The Price Of "Arab" Olives

7 Marheshwan 5770

I have written about Jews getting pushed around over the masiq (olive harvest) so many times, I have decided to add an "Olive Harvest" label to Esser Agaroth.

Each fall, Jews are kicked out of their homes, have their movements restricted, separated from their families and jobs, for fear of interference in the Yishma'eli (Arab) harvest of olives on Land which is not even theirs.

Army Bans Land of Israel Activists From Home
Hillel Fendel 24 Tishrei 5770/12 October 09 04:41

(IsraelNN.com) In response to the abrupt announcement that three activists may not return to their homes in Samaria for six months, residents say leftists have taken over the army’s Central Command.

Early Monday morning, IDF Central District Commander Maj.-Gen. Gadi Shamni issued orders banning two prominent Land of Israel activists from returning to their homes, or anywhere in the Shomron (Samaria), for the next six months. The two are Ariel Gruner and Akiva HaCohen, both fathers of four children and residents of Yitzhar in the Shomron.

This is not the first time for either of them: In July 2006, Gruner - whose youngest son is now ten days old - was placed in prison for seven weeks under administrative detention orders generally employed against Arab terrorists. He was then placed under “caravan arrest” in a small Jordan Valley community for three months, followed by a three-month ban on entering Judea and Samaria. In August 2008, HaCohen was banned from the Shomron, where he lives, for four months.

A Third Expellee
Several hours later, Shamni issued similar orders against a third Yitzhar resident, Eliav Eliyahu, 19, who has been married for less than a year.

The official explanation for the latest orders: “Information has been received of their involvement in violent and illegal activity… and in light of the genuine danger foreseen from them to security and public order.” (Read more...)

"Information?" What the hell is THAT supposed to mean?! Where's the "evidence?" Oh, that's right they don't have any, and they don't need any.

MK Michael Ben-Ari (National Union) criticized what he called the “thought police,” and asked why it is that pro-Arab activists and anarchists in the Bil’in and Naalin protests “who throw rocks at soldiers” never receive such orders.

MK Ben-Ari, I believe have the answer to that. "They" (the Israeli Government) side with Yishme'el (Arabs) and Esau (The West/Christians), and have forsaken the Land of Israel, for they have no connection to it. "They" are Erev Rav.

"They" have no clue and no connection with the Torah, which clearly predicts...

דברים ו
י וְהָיָה כִּי יְבִיאֲךָ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, אֶל-הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע לַאֲבֹתֶיךָ לְאַבְרָהָם לְיִצְחָק וּלְיַעֲקֹב--לָתֶת לָךְ: עָרִים גְּדֹלֹת וְטֹבֹת, אֲשֶׁר לֹא-בָנִיתָ. יא וּבָתִּים מְלֵאִים כָּל-טוּב, אֲשֶׁר לֹא-מִלֵּאתָ, וּבֹרֹת חֲצוּבִים אֲשֶׁר לֹא-חָצַבְתָּ, כְּרָמִים וְזֵיתִים אֲשֶׁר לֹא-נָטָעְתָּ; וְאָכַלְתָּ, וְשָׂבָעְתָּ.

Deuteronomy 6
10 And it shall be, when the LORD thy God shall bring thee into the land which He swore unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee--great and goodly cities, which thou didst not build, 11 and houses full of all good things, which thou didst not fill, and cisterns hewn out, which thou didst not hew, vineyards and olive-trees, which thou didst not plant, and thou shalt eat and be satisfied--

No, we are prevented from fulfilling our destiny, not only to take full possession of the heart of our homeland, but also to reap its benefits.

After living in Binyamin and the Shomron, I can attest to the fact that 100 percent of the olives never get picked. Even if I approved of sharing with the Yishma'elim, which I most certainly do not, there are plenty of olives to go around.

Ideally, Jews would go into the groves in full force, harvest everything, and have an amazing stockpile of organic olive oil for food, medicinal purposes, cosmetics, and for export.

Instead Jews are removed from their homes, families, land, and jobs, while Yishma'elim are given free reign to harvest the olives on our Land, in contradiction to countless sources in Jewish Law.

Cross-posted on Esser Agaroth.

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Ariel at The Torah Revolution has this to say: Just Look At Him.

