Dear Friends,
I hope that you are well and that many of you had a restful holiday. It is difficult to write on such a heavy day. With more than 360 Palestinians dead and over 1000 wounded, the aerial bombardment of an already besieged Gaza, and longer-range rockets hitting southern Israel, killing 3 people and terrifying Israeli civilians, the situation is very grim. Riots are breaking out near our office in Jerusalem, and the level of violence is only likely to worsen in the coming days. This situation simply cannot continue.
At Just Vision, we believe that there is no military solution to this conflict, and that freedom, peace and security can only be achieved through diplomacy, non-violence, and widespread involvement on the part of civilians on both sides, to complement political actors in the Middle East and beyond. What is needed most today is moral courage not to resort to violence, vision to call for a different future, and allies to strengthen the message of possibility.
Today, our voices may feel drowned out by headlines of escalation, destruction and hatred. Yet this path of militarism and militancy cannot lead to a sustainable, safe future for the two peoples. We must remind our journalists and government officials of this fact. The PAC JStreet in the U.S. issued a call for an immediate ceasefire and intends to bring their petition to the Obama transition team as well as to more than 100 Congressional representatives. We must also help those facing humanitarian need. Registered charities like the United Palestinian Appeal are striving to provide food and basic medical supplies to Palestinians in Gaza, who lack such necessities and who are now trying to cope with overflowing, under-equipped hospitals. There are other organizations and initiatives mobilizing to provide humanitarian relief, or to shake their leaders out of complacency. I encourage you to find the group that reflects your values, and to act.
As 2008 comes to a close, we hope you will continue to join us in advancing peace between Palestinians and Israelis. The time for engagement is now.
Wishing you and your loved ones safety and peace of mind,
Ronit Avni
Founder & Executive Director
I hope that you are well and that many of you had a restful holiday. It is difficult to write on such a heavy day. With more than 360 Palestinians dead and over 1000 wounded, the aerial bombardment of an already besieged Gaza, and longer-range rockets hitting southern Israel, killing 3 people and terrifying Israeli civilians, the situation is very grim. Riots are breaking out near our office in Jerusalem, and the level of violence is only likely to worsen in the coming days. This situation simply cannot continue.
At Just Vision, we believe that there is no military solution to this conflict, and that freedom, peace and security can only be achieved through diplomacy, non-violence, and widespread involvement on the part of civilians on both sides, to complement political actors in the Middle East and beyond. What is needed most today is moral courage not to resort to violence, vision to call for a different future, and allies to strengthen the message of possibility.
Today, our voices may feel drowned out by headlines of escalation, destruction and hatred. Yet this path of militarism and militancy cannot lead to a sustainable, safe future for the two peoples. We must remind our journalists and government officials of this fact. The PAC JStreet in the U.S. issued a call for an immediate ceasefire and intends to bring their petition to the Obama transition team as well as to more than 100 Congressional representatives. We must also help those facing humanitarian need. Registered charities like the United Palestinian Appeal are striving to provide food and basic medical supplies to Palestinians in Gaza, who lack such necessities and who are now trying to cope with overflowing, under-equipped hospitals. There are other organizations and initiatives mobilizing to provide humanitarian relief, or to shake their leaders out of complacency. I encourage you to find the group that reflects your values, and to act.
As 2008 comes to a close, we hope you will continue to join us in advancing peace between Palestinians and Israelis. The time for engagement is now.
Wishing you and your loved ones safety and peace of mind,
Ronit Avni
Founder & Executive Director
