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Copyright 1998 by the authors and PEACE. All materials are the intellectual property of the respective contributors. Unless noted otherwise, they may be reproduced provided that credit is given to the authors, and to PEACE - a Mid-East Dialog Group. Email/Web postings should include these addresses:
Ami Isseroff;
ami_iss@netvision.net.il
Ameen Hannoun;
ash74@geocities.com
Mid East Viewpoints:
http://www.geocities.com/capitolhill/senate/5455/
PEACE:
https://members.tripod.com/ash74/index.htm

 

September, 24

Greetings from Cairo/ Deir Yaseen/ Dialogue

Contents

Greetings from Cairo

Declaration

Deir Yaseen - Ami Isseroff

Dilaogue - Asem Jodeh



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.
------------
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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