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It has been suggested that if you think there's something wrong here, then contact every Israeli politician you know, including Ehud Barak, Minister of Defense: (dover@mod.gov.il) fax: 011 972- 2-649-6545; Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu: memshala@it.pmo.gov.il, Fax: 011 972 -2- 563-2580; the Israeli Embassy in Washington: Tel: 202-364-5500; Deputy Chief of Mission: Dan Arbell, Fax: (202) 364-5560; Defense and Armed Forces Attaché Major General Benjamin Gantz Tel: (202) 364-5403 Fax: (202) 364-5503.

THE TIME HAS COME TO DEAL WITH THE JUDENRATS - REMOVE THE TRAITORS...

Marginalize the renegades

Isi Leibler - Oct 06, 2009
wordfromjerusalem.com

The exploitation of Judge Goldstone’s Jewish background by our enemies intensifies our obligation to confront the enemy within - renegade Jews - including Israelis who stand at the vanguard of global efforts to demonize and delegitimize the Jewish state. Such odious Jews can be traced back to apostates during the Middle Ages who fabricated blood libels and vile distortions of Jewish religious practice for Christian anti-Semites to incite hatred which culminated in massacres. It was in response to these renegades that the herem(excommunication) was introduced.

More recent examples include Jewish communists who, in addition to undermining campaigns to liberate Soviet Jews and defending state-sponsored anti-Semitism, even applauded the Stalinist execution of their kinsmen on bogus charges. Like their contemporary counterparts, some of them attempted to depict themselves as devoted Jews championing "world peace.

"In practice they simply advanced the objectives of the Evil Empire. They were regarded as pariahs and isolated from the Jewish mainstream.

Israel’s first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, took ruthless measures against Israeli renegades, insisting also that Israeli embassies maintain close ties with local Jewish leaders and persuade them to refrain from publicly criticizing policies impinging on security. The consensus was that it would be immoral for Jews abroad to influence decisions that could have life-and-death implications for Israeli citizens.

Unfortunately, in the wake of the Oslo Accords, the massive divisions which tore Israeli society apart shattered this convention, ironically with right-wing politicians encouraging Diaspora leaders to undermine the Rabin government.

This occurred simultaneously with the rise of post-Zionism, vigorously promoted by the daily newspaper Ha’aretz, which published critiques of Zionist doctrine until then considered beyond the pale by the vast majority of Israelis.

Ha’aretz also launched an English internet edition which emboldened Diaspora Jewish extremists and provided a green light to global media outlets to run demonizing articles about Israel on the grounds that they had already appeared in a "reputable" Israeli daily. The most recent example was the Ha’aretz campaign defaming the IDF, which proved to be entirely baseless but created an enormous global upsurge of anti-Israeli hysteria and eased the way for the Goldstone Report.

IN THIS atmosphere, fringe groups of "non-Jewish Jews," many with no prior involvement in Jewish life, exploited their Jewish origins or Israeli nationality to defame Israel. Today, they occupy leading roles fueling global anti-Israel campaigns.

Regrettably, successive Israeli governments failed to respond even when professors at universities funded by Israeli taxpayers and Diaspora Zionists began exploiting their positions to delegitimize their country. They identified with Israel’s enemies, calling on the world to boycott Israeli institutions, including their own universities.

Israel prides itself on being the only country in the region in which genuine freedom of expression reigns supreme. But it is also a country under siege, surrounded by neighbors seeking its destruction and confronted by an ever-hostile global community. To tolerate such abominations in the name of freedom of expression is taking an ideal to a lunatic extreme. Besides, it is hard to visualize the authorities adopting such a laissez faire approach had the offenders been racists, fascists or even radical right-wing extremists.

In fact, when senior academics like Ben-Gurion University’s Neve Gordon, call Israel an "apartheid state" and encourage the world to boycott Israeli institutions, they are the ones abusing academic freedom.

It is thus high time for the Knesset to set up a non-partisan commission to recommend legislation to deny tenure at state-sponsored institutions to those indulging in such activities.

The rot has extended to the Diaspora, especially Europe and has also affected the United States. Highly vocal Jewish groups like the recently created J Street describe themselves as ’Zionist’ but their prime objective is to pressure the US government to use "tough love" against Israel - a euphemism for demanding that the Jewish state make further unilateral concessions to neighbors pledged to its annihilation.

