We have been documenting the moral bankruptcy of the Jewish communal leadership in the face of the Israeli onslaught in Gaza. Its good to see that others are stepping up.
Check out this "Open Letter From Anti-Zionist Jewish Youth in Canada":
Like much of the world, we have spent the last week watching in shock
and disgust as Israel continues its assault on the Gaza Strip. With the
body count rising and a new tragedy in full bloom, we feel that it is
important to speak out as Jewish youth in Canada and to denounce what
Israel is doing in our name. The Jewish diaspora is diverse and divided
on its positions on the state of Israel's policies. At this juncture in
history, as Israel has committed its worst massacre in Gaza since it
began its illegal occupation in 1967, we feel that it is crucial that
Jews speak out and denounce Israel's actions that amount to no less
than war crimes committed by an apartheid state.
More from the letter:
As Jewish youth, we are diverse, but we are unified in our solidarity with our Palestinian brothers and sisters in Gaza.
Some of us are students. We are outraged by the bombing of the
Islamic University in Gaza city, as well as other civilian
infrastructure such as hospitals and mosques.
Some of us are Arab-Jews and people of colour. We stand against
Israel's racism, which has been enshrined in Israeli law, and
privileges its Jewish citizens over its non-Jewish ones.This apartheid
state views Palestinians as an expendable people, no more than
collateral damage.
Some of us are queer. We reject Israelâs branding of itself as the
only safe place for queer people in the Middle-East while it targets
gay and lesbian Palestinians and renders life unsafe for millions of
others.
Some of us are Israelis living in Canada. We are calling for a
solidarity that stretches beyond borders and nationalities. Israel's
violent actions will only serve to further isolate the state and its
citizens from the rest of the world. By calling itself a Jewish state
and committing war crimes in the name of Jews everywhere, Israel makes
the world even less safe for Jews, leading to an increase in animus
towards Jewish people around the world.
Even though there have been approximately 100 Palestinian deaths for
every Israeli killed by rocket fire, we recognize that Israeli
Apartheid also leads to Israeli casualties. The blame for these deaths
lies with Israel â if there were no occupation and no apartheid
policies, there would be no rocket fire. If Israel, the world's fourth
largest military power, is concerned about its citizens, it would
abandon its apartheid policies and seek out justice for the Palestinian
people.
