NEWS RELEASE

Jewish Voice for Peace Calls for an End to
 Israel’s Invasion of Gaza

Group calls on US to aid in release of Israeli soldier, Palestinian prisoners and a halt to both Palestinian rocket fire from, and Israeli shelling of, Gaza Strip

Contact: Mitchell Plitnick  (510) 465-1777 (office)
                                 (510) 484-6472 (cell)

Wednesday June 28, 2006 (Oakland, CA) - American peace group Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) called on Israel to halt its operations in the Gaza Strip and for international efforts to free Corporal Gilad Shalit, the Israeli soldier kidnapped by Palestinians last week. The group also called for international efforts to free Palestinian political prisoners and those held as “administrative detainees”, often without trial.

Mitchell Plitnick, JVP’s Director of Education and Policy, said that Israel’s response to the kidnapping of Shalit is disproportionate and is a form of collective punishment. “Israel has specifically targeted civilian sites and infrastructure in this invasion,” Plitnick said. “That is not going to save Cpl. Shalit, nor is it going to bring peace or security any closer for either Israelis or Palestinians.”

JVP strongly criticized the Bush Administration for ignoring the deteriorating situation in Israel and Palestine. “The Bush Administration has been asleep at the wheel when it comes to Middle East diplomacy,” Plitnick said. “Instead of getting Israelis and Palestinians to the table to talk about stopping attacks, they’ve been focused exclusively on isolating Hamas. Meanwhile, between the Qassam rockets being fired at Israeli towns, and the Israeli shelling of Gaza, things have gotten worse. The US needs to either do its job, or get out of the way and let the UN, EU, or the Quartet get both sides to sit down and talk. If someone does not act to bring the Israelis and Palestinians back to the table, the violence is only going to escalate.”

Jewish Voice for Peace is a national grassroots organization dedicated to promoting a US foreign policy in the Middle East based on democracy, human rights and respect for international law. JVP is a voice for the silent majority of American Jews who polls consistently show support a peaceful resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and an end to Israel’s occupation of the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem. For information about the conflict and expert sources go to www.JewishVoiceforPeace.org.

###