In the past two weeks alone, a host of new anti-Israeli initiatives were reported. In Toronto, Jews were at the forefront of a campaign to boycott Israeli films at a film festival because the anniversary of Tel Aviv - ’built on the destroyed villages of Palestinians’ - was being celebrated; two Israeli women who evaded national service are conducting a North American campus tour under the auspices of ’Jewish Voice for Peace’ to persuade students to intensify their role in the "resistance movement"; in San Francisco the local Jewish Federation is providing funds for a film festival which promotes the vilest anti-Israel films; radical Rabbi Michael Lerner invited a woman who justifies suicide bombings to address his synagogue on Yom Kippur; and so on.

IM EIN ani li mi li? If we are not for ourselves, who will be? We are engaged in a battle against fiendish enemies committed to our destruction. The Israeli government must now take steps to neutralize the impact of renegade Jews who present themselves as legitimate alternative Jewish viewpoints. Such an initiative by a country which provides genuine democratic rights to all its citizens, including Arabs, could hardly be categorized as eradicating freedom of expression. It would rather represent a highly overdue effort to exorcise such odious groups from the mainstream and expose them as unrepresentative fringe groups with no standing.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is currently riding a wave after his superb United Nations address. He should summon a global Jewish solidarity conference encompassing Jewish leaders, opinion makers, philanthropists and activists similar to that organized in 1989 under the auspices of then prime minister Yitzhak Shamir and then defense minister Yitzhak Rabin in order to demonstrate the unity of the Jewish people.

At a time when we desperately seek allies, in addition to encouraging millions of Jews in the Diaspora who remain committed to Israel to become more actively engaged in our struggle, such a gathering would also provide an opportunity to exorcise the renegades from our midst.

Judenrats - Liars & Traitors = The Modern Day Hellenists

Blogmaster’s rant: I am old fashioned, I’m a Chabadnik and reasonably religious, I am a dedicated Zionist, I believe that not one centimeter of Jewish land should be relinquished for any reason, I believe that the “Two State Solution” means the death of Israel as a Jewish Homeland and a Jewish State. I also had a grievous personality fault…I tended to trust other American Jews to do what is right for Israel and our people. I have learned a hard lesson…I have learned to trust no one who voted for Obama, to trust no one who espouses drivel such as what we hear from “Peace Now” and others of their ilk, and to trust no one who, as a Jew, would support measures and ideals that would be contrary to what is best for Israel as a Jewish State.
In my opinion, the wealthy, influential American and Israeli Jews listed below are lower than whale dreck on the ocean floor. They are no better than the Judenrat or the spies that returned to inform Moshe that Israel was not as Hashem had promised. Throughout our history, we have been plagued by collaborationists such as these modern-day Hellenists. With the help of Hashem, we have always prevailed and we will do so again. The betrayers listed below should be shunned by all who love Israel as they are no different than those who would lead us as sheep to the slaughter. Bill Maniaci, Blogmaster, ‏12:31 לפנה"צ
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The Jewish people say yes to an Israeli settlement freeze:

