With war raging in Lebanon and Gaza, the media portrays Americans and Israelis as united in the fight. But nothing could be further from the truth. Most Americans do not want the US to take one side or the other, but to help broker a lasting peace. And after the massacre at Yet those voices are not represented in our government or in our media. So we are seeking to print an ad in major US, Israeli, Palestinian and Lebanese media calling for an immediate and permanent cease fire (not only in Lebanon but in Gaza as well) plus an international Middle East Peace Conference to impose a settlement agreement not only with regard to Israel/Lebanon but with regard to Israel/Palestine (the core of the issue) and Israel/Arab states.
The first ad appeared today (July 31) in the NY Times. It had 2500 signatures before it appeared. We hope now to move to the Washington Post and to other American media, and to Israeli, Lebanese and Palestinian media. We need your financial support.
Please help us now by going to www.tikkun.org/PeaceAd, where you can see the ad (though you have to enlarge it to see what it would really look like at full size-- 13 inches wide and 21 inches deep).
Although Israel announced a 48 hour cessation of bombing after the killing of 60 civilians yesterday including 34 children, it continues the land war. And the war against Gaza continues, as does the daily violence of the Occupation of the West Bank.
At this moment, the world’s attention is fixed on this crisis. That won’t last. But while it does, we need to use that to try to get a more permanent settlement of all the issues, not just a temporary agreement. When Israel and Rice say something like that, they say it to justify continuing the war. When we say it, we mean it as an extension of but not replacement for an immediate ceasefire�"and the ad makes that clear.
But there is a huge urgency. Please act now-- make it possible for us to send this message to the world. Sign the ad, and donate to the ad, right now: www.tikkun.org/PeaceAd. The world needs your help, as do the people of the Middle East who are suffering: Lebanese, Israelis, and Palestinians.
Many blessings,
Rabbi Michael Lerner RabbiLerner@tikkun.org
http://www.tikkun.org
Rabbi Michael Lerner is editor of Tikkun and national chair of the Tikkun Community/ Network of Spiritual Progressives.
People are invited to subscribe to Tikkun magazine or join the interfaith organization the Network of Spiritual Progressives-- "both of which can be done by going to www.tikkun.org
