NOT IN MY NAME

A website for Jews who can no longer tolerate -- and will no longer
remain silent about -- Israeli Government brutality against Palestinians

Ehud Barak, current Prime Minister of Israel, will be visiting Chicago on
November 13th with then-lame duck President Clinton. Thousands of
people will be protesting. I – along with other Chicago-area Jews who
have contacted me – will also be there with a very visible show of
American Jewish support for a lasting peace, based on justice for
Palestinians. We will meet at the entrance to the UIC stop on the Blue
Line from 6:30 to 7 PM. We will then join the protest. We hope that
you will join us. Interested? Click here.

My name is Steven Feuerstein. I am a computer software author and
Vice President of the Board of Directors of the
Crossroads Fund (http://www.crossroadsfund.org, listed for identification
purposes only); you can find out more about me at
http://www.stevenfeuerstein.com. I am also an American Jew who has
decided he can no longer keep quiet in his criticisms of Israel.
Instead, I have decided to be as vocal and visible as possible about the
brutal and deadly treatment of Palestinians by Israel, particularly by the
Israeli Defense Force (IDF) and Jewish settlers who are so clearly
opposed to peaceful coexistence with Palestinians.

Don't I Care About Israelis?

Many people have written me emails accusing me of not caring one bit
about dead Israelis (by which they mean, without saying it, Israeli Jews.
Did you know that the majority of Israeli citizens who have been killed
in this last wave of violence are Israeli Palestinians killed by Israeli
soliders.

So does my statement above mean that I, Steven Feuerstein, condone
or support killings and violence by Palestinians against Israelis, in
particular civilians? NO, OF COURSE NOT! I believe, though, that
this is NOT the time for vague cries for "end the violence on all sides."
Instead, I believe that it is up to Israel, which through its illegal
settlements policy and ongoing oppression of the mass of Palestinians
(through military repression, through control of resources like water,
and so on), to take the first step to show that it is serious about peace.
Then I believe we will see Palestinians ready to drop their stones and,
yes,
their guns.

So please don't send me emails accusing me of ignoring the deaths of
Israelis. Or don't do that until you speak out publicly expressing your
concerns about the deaths of Palestinians. I don't mind, on the other
hand, those rather silly emails accusing me of being an "Arab-lover".
Sure, I am an Arab-lover! And a Jew-lover! And a Serb-lover! And a
Peruvian-lover! And an Angolan-lover! And, well, a general lover of
human beings. They are really quite amazing and wonderful creatures;
all should be treasured, none should be murdered or tortured. Certainly
not when they are children.

While I am not interested in building an organization, that doesn't mean I
want to be alone. I invite other American
Jews to join me in my protest, to come with your own sign, or simply
your presence, ready to speak your heart to those who ask why you
are there – or even remain silent if you wish.

arch/ive/ief (2000 - 2005)