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Lead Signers
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
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1. Lead Signers
Ed Asner, Emmy award-winning actor
Jeremy Ben-Ami, Executive Director, J Street
Mili Avital, Israeli Academy Award winner
Theodore Bikel, Emmy award-winning actor and folk singer
Scott Blakeman, "NY's Top Political Comedian" (NBC TV)
Heather Booth, activist; Co-founder & President of Midwest Academy
Leon Botstein, President, Bard College
Rosellen Brown, author
Lawrence Bush, Editor, Jewish Currents
Stephen P. Cohen, President, Institute for Middle East Peace and Development
Debra DeLee, President and CEO, Americans for Peace Now
Olympia Dukakis, Oscar award-winning actress
Elliot Figman, poet and author; Executive Director, Poets and Writers
Debbie Friedman, composer, singer, and recording artist
Mort Halperin, Director, Policy Planning, Department of State, 1998-2001
Arnold Hiatt, Past Chairman, Business for Social Responsibility
Martin Kaminer
Philip Kotler, S.C. Johnson & Son Professor of International Marketing, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University
Don Kraus, CEO, Citizens for Global Solutions
Tony Kushner, Tony Award- and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and screenwriter
Amichai Lau-Lavie, Executive and Artistic Director, Storahtelling
Theodore Mann, past Chair of Mazon, A Jewish Response to Hunger; past Chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish American Organizations
Anne Meara, Tony and 4-time Emmy nominated actress and comedian
Arthur Obermayer, President, Moleculon Research Corp; President, Obermayer Foundation
Eli Pariser, Board President and former Executive Director, of MoveOn.org
Mandy Patinkin, Tony & Emmy Award-winning actor and singer
Letty Cottin Pogrebin, author; a founding editor, Ms. Magazine
Alicia Ostriker, poet and author
Miles Rapoport, President, Demos: A Network for Ideas & Action
M.J. Rosenberg, Washington Director, Israel Policy Forum
Ruth M. Rothstein, Retired CEO of Cook County Bureau of Health and Mt. Sinai Hospital of Chicago
Darya Shaikh, Executive Director, OneVoice US
Dan Sieradski, Founding Publisher, Jewschool.com
Daniel Soyer, professor of American history, Fordham University; organizer, Jewish Scholars for Obama
Marc R. Stanley, Chair, National Jewish Democratic Council
Stephen Stern, dialogue facilitator, Theater J at Washington DC JCC; Director, Akbar Ahmed’s Waziristan to Washington: A Muslim at the Crossroads
Jerry Stiller, Emmy-nominated comedian and actor
Craig Taubman, American singer/songwriter and music producer
Sidney Topol, President, The Topol Group; retired Chairman/CEO, Scientific Atlanta
Ilana Trachtman, producer/director
Miroslav Volf, Henry B. Wright Professor of Theology, Yale University Divinity School; Director, Yale Center for Faith and Culture
Edward Witten, professor of physics, Institute for Advanced Study; MacArthur Fellow
Nancy Wohlforth, Secretary Treasurer, OPEIU; Vice President, California Federation of Labor
Louis Zorich, actor
Affiliations for informational purposes only.

