case you forgot, the declaration is at:
in English: www.ariga.com/peacewatch/deceng.htm
in Arabic: www.ariga.com/peacewatch/decarab.htm
in Hebrew: www.ariga.com/peacewatch/decheb.htm
PLEASE HELP US BRING THE PEACE PROCESS BACK TO LIFE!
SIGN THE DECLARATION AND ENLIST YOUR FRIENDS!
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Deir Yaseen
The massacre in the village of Deir Yassin perpetrated by the Irgun and
Lechi revisionist armies on April 9, 1948 has an important place in our sorry common
history.
To the embarrasment of many, the Zionist Organization of America have published a study by
their president, Morton Klein, denying entirely that there was a massacre. They have been
joined by several others. The study is posted at
http://www.zoa.org/archives/pr-980309-99.html
It is one thing to rectify some details that were exagerated, or to claim that the
massacre occurred in the heat of battle. However, these "studies" go much
further, and claim that there was no massacre, the moral equivalent of holocaust denial.
At www.ariga.com/peacewatch/levitza.htm
I have posted a translation of the Deir Yassin massacre account from 'Nine Measures' by
Yizhak Levi (Levitza). Levitza was head of Hagana intelligence in Jerusalem at the time
and his account of the battle for Jerusalem is probably the definitive one from the
Israeli point of view (it is studiously ignored by the right-wing studies). By carefully
comparing his account
with that of the ZOA and others, it is possible to see how evidence was omitted or
distorted to produce an account saying there was no massacre.
We shall shortly be adding other materials as well, including refugee evidence and fresh
testimony.
Every Zionist who respects themselves as a person should write to the ZOA and ask them to
retract this embarrassing and morally bankrupt study.
ZOA addresses:
4 E. 34th St. New York N.Y. 10016 U.S.A.
Telephone 212 481 1500
Fax 212 481 1515
email@zoa.org
As Yom Kippur is approaching, it is appropriate for us to ask forgiveness from our fellows
for sins committed against them. It is even more important to stop sinning.
To everyone: "Gmar Hatima Tova" - May you be inscribed in the book of life for
the coming year.
Ami Isseroff
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Dialogue
Dear Ami,
First of all, I want to make it clear that I support the dialogue forum of PEACE and
good communication between Palestinians and Jews. Good communication and dialogue
requires the following:
First, both sides recognise and respect each other.
Second, some steps must be taken to give both sides credibility, ie. try to resolve or
find solutions to major problems on the ground, for example the Palestinian refugees,
demolishing houses, building new settlements on Palestinian land ….. etc.
Third, the peace process is an ongoing process, so, we must deal with dialogue as a
LEARNING process for both sides.
Fourth, The peace process is another non-violence battle, a big challenge between both
sides. May be this challenge could lead both sides to live under one Government Palestine
or Israel, or another Bosnia. That’s why we SHOULD allow different views from both
sides to contribute to this dialogue. These are the major points, now I will try to make
it more clear.
.
As you know the PLO gave Israel everything and they have nothing left to give. What did
Israel give for peace? more settlements, more demolition of houses, creating facts on the
ground in Jerusalem, ….etc. The terrorism from the Palestinian side can be stopped if
these things are stopped. But let us discuss the terrorism from Israeli’s (Netanyahu
Government) and settlers side. Why didn't Israel or Zionism review their ideology after
the Oslo agreement to be able to live in peace with their neighbours? They consider in
their ideology that all of Palestine is their land and some parts of other Arabic
countries. Ben-Gurion admitted that
the conflict is great, he told the Jewish Agency directorate in May 1936 that
"we and they want the same thing: we both want Palestine, and that is the
fundamental conflict". (A. Shlaim, op cit., p.15). "The original goal of Zionism
was the establishment of a Jewish State in the whole of Palestine". (Benny Morris,
1948 and after, p9). Morris also suggests that the Zionists’ acceptance of the 1930s
and 1947 partition proposals was a tactical acceptance, but not a change in the
Zionists’ original goal. Why didn’t Israel cancel the law of "the
right of return for Jews"? When they come to Israel where they are going to live. I
think they will build settlements in Palestinian's occupied land. United Nation had a
conference of Plenipotentiaries on the Establishment of an International Criminal Court,
in Rome(Italy), 15 June-17 July 1998 http://www.un.org/icc/ . They considered in this
conference that "transerring population in occupied territories is a criminal
act".
