arch/ive/ief (2000 - 2005)

Having exhausted all these bloody, futile quack medicine,
is it not time to choose the alternative path?
The path of peace and reconciliation.
Peace based on Justice, understanding and international law,
rather than "peace" based on brute force.

Nineteen new victims fell on the altar of the occupation
Only the end of the occupation will dry up suicide bombings
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"Yet another nineteen innocent victims have today fallen on the vain altar of the ongoing occupation in the West Bank and Gaza Strip" says Gush Shalom, the Israeli Peace Bloc. "The occupation regime, which has lasted thirty-five years – nearly two thirds of Israel' total history – is the
hothouse of despair and hatred, from which suicide bombers originate. The ongoing denial of basic rights to a population of three and a half million drives some of
the occupied population to a despicable means of responding - the random killing of Israeli civilians - which deserves all condemnation and which plays
directly into the hands of Sharon and the extreme right. Despicable as they are, there can be no military means of ending the suicide bombings, no way forward by main force: neither bombings from the air nor incursions and invasions on the ground. "Operation Defensive Shield" in April failed to put an end to the suicide bombings, and the same will prove true of the even more extensive and brutal operations envisioned in the IDF contingency plans and fervently advocated by the settlers and the extreme right. The "Separation Fence", recently proposed as a cure-all by some circles, will prove no real solution. The retaliatory and punitive raids by the army, of which some more are expected tonight, do manage to intercept some potential suicide bombers – but the very same raids and incursions, by demonstrating the brutality of the occupation, also increase on the Palestinian side the motivation for reribution and help the recruitment of new suicide bombers.
Only an end to the occupation by political means, allowing a fair expression of the basic Palestinian aspirations, can dry up the suicide bombing phenomenon at its source and provide new hope to the desperate young Palestinians from whose ranks the bombers are recruited.

For further details:
Adam Keller, Gush Shalom spokesperson, +972 (0)3-5565804 or +972 (0)56-709603

Washington, D.C.—Americans for Peace Now (APN) today strongly condemned the most recent terrorist bus bombing in Jerusalem, which claimed the lives of 19 passengers and wounded another fifty-five people. APN's mission is to enhance Israel's security through peace and to support the Israeli Peace Now movement.

"Americans for Peace Now strongly condemns today's terrorist attack on an Israeli bus in Jerusalem, which killed and injured so many people," said Debra DeLee, President and CEO of Americans for Peace Now. "The Palestinian Authority must start fighting terrorism emanating from the occupied territories, as it should have been doing all along. Our condolences go out to the families of those who have lost loved ones, and we pray for the speedy recovery of those who were wounded.

"It is our hope that the speech which President George Bush is expected to deliver soon will provide Israel and the Palestinians with a new opportunity to stop the terrorism and violence. It should announce a renewed willingness on the part of the White House to assume the mantle of leadership in dealing with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It should address both Israel's need for greater security, as well as outstanding political questions that must be resolved. And it should provide the two sides with some level of certainty that concrete measures will be taken in a timely manner that will allow Israelis and Palestinians to move past the violence that has plagued their lives."

An E-bulletin on Jewish-Arab Coexistence in Israel and the
Activities of The Abraham Fund
June 18, 2002

IN THIS ISSUE:
ATTORNEY GENERAL CALLS FOR ISRAELI ARAB EQUALITY
TAF AWARDS $1 MILLION IN GRANTS
BREAKFAST FOCUSES ON NEW INITIATIVE TO PROMOTE "SHARED CITIZENSHIP"

ATTORNEY GENERAL CALLS FOR ISRAELI ARAB EQUALITY
Speaking at a recent meeting of The Abraham Fund's Israel Public Council advisory group, Israel's Attorney General Elyakim Rubenstein said that "Israeli Arabs are entitled to full rights as citizens. Those who want to
maintain Israel as a Jewish and democratic state must guarantee civic equality for Israel's Arabs."

The Public Council also adopted a resolution calling on the government to take a more active role in promoting Jewish-Arab coexistence. As reported in leading Israeli newspapers, the Public Council urged the government to
assign a cabinet minister with the responsibility for promoting coexistence between Jews and Arabs in Israel. The Council also urged the government to disburse the sums allocated in this year's budget from the four-year NIS 4
billion that both the Sharon and Barak governments assigned to improving conditions in the Arab sector. (The resolution can be viewed on The Abraham Fund Web site by clicking here.)
In his remarks, Attorney General Rubenstein also discussed the efforts his office is making to fight inequality and racism, particularly by providing assistance to Arab Israelis facing discrimination in such areas as housing,
education, health care and employment.
TAF AWARDS $1 MILLION IN GRANTS
The Abraham Fund awarded $1 million in grants to 62 organizations and projects advancing Jewish-Arab coexistence in Israel at a festive ceremony at Kfar Hamaccabia, Israel on May 27.
Abraham Fund Chairman Alan B. Slifka told the audience that The Abraham Fund was "accelerating its advocacy efforts this year to increase Arabic studies in Israel's school system, lobby the government to do more and to have an
impact on public opinion."
The Grants Awards Ceremony celebrated projects that have been operating in the current 2001-2002 grant-year. For the first time two regional projects initiated by The Abraham Fund received major grants totaling $176,000:
· "The Jaffa Kindergarten Program", a joint program of The Abraham Fund and the Arab-Jewish Center in Jaffa is now operating in 12 kindergartens -- four pairs of Jewish and Arab kindergartens and four integrated kindergartens.
· "The Carmiel/Bet Hakerem Valley Umbrella for Coexistence Educational Initiatives" advances community programs for coexistence between the Jewish city of Carmiel and the Arab towns, Baane, Deir Al Asad, Majd Al-Krum and Nahef.

BREAKFAST FOCUSES ON NEW INITIATIVE TO PROMOTE "SHARED CITIZENSHIP"
A new Abraham Fund initiative called the "Shared Citizenship and Public Policy Project" was the topic of the June 13 Conversations on Coexistence breakfast in New York. The breakfast featured Mike Prashker, founder and
executive director of Merchavim, an organization that promotes the concept of shared citizenship and which is partnering with TAF on the program.
The project will bring together a culturally diverse group of professionals and academics in six key policy areas -- education, public health, employment, housing, welfare and transportation -- with the goal of developing consensual public policy recommendations. These recommendations
will then form the basis for a national advocacy campaign. Merchavim will be responsible for building the consensual public policy platform while TAF will drive the effort forward through a broad-based awareness campaign.

"Fairness is an under-exploited concept," according to Prashker, who says the initiative is aimed at the "legitimization of equality."

The Abraham Fund is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting coexistence between the Jewish and Arab citizens of Israel. Through advocacy and awareness campaigns, and by sponsoring coexistence projects, The Abraham Fund fosters increased dialogue, tolerance and understanding between Arabs and Jews. A pioneer in this work, The Abraham Fund serves as a central resource for coexistence professionals worldwide. The Abraham Fund is
registered as a not-for-profit organization IRS 501(c)3 and as a public charity IRS 509(a)2 in the United States and in New York State.
Please contact us:
477 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10022
Tel: 212-303-9421 or 800-301-FUND
Fax: 212-935-1834
E-mail: info@abrahamfund.org Website: http://www.abrahamfund.org