2. Lead Rabbinic Signers
Rabbi Camille Shira Angel, Congregation Sha’ar Zahav (San Francisco, CA)
Rabbi Dennis Beck-Berman, OHALAH (Past President) (Petersburg, PA)
Rabbi Lisa Bellows, Congregation Beth Am (Buffalo Grove, IL)
Rabbi Stan Levy, B'nai Horin (Los Angeles, CA)
Rabbi Allen B. Bennett, Temple Israel of Alameda (Alameda, CA)
Rabbi Elizabeth Beyer, Jewish Community of Elko County (Reno, NV)
Rabbi Binyamin Biber, Machar - The Washington DC Congregation for Secular Humanistic Judaism (Washington, DC)
Rabbi Stephen Booth-Nadav, Bnai Havurah:CJRF (Denver, CO)
Rabbi Caryn Broitman, Martha's Vineyard Hebrew Center (Vineyard Haven, MA)
Rabbi Herbert Bronstein North Shore Congregation Israelï (Glencoe, IL)
Rabbi Marcelo Bronstein, Congregation B’nai Jeshurun (New York, NY)
Rabbi Sharon Brous, IKAR; named to Newsweek's Top 50 Influential Rabbis (2008, 2009) and 25 Top Pulpit Rabbis (2008) lists
Rabbi Marcus L. Burstein, Temple Rodef Shalom (Falls Church, VA)
Rabbi Ayelet Cohen, Congregation Beth Simchat Torah (New York)
Rabbi Michael M. Cohen, North American Recruitment and Special Projects, Arava Institute for Environmental Studies
Shoshanah H. Conover, Temple Sholom of Chicago (Chicago, IL)
Rabbi Mychal Copeland, Hillel at Stanford (Stanford, CA)
Rabbi James S. Diamond, Princeton University (Princeton, NJ)
Rabbi Robert Dobrusin, (Ann Arbor, MI)
Rabbi Art Donsky, Temple Ohav Shalom blog author, “Know Justice, Know Peace”, past chair, Greater Pittsburgh Rabbinic Association (Allison Park, PA)
Rabbi Elliot Dorff, Rector, Sol & Anne Dorff Distinguished Service Professor in Philosophy, American Jewish University; named to Newsweek’s Top 50 Influential Rabbis list (2007, 2008, 2009)
Rabbi Malka Drucker, Hamakomï (Santa Fe, NM)
Rabbi Larry Edwards, Congregation Or Chadash (Chicago, IL)
Rabbi Amy Eilberg, St. Paul Interfaith Network (Mendota Heights)
Rabbi Diane Elliot, The Aquarian Minyan (Berkeley, CA)
Rabbi Charles Feinberg, Adas Israel Congregation (Washington, DC)
Rabbi Michael Feinberg, (New York, NY)
Rabbi Ted Feldman, B'nai Israel Jewish Center (Petaluma, CA)
Rabbi Brian Field, Judaism Your Way (Denver, CO)
Rabbi Reuven Firestone, Professor of Medieval Jewish and Islamic Studies, HUC-JIR/Los Angeles
Rabbi Tirzah Firestone, Congregation Nevei Kodesh (Boulder, CO); author
Rabbi Frank Fischer, (Chapel Hill, NC)
Rabbi Randy Fleisher, Central Reform Congregation (St. Louis, MO)
Rabbi Dayle A. Friedman, Director, Hiddur: The Center for Aging and Judaism, Reconstructionist Rabbinical College; named to Forward 50 list (2008)
Rabbi John Friedman, Judea Reform Congregation (Durham, NC); Chair Rabbinic Cabinet, Brit Tzedek v’Shalom
Rabbi Capers C. Funnye, Jr., Congregation Beth Shalom B’nai Zaken Ethiopian Hebrew Congregation (Chicago, IL)
Rabbi Joyce Galaski, Congregation Ahavas Achim (Amherst, MA)
Rabbi Hillel Gamoran, rabbi emeritus at Beth Tikvah Congregation, (Evanston, IL)
Rabbi Rachel Goldenberg, Congregation Beth Shalom Rodfe Zedek (Chester, NY)
Rabbi David Gordis, President Emeritus, Hebrew College; founding director of the National Center for Jewish Policy Studies
Rabbinical Student Emma Gottlieb, (New York, NY)
Rabbi Art Green, Rector, Hebrew College Rabbinical School; named to Newwseek’s Top 50 Influential Rabbis list (2008, 2009)
Rabbi C. Michelle Greenberg, Temple Jeremiah (Northfield, IL)
Rabbi Nicole Greninger, (New York, NY)
Rabbi Beth Janus, Temple Beth El (Santa Cruz, CA)
Rabbi Nancy Kasten, Director of Hebrew & Judaic Affairs, The Wise Academy (Dallas, TX)
Rabbi Jonathan Klein, (Los Angeles, CA)
Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum, Congregation Beth Simchat Torah (New York, NY); Newsweek’s 2007, 2008, 2009 Top 50 Influential Rabbis
Cantor Jeff Klepper, Temple Sinai / Sharon MA (West Roxbury, MA)
Rabbi Peter Knobel, Beth Emet the Free Synagogue (Evanston, IL); Past President, Central Conference of American Rabbis
Rabbi Chava Koster, The Village Temple - B'nai Israel (New York, NY)
Rabbi Yechiael Lander, Jewish Community of Amherst / Smith and Amherst Colleges (emeritus) (Northampton, MA)
Rabbi Michael Lerner, Tikkun Magazine/Beyt Tikkun (Berkeley, CA)
Cantor Sam Levine, East Midwood Jewish Center (Brooklyn, NY)
Rabbi Joshua Levine-Grater , Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center (Pasadena, CA); Rabbinic Cabinet, Brit Tzedek v’Shalom
Rabbi Stan Levy, B'nai Horin (Los Angeles, CA)
Rabbi Seth M. Limmer, Congregation B'nai Yisrael (Armonk, NY)
Rabbi Ellen Lippmann, Kolot Chayeinu / Voices of Our Lives, (Brooklyn, NY)
Rabbi Mordechai Liebling, (Philadelphia, PA)
Rabbi Tamar Malino, Peninsula JCC (San Mateo, CA)
Rabbi Jonathan Malino, Professor of Philosophy, Guilford College (Greensboro, NC)
Rabbi Roly Matalon, Congregation B’nai Jeshurun (New York, NY); named to Newsweek’s Top 50 Influential Rabbis (2007, 2008, 2009) and 25 Top Pulpit Rabbis (2008) lists
Rabbinical Student Jessica Kate Meyer, (Belmont, MA)
Rabbi Jack Moline, Agudas Achim Congregation (Alexandria, VA); Vice-chair of The Interfaith Alliance; named to Newsweek’s 2008 Top Pulpit Rabbis list
Rabbi Linda Motzkin, Temple Sinai (Saratoga Springs, NY)
Rabbi Laura Owens, Congregation B'nai Horin (Beverly Hills, CA)
Rabbi Yael Ridberg, West End Synagogue (New York, NY); President, Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association
Rabbi Brant Rosen, Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation (Evanston, IL); named to Newsweek’s 2008 Top Pulpit Rabbis list
Rabbi Donald B. Rossoff, Temple B'nai Or (Morristown, NJ)
Rabbi Michael Rothbaum,Director/Campus Rabbi, Hillels of Westchester (Nyack, NY)
Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg, author and educator
Cantor Bob Scherr, Williams College (Williamstown, MA)
Rabbi Drorah Setel, (Buffalo, NY)
Rabbi Julie Saxe-Taller, Congregation Sherith Israel (San Francisco, CA); Co-Chair Rabbinic Cabinet, Brit Tzedek v’Shalom
Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, Rabbinic Chair of ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal; named to Newsweek’s Top 50 Influential Rabbis list (2007, 2008, 2009)
Rabbi Marvin Schwab, Temple Beth Shalom (Santa Fe, NM)
Rabbi Amy Schwartzman, Temple Rodef Shalom (Falls Church, VA); named to Newsweek’s Top Pulpit Rabbis list (2008)
Rabbi John Sherwood, Oxnard, CA
Rabbinical Student Andy Shugerman, (New York, NY)
Rabbi Jodie Siff, Reconstructionist Synagogue of the North Shore (Plandome, NY)
Rabbi Suzanne Singer, Temple Beth El (Riverside, CA)
Rabbi Elisabeth Stern, Congregation Eitz Chayim (Cambridge, MA)
Rabbi Ron Stern, Stephen S. Wise Temple (Los Angeles, CA)
Rabbi Adam Stock Spilker, Mount Zion Temple (St. Paul, MN)
Rabbinical Student Patrice Spitz, (Boulder, CO)
Rabbi Toba Spitzer, Congregation Dorshei Tzedek (Newton, MA); named to Newsweek’s Top 50 Influential Rabbis list (2007, 2008)
Cantor Elliot Taubman, Congregation Sons and Daughters of Ruth (Block Island, RI)
Rabbinical Student Rachel Timoner, Los Angeles, CA
Rabbi Arthur Waskow, Founder and Director, The Shalom Center
Rabbi Bridget Wynne, Jewish Gateways (El Cerrito, CA)
Rabbi Michael Zedek, Emanuel Congregation (Chicago, IL)
Rabbi David J. Zucker, Shalom Park (Aurora, CO)

