To learn more about Young, Jewish, and Proud visit their website here.
We call for young Jews and allies nationwide to join in solidarity with Occupy Wall Street and with our Palestinian siblings living under their own form of occupation. Let us stand up to the 1% in our own community – the powerful institutions that support Israel’s corporate-backed military control of the Palestinian people and act as the gatekeepers for our community.
Throughout history, Jews have been persecuted as the scapegoats for powerful financiers, thus bearing the brunt of economic hardship on multiple fronts. This collective memory instills us with the responsibility to speak out against corporate exploitation and human rights violations, such as the occupation of the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem, which has politically and economically disenfranchised over nine million people in the name of Jewish statehood.
The ongoing colonization of Palestine has concentrated wealth in the hands of the ultra-stratified Israeli elite, as well as multinational corporations like Caterpillar, Motorola, Elbit, Northrop Grumman, and Veolia. In the United States, over $33 billion in foreign aid has gone to sustaining Israel’s occupation— most of it going directly into the pockets of US-based arms-makers— instead of funding jobs, education, healthcare, and housing for the 99%.
We face a similar dilemma in our own Jewish institutions, which tend to be dominated by a handful of wealthy right-wing donors who fund their own interests, such as free trips to Israel, while urgent community needs go unmet.
The occupation of Palestine and stratification of our own Jewish community are consistent with the grievances of the Occupy Wall Street New York General Assembly’s “Declaration of Occupation.” It is time for us to reclaim our own community.
It’s time to occupy Jewish institutions that actively obstruct human rights for Palestinians, like AIPAC, the Jewish Federations, Birthright, the Jewish National Fund, Hillel, and the foundations of right-wing philanthropists, like the Schusterman Foundation, which impose ideological litmus tests on Jews who want to work in or with the Jewish community.
It’s time to occupy the offices and stores of the multinational corporations that profit off of human rights abuses in Palestine.
Join us and make your voices heard!
“It’s time to occupy Jewish institutions that actively obstruct human rights for Palestinians, like AIPAC, the Jewish Federations, Birthright, the Jewish National Fund, Hillel, and the foundations of right-wing philanthropists, like the Schusterman Foundation, which impose ideological litmus tests on Jews who want to work in or with the Jewish community.”
Don’t forget JINSA.
And beware of your elitism in your group.
http://www.irishtimes.com/letters/index.html#1224307165304
Sir, – Those who lead European football must respond to an appeal from Palestinians dismayed at the prospect of Israel hosting Uefa’s under-21 tournament in 2013. A state that uses military might to hold sway over land it illegally occupies and exploits, flouts international law and ignores UN resolutions surely forfeits the right to be treated as a member of the community of nations. But western powers continue to embrace Israel as an ally.
During the 2011 under-21 tournament in Denmark in June, 42 Gazan football clubs, backed by many sporting bodies, wrote to Uefa president Michel Platini calling on his organisation not “to reward Israel for its violent repression of Palestinian rights”. We ask Uefa to respond positively to this plea. – Yours, etc,
ROBERT BALLAGH, artist and set designer; RAYMOND DEANE composer; FELIM EGAN, artist; STEPHANE HESSEL, diplomat, co-author of Universal Declaration of Human Rights; TREVOR HOGAN, former Munster, Leinster and Irish international rugby player; KEN LOACH, filmmaker; MAIRÉAD MAGUIRE, peace activist, 1976 Nobel Peace Prizewinner; MICHAEL MANSFIELD, barrister; MIRIAM MARGOLYES, actor; NURIT PELED, Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought joint winner 2001; JOHN PILGER, journalist and filmmaker; AHDAF SOUEIF, novelist and commentator; JEAN ZIEGLER, vice-president, advisory committee of the UN human rights council,
C/o Lower Baggot Street,
Dublin 2.
“which tend to be dominated by a handful of wealthy right-wing donors”
I hope they don’t fall too much into the trap of the false left-wing-right-wing paradigma. But otherwise very commendable!
It’s too bad it seems Young Jewish and Proud is blocking any constructive criticism of their group. I posted this earlier over at “Young Jewish and Proud earlier and just a few moments ago:
“Kathleen says:
Your comment is awaiting moderation.
November 7, 2011 at 5:45 pm
I posted this comment hours ago. Why has it not been posted?
“A wonderful group of young people. Although I have been around the edges of the group observing. Beware of claiming that you are the birthers of this movement. which I heard some members of your group claim. Honor those who have been out on the front lines of the I/P issue for decades. The majority have been non Jews. The last five years have been wonderful watching far more Jews coming out and standing firm on justice for the Palestinians. This is a new phenomena, but a welcome shift.
Stay aware of an exclusionary undertone in your group.”
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At the “Move Over Aipac” event I listened closely to what some of their members were saying and I heard several members laying claim to the I/P movement and its birth. And also heard a few seriously exclusionary statements repeated. These are qualities that will undermine any group of individuals. They would also be wise to acknowledge Carter, Said, Barghouti, Tutu, Finkelstein etc etc all of those who have been out on the front lines of this issue for decades instead of some of them fueling that this movement was birthed with their evolving consciousness about these issues. Danger.
Look at the website of http://www.youngjewishproud.org –
Young Jews say the settlements delegitimize Israel
Young Jews say the Occupation delegitimizes Israel
Young Jews say the siege of Gaza delegitimizes Israel
They don’t want to delegitimize Israel – they want to save it from itself.
And the tone of these kind of organizations is so schmaltzy, it makes me shudder.