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- JVP San Diego member Ed Sweed delivers petition to Representative Scott Peter’s office urging him to #SkipTheSpeech.
- Jewish Voice for Peace staff and leaders with Representative Keith Ellison.
- JVP Chicago meet with Representative Jan Schakowsky.
- JVP Boston members participate in protest and die-in outside Massachusetts State House during the assault on Gaza in the summer of 2014. Photo by Marilyn Humphries
- JVP LA leads Interfaith delegation meeting with Representative Janice Hahn’s district staff.
- JVP leader Estee Chandler arrested outside of Senator Diane Feinstein’s office after a sit-in to express dismay with their near unconditional support to Israel’s attack on Gaza in August of 2014.
GRASSROOTS WINS
Anti-Discrimination
JVP helped prevent AIPAC’s top priority legislation, the US Israel Strategic Partnership Act, which would have discriminated against Arab-Americans and Muslim Americans visiting Israel.
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#SkipTheSpeech
Working with allies; JVP’s 65 local chapters demonstrated the grassroots power to support members willing to speak out for peace and American diplomacy in the Middle East.
TAKE ACTION
Add your voice to the growing number of constituents calling on their Representatives to take stand for equality and human rights for all people in Israel/Palestine.
Traveling to DC?
Set up a meeting with your Member of Congress with the support of JVP’s Government Affairs Liaison.
Already in contact?
Have a relationship with your Senators or Member of Congress? We can build on it to strengthen our movement.
Jewish Voice for Peace is proud to be a campaign partner of the No Way to Treat a Child Campaign. The No Way to Treat a Child campaign seeks to challenge Israel’s prolonged military occupation of Palestinians by exposing widespread and systematic ill-treatment of Palestinian children in the Israeli military detention system. It is a project of Defense for Children International – Palestine and American Friends Service Committee.
Lift The Blockade of Gaza
In June of 2010, The International Committee of the Red Cross, a traditionally neutral organization, stated, “The whole of Gaza’s civilian population is being punished for acts for which they bear no responsibility. The closure therefore constitutes a collective punishment imposed in clear violation of Israel’s obligations under international humanitarian law.” Israelis and Palestinians alike deserve to live free of terror and with basic freedom of movement. The best way to do this is with a clear ceasefire agreement that includes ending the blockade with appropriate security to prevent weapon smuggling.
SUPPORT THE FRAMEWORK
AGREEMENT WITH IRAN
Jewish Voice for Peace urges members of Congress to support the recent framework agreement between Iran and the P5+1. As a Jewish organization deeply committed to justice and a peaceful future for the Middle East, we want to highlight the diverse and wide-ranging views in the American Jewish community about war and about the impact of Iran’s nuclear program. As Jews, we strongly support diplomatic efforts to resolve outstanding international concerns about Iran’s nuclear program.
Image by European External Action Service
STOP FUNDING ISRAELI INJUSTICES
The U.S. sends a $3.8 billion dollar blank check in military aid to Israel every year. Time and again, U.S. politicians have refused to hold Israel accountable and we are long overdue for Congress to get serious about pressuring Israel to comply with international human rights law. No U.S. tax dollars should fund Israel’s 11-year military blockade of Gaza, the abuse and military detention of Palestinian children in the West Bank, discriminatory and punitive home demolitions against Palestinians, or any other part of Israel’s oppression of Palestinians.
US MILITARY AID MUST BE SUBJECT TO LEAHY LAW
The Leahy Law is an amendment to the Foreign Assistance Act first adopted in 1998, which applies to all State Department funded assistance (training and arms sales). The United States has provided more than $121 billion in cumulative bilateral assistance to Israel since World War II—more than to any other country in the world. For decades, international human rights organizations have documented Israeli human rights violations committed against Palestinians living under its effective control. Jewish Voice for Peace calls for U.S. military aid to Israel to be subject to the rigors of the Leahy Law.
THE END OF RECENT PEACE TALKS
Israel’s withdrawal from peace talks and subsequent punishment of the Palestinians for the Fatah-Hamas reconciliation agreement was a tactical move meant to deflect from the main cause of the failure of decades of peace talks—Israel’s ongoing settlement expansion and the entrenchment of the occupation, materially and diplomatically supported by the United States.
ISRAEL’S SEGREGATED BUSES
Since West Bank Palestinians obtain work permits through a thorough Israeli security vetting system, there is no legitimate reason to force them to use separate buses from Jews. Israel’s recent decision to force Palestinians off of Israeli buses is the latest example of heightened prejudice and differential treatment toward non-Jews living under Israeli control.
US SETTLEMENT FUNDERS
Both the Israeli government and U.S. organizations consciously assist Israeli settlement expansion. As an organization that focuses on the critical role of the United States in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Jewish Voice for Peace is deeply concerned that U.S. organizations use their 501c3 non-profit status to raise money for the maintenance and expansion of West Bank and East Jerusalem settlements. These settlements are illegal under international law and destructive to U.S. foreign policy objectives. Jewish Voice for Peace therefore recommends a review of groups providing money to settlements for compliance with the requirements of their tax status and laws relating to material support to terrorism.
WHO WE ARE
We bring the voices of our movement to the halls of Congress. We bring our vision for a just peace to our local Representatives. We bring the reality that a growing number of Americans and Jewish Americans calling for a change in US policy. These are a just a few of our leaders.
Rabbi Joseph Berman
Government Affairs Liaison
Rabbi Joseph Berman works alongside American Jews and peoples of many traditions to put faith and values into action, building a US Foreign policy that works for justice, equality, and human rights for all people. He has organized for justice and equality for Palestinians and Israelis for over a decade. Ordained at the Rabbinical School of Hebrew College in Boston, Rabbi Berman draws upon years of experience in advocacy and faith-based community organizing.
Karen Ackerman
Board Member
We are at a critical political moment for challenging policymakers’ knee-jerk support for Israel’s increasingly anti-democratic policies. Karen Ackerman served as Political Director of the AFL-CIO for a decade and has been active in the Labor Movement for more than 30 years. She has spearheaded and won groundbreaking mayoral, congressional and national campaigns, from Nydia Velazquez’s bid for the newly created 12th Congressional seat to the AFL-CIO’s most aggressive presidential election mobilization effort ever. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for Jewish Voice for Peace.
Maxine Fookson & Ned Rosch
JVP Portland Members
Grassroots support can embolden our Congressional representatives to take principled positions on human rights in Israel/Palestine. Maxine and Ned have worked with JVP-Portland to bring the growing voices of constituents to their Members of Congress. Their advocacy has elevated vital issues, like access to water in Gaza, to be the focus of congressional hearings. JVP-Portland is one of 60+ chapters who will continue to bring constituent voices to their Representatives until all people in Israel/Palestine have equal rights.