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As Jews and Americans, taxpayers and voters, we are outraged by Israel's recent invasion of Palestinian territory. We are outraged by George Bush's complicity in the criminal actions of Ariel Sharon's government. We are outraged by the ongoing injustice of occupying Palestinian lands and oppressing Palestinian people, which has escalated into an all out war.

Security for Israel requires Justice for Palestinians
We stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in the Israeli peace movement who are bravely defying their own government in pursuit of justice, especially those who are refusing military service in the occupied territories. We call for Jews and all people across the United States to lift their voices in solidarity with those working against Israeli occupation.

In our many media interviews, I believe we were able to condemn Israeli government policies, while also showing our support and care for the Israeli peace movement, Israeli people, and Israeli itself. Our key message was "Jews to Bush and Sharon: End the Occupation!"

In terms of the action itself, after strategy meetings and careful planning, thirteen of us were able to weave our way into the office building housing the consulate on Wednesday morning, arriving together at the Consulate on the 21st floor at 10:30am, and peacefully sitting in, blocking the three entrances. Once there, we threw on t-shirts which read "Jews say End the Occupation (Jewish Voice for Peace)" on the front, and "Security for Israel Requires Justice for Palestinians (Jewish Voice for Peace)" on the back. We tried to deliver a letter to Consul General Yossi Amrani, explaining that we wanted to meet with him, and we would stay there until he issued a statement calling for an immediate Israeli withdrawal from Palestinian areas. In our group of 13, we ranged in age from our twenties to our sixties, half of us were women, one transgender, three of us Mizrahi or Sephardic, and one with Israeli citizenship and a former soldier.

Only 3 media representatives were able to join us, before the Consulate prevented any more media from coming upstairs -- but these included 2 major AM radio stations, and an international photographer. For 2 1/2 hours we gave interviews and alternated anti-occupation chants with songs in Hebrew and Israeli peace songs, which one of the journalists encouraged us to sing behind her, as she was making her report. The interviews gave us a chance to put forward our message of "another Jewish voice," one that opposes Sharon's policies, one that supports the Israeli peace movement; in the interviews we were also able to educate the media about what was happening to Palestinians in the current offensive, especially in Jenin Refugee Camp. For me it was important to point out how the morning paper's headlines focused on Israeli dead, which I also mourned, while ignoring the hundreds being massacred in Jenin.

One of the most moving moments was when our media assistant from the rally came up and read aloud to us Gila Svirsky's letter about her perspective, as a feminist Israeli peace activist, of what the Israeli army was doing, and her personal outrage, passion, and political commitment. It re-inspired us, and helped us feel so connected to the big picture, to the millions of us struggling worldwide for peace and justice for Palestine and Israel.

When it appeared that the Consul General was not going to meet with us -- in fact, those inside the Consulate pushed their way past us and left, effectively closing the Consulate for the day! -- and the police were not going to arrest us, we left the Consulate. Racing downstairs, we joined those who had spontaneously begun blocking the building entrance outside where the rally was in full swing, with a multitude of major media. Several of us gave short speeches here, one as a Mizrahi Jew, another eloquently imploring everyone to have the courage to speak out against the Occupation. After more chanting and singing, we took to the street itself, streaming through the traffic onto Montgomery Street in front of the Consulate, blocking the street, and shutting it down. Behind us, supporters held the giant Jewish Voice for Peace banner we had painted the night before: "Jews to Bush & Sharon: End the Occupation!"

Again, the feeling from us and from the crowd was an upbeat one, expressing an empowered Jewish voice (with many allies) against the Occupation.

Eventually 16 of us were arrested -- two of us going limp and shouting "Not in my name!" as they were carried off; we were taken to the station, booked and released (we have a May 15 court date). Before parting, we formed a circle outside the police station, and spoke of the power of the day -- in the midst of the ongoing horror being wreaked by the Israeli army. Our highlights included closing down the Consulate itself, the singing, and feeling the jubuilant connection with those outside at the rally as we surged through the doors and took to the streets. I remember looking into people's eyes, and seeing the "thank you" from them, and beaming the same message back to them. It felt like we were completely together, as one, Jews and allies, in putting our bodies on the line. As I write this, i realize how important it is, in these heart-wrenching times, to create moments for ourselves when we can feel our own power, and our powerful connection to each other, in our joint commitment to act for justice and peace and security for all our people.

Penny Rosenwasser,
A Jewish Voice for Peace

I just returned to Israel from 2 weeks abroad, and took 2 more days to get a perspective on what I see and hear, which I would now like to share with you:

First, the overwhelming picture before us is of death and destruction wrought by the Israeli army in the Palestinian cities, Jenin above all. In addition to the hundreds killed and thousands wounded, we have irrefutable evidence that the Israeli army has barred ambulances from evacuating the dead and wounded, has bulldozed homes in large numbers (sometimes with the families still inside), and has withheld access to water, electricity, and phone communication for periods of a week and more. Can you imagine life with no water, while men, women, and children are bleeding to death around you? And finally having to bury the corpses in an empty lot nearby, after days of keeping them at home?

These go well beyond the ongoing acts of brutality, mass arrests,vandalism, theft, and humiliations, which are also rampant. A senior officer was quoted in Ha'aretz today as saying, "When the world sees pictures of what we have done there, it will cause enormous damage to us." It's no wonder that the media are not given access. Listening to the report from the field at the emergency board meeting of B'Tselem last night, I was not the only one with tears in my eyes.

This is no time for analysis, although I have much to say: About the complicity of Peres, about the appalling anti-Semitism unleashed internationally by legitimate anger at Israeli, and about how horrifying terrorism in Israel and the so-called "war against terrorism" in the US have given license to what is happening. Introduce Bush-Cheney-Rice-Sharon-Mofaz, and the recipe for Violence-Begets-More Violence is complete. Today's killing of 13 Israeli soldiers in Jenin only drives home the tragic futility of Israel's military might.

Rather than analyze, this is a time to act. Here in Israel, the peace and human rights movement is working tirelessly on every imaginable front. Soldiers who refuse to serve the occupation are going to jail; convoys of food and medical supplies hastily collected have been distributed and more are being collected; human rights workers are risking their lives to monitor action; peace activists have braved hailstorms of teargas and stun grenades in facing army checkpoints; foreign activists have served as human shields throughout the territories. In my history of activism, I recall no parallel sense of urgency, in which lives and daily bread are being set aside to pursue a cause. But I also recall no parallel feeling that a calamity of our own making is unfolding before our eyes.

I implore you to take action of your own. Contact relevant officials (some addresses are given below). If you're Jewish, make a point of saying that. Tell them:

1) International monitors must be dispatched to the region at once to end the terrible violence.
2) The root cause of the conflict is the Israeli occupation of the territories. This must come to an end.

Other things you can do, even if you have limited time:

• If you have just 1 minute to give, forward this letter to others on your list.
• If you have 10 minutes to spare, write a check to the organization of your choice - see the links at Coalition of Women for Peace
• If you have 20 minutes, call, fax or write (make it brief!) any of the officials below.
• If you have an hour, write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper (brief and from the heart).
• If you have more time, get involved. See "Get Involved - Find an Organization Near You" at www.junity.org for some suggestions.
• If you're an American Jew, join the Tikkun Community or the newly formed Brit Tzedek v'Shalom - Jewish Alliance for Justice & Peace

  Whatever you can do is valuable.

  Finally, I can't help but note that Israel marked Holocaust Memorial Day today. When will we finally extricate ourselves from this trauma and apply ourselves to instilling its true lesson, that of tolerance?

  Shalom / Salaam from Jerusalem,
  Gila Svirsky