The major political outcome of the creation of Israel is the creation of the Palestinian
refugees problem. The Israeli side must comply with the UnitedNation resolution regarding
the Palestinian refugees, mainly resolution number 194. This gives the refugees the right
to return to their homes or the right of compensation.
.
In August 1998, the Foreign Affairs program of Australian ABC Television, showed a program
about Benjamin Netanyahu and the Peace Process in the Middle East. These are some of the
views presented::
"He doesn’t understand (Netanyahu) you cannot have peace without taking risks, I
mean the process of peace is more complicated than decision of making war, peace will not
wait forever... the alternative to Oslo is Bosnia"
Shimon Peres.
"I want him (Netanyahu) to understand the other side, he may learn it but whenever he
learns it, it will be too late already. .. I believe that peace will win, the problem is
not who will be in the Government, but what will be decided in the Middle East.
Since I believe that history merges with politics, I am convinced that there is no
politician or party of parliament that can stop the march of the history. History will
continue to move and the only way it can move is the direction of peace" Shimon
Peres.
One of the mothers said: " When my baby was in my arms everybody said, "Oh what
a beautiful baby, when he is grown up there will be no war, there will be peace.
I am adding my voice to all that DAOUD KUTTAB said in his article (Mis)communicating http://www.amin.org/pages/dkuttab/july_2398.htm
BUT the Palestinians should communicate with Jews and create different dialogues all over
the world not only in Palestine and Israel. We like to hear not only from Israeli Zionism
but also from other Jews -anti-Zionists, and other groups from the international
community.
Ami, any Peace dialogue that ignores these facts will be waste of time, if
we want peace WE should take steps on the ground similar to the Gush Shalom group which
rebuilt the Shawamreh house, steps similar to Libby and Len Traubman's Dialogue in USA
http://www.igc.org/traubman.
"Peace is stronger than any Government. History is stronger than any politics"
Shimon Peres, The AGE 11 March 1998.
I wish to see Shimon Peres' Peace philosophy replacing the Zionism ideology.
We have to know, the issue today for the international communities, is not
whether one is pro-Israeli or pro-Palestinian, it is whether one is pro-peace or against
peace. Let us not stand for the language of the past Violence, Terror, Settlements,
Confiscation of Land and Occupation. The Palestinians have only ONE choice, which is
PEACE. The Israelis have TWO choices, either the PEACE or another BOSNIA.
I WISH THAT PEACE WILL WIN.
Salam,
Asem Judeh
Australian-Palestinian
APHEDA Palestinian Camps Support Campaign Founder
Australian-Palestinian Refugee Awareness Group Co-ordinator.
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Reply to Asem Judeh:
Dear Asem,
I agree with all four of your main points and I hope that most people in PEACE do. On the
basis of the principles you mention, including compensation to refugees and mutual
recognition of rights, we can make a fair peace that will give hope to both of our
peoples. Please then, add your name to the PEACE Declaration Regarding a Palestinian -
Israeli Peace Settlement, which includes, in
principle, all the points you have brought up.
Your war with 'Zionism' is really a war with a part of the Zionist movement. As you note,
Shimon Peres and many other Zionists have indicated a willingness for peace and
compromise. As Peres said, peace must be made between enemies. Nobody expects you to
become a Zionist, or to stop being a Palestinian
nationalist and nobody should expect Shimon Peres or myself to stop being a Zionist.
However, we must learn to live with each other in equality, mutual respect and
peace. Those who are torpedoing the peace in the name of Zionism or Palestinian rights are
doing our peoples a great disservice.
We followed the path of war for a hundred years. It brought us dead, refugees and hate. We
have followed the path of reconciliation for five years. It is a rocky path, but already
it has brought Palestinians the first hope for national life ever, and it has brought
Israelis the first hopes of peace. But the peace will require all of our support to make
it work!
Best Regards,
Ami
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