Affiliations for informational purposes only.
3. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What does "We've Got Your Back" mean?
It’s important that the President know that a resounding majority of American Jews want a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and are willing to see the U.S. take a tough stance – nearly 70%, in fact, support the U.S. publicly disagreeing with Israeli or Arab positions, or exerting pressure on both parties to make compromises, if it will help resolve the conflict. http://www.jstreet.org/files/images/J_Street_Survey_Analysis_032309.doc]
For Brit Tzedek, “we’ve got your back” means that President Obama does not have only the passive support of the organization and our grassroots advocates. We are actively committed to helping him bring his policy goals to fruition, getting the word out and winning hearts and minds. The President has said that he wants a two-state solution by the end of his first term – Brit Tzedek will help face down naysayers, and provide him with the political breathing room and active assistance he’ll need.

2. What can the U.S. do if the Israelis and Palestinians don’t respond positively to President Obama's efforts?
Clearly, any peace deal will have to be struck between the two parties. No one can force Israelis and Palestinians to accept an agreement they don’t want. However, there’s a difference between forcing an agreement, and using the U.S. government’s powers of persuasion. A powerful example can be seen in the success of the 1998 Irish peace talks, mediated by former Senator George Mitchell, who serves currently as the Special Envoy to the Middle East.
By deploying talented, dedicated people to the region – Mitchell has gone several times, Secretary of State Clinton has been, envoys have been sent to Syria – and empowering them to achieve agreement, President Obama has signaled that he’s serious about achieving a two-state resolution by the end of his first term. This seriousness demonstrates that the parties have a real ally in the effort to end the violence, and also serves notice that the U.S. is no longer willing to accept an endless cycle of destruction.
On both sides, a majority of ordinary people have consistently said that they want a two-state solution. Many Israeli and Palestinian politicians, intellectuals, military experts, and cultural icons agree. The positions of a particular government aren’t necessarily a reflection of the peoples’ willingness to achieve peace. If the U.S. invests fully in diplomacy, encourages cooperation, and helps to clarify that only peace can bring true security, America can serve a crucial role in turning the reality around.
3. Can individuals pledging really make a difference in political policy?
It’s not the pledge itself, so much as the actions to which you pledge yourself. It’s very easy to do nothing when it seems nothing can be done. But by committing yourself to action, you’ll join your voice to Jewish Americans across the country who want to see a peaceful resolution of the conflict, and want the U.S. to take a leading role in finding that resolution. For decades, American politicians have believed that American Jews line up behind official Israeli policy and are unwilling to consider a two-state peace accord with the Palestinians. Writing to Congress, taking part in Action Alerts, writing to newspapers and blogging your opinions – all this informs our leaders that many support the new policy direction, and changes the tone of the discourse. Reaching out to friends and family expands the circle of advocates who will work to achieve a real solution.
4. What can Congress do to influence foreign policy?
Congress approves our national budget, and this carries enormous weight. For instance, if the administration wants to direct funds to monitoring implementation of a new agreement, it won’t be able to without Congressional approval. Furthermore, Congress represents the people: If it rejects an Israeli-Palestinian peace process, the administration will understand that it doesn’t have either the political or popular support it needs to act. The recent sea-change in Congressional attitudes has played an important role in giving the Obama administration the political room to voice its policy plans, and if this momentum gains, the openness to diplomacy will also grow.
5. Does Obama really pay attention to the grassroots?
Yes, he does, in particular with regards to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Brit Tzedek has been advocating with Barack Obama from his days as a Senator, and our members and national leaders often turned to him to express their thoughts on the conflict during his campaign. Representatives of the Obama campaign met with Brit Tzedek prior to the election, and during the transition period.
Among the first actions the President took post-inauguration were many that Brit Tzedek had urged for years, and he’s often used language that echoes Brit Tzedek’s positions. He has consistently made it clear that he wants to hear from the individuals who make up the American electorate, and has shaped policy responsive to the needs he’s heard.
6. Who can sign the pledge?
The pledge is geared toward American Jews, but any American who supports a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is encouraged to sign, and join in our advocacy.
7. Why is the pledge targeted to Jews?
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has long been at the center of American Jewish discourse. Many American politicians have assumed that if they express anything but complete support for official Israeli positions, we would turn against them. As such, our input has far more weight than our numbers would indicate – and American Jewish peace advocates have got to make it clear the majority of our community actually supports a two-state solution, including the possibility of pressure on Israel to achieve such a solution

http://www.jstreet.org/files/images/J_Street_Survey_Analysis_032309.doc]

Moreover, the vast majority of American Jewish voters cast their votes for President Obama. We are a central part of the success of his campaign, and we must act to make our voices heard to the man we helped place in office.
4. Signer Disclaimer
By signing this open letter, you agree to allow Brit Tzedek v’Shalom to publicize your name publicly and in any paid advertising. Your signature on this pledge indicates support for the contents of the pledge and does not constitute your agreement with all of the positions of Brit Tzedek v’Shalom. If you wish to sign the pledge anonymously, please email jeff@btvshalom.org. You may give us your general endorsement for our work by joining our Brit Tzedek’s Email list at http://ga3.org/btvshalom/join.tcl?source=home_2009.
5. Return to the Campaign
Maintainer: Brit Tzedek v'Shalom (info@btvshalom.org)
Dear President Obama,
Please know that I share your sense of urgency to bring peace to the Middle East.
Therefore, I pledge:
to back your committed and persistent leadership in support of a negotiated two-state solution
to work within my communities to build the political will that will enable you to take decisive and bold steps -- and to urge Congress to support you in this endeavor
to make it known that an American President who dedicates himself to establishing a durable Israeli-Palestinian peace acts in the best interests of Israelis, Palestinians, the United States and our allies
to support you in staying the course through difficult times and to celebrate your successes
In Hebrew, the words for wind and for spirit are one and the same -- ruach. As you work for peace, I promise that the ruach of the American Jewish people and our friends in the pro-Israel community will be at your back.