The
Next Founders: Voices of Democracy in the Middle East by
Joshua Muravchik, Encounter Books, 2009, 371 pp., hardcover, $25.95.
The Middle East must be a home to both peace and democracy, but
neither should be held hostage to the other.
The problem
facing Middle Eastern liberals and reformers is how to navigate the
difficult waters between authoritarian states ... and even more
illiberal and reactionary oppositions....
... those liberals
who support or defend radical Islamist organizations because of
shared grievances against Israel and the West are deluding themselves
... that they can do so and sustain liberalism and reform.
... [an] investigation by Israel of its own actions would in no way
excuse the terrible acts that have been committed repeatedly against
Israeli non-combatants.... Related Website posting
Against Boycotting Israel: ... the BDS movement's
disregard for the history that gave rise to the need for Jewish
national liberation is both insensitive and misguided politically.
In his State of the Union address Wednesday night, President Obama assured the American people that he would continue to aggressively pursue his domestic agenda in 2010. He summed up his determination at the end of the speech with a rousing, "I don't quit" guarantee.
But does the same tenacity and steely resolve apply to his Middle East peace initiative? Is the President still in it for the long haul? Or is Mr. Obama getting ready to let Israelis and Palestinians "stew in their own juices", as Israeli political analysts are fond of saying? Will he throw them off like excess baggage, weighing down an Administration already saddled with challenges enough for the next 3 years?
The first month of 2010 has provided several alarming signals.
Embassy of Israel His Excellency Michael B. Oren, Ambassador of Israel to the United States
Your Excellency,
Meretz USA for Israeli Civil Rights and Peace, a longstanding affiliate of the American Zionist Movement, wishes to express our deep disappointment and great alarm over your recent remarks with regard to the J Street organization, delivered at the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism's biennial convention.
Challenging American and Israeli Jews to make a better Israel
featuring special guest: Leah Shakdiel
During the Gaza War of last winter, Leah Shakdiel, a modern orthodox woman, peace activst and feminist was arrested with others during a vigil protesting the violence and killing on both sides. The Israeli government put her under house arrest and through these actions threatened her political freedoms of speech, assembly, and organizing.
Through teaching and continued activist work with Israeli Human Rights NGOs like Machsom Watch, Mirkam Azori, Darom4Peace, and Rabbis for Human Rights, Leah works tirelessly to bring the values of peace, equality, human rights, and social justice to the next generation of Israelis.
On Tuesday, June 9, 2009, Ambassador (ret.) Philip C. Wilcox, Jr., the President of the Foundation for Middle East Peace, addressed a crowd of Meretz USA supporters in New York. His wide-ranging remarks included a history and analysis of the Israeli, Palestinian and American approaches to the peace process. The summary below focuses primarily on the American aspect of his discussion.
Ambassador Wilcox termed Barack Obama's June 4 speech in Cairo as "stunning", and he praised the President for showing an equal measure of compassion for Israelis and Palestinians, without diminishing America's "unbreakable" bond with Israel.
Several weeks ago, when President Obama was asked about the prospects for Mideast peace in light of Israel's new right-wing government, he responded: It's not easier than it was, but I think it's just as necessary.
We agree - because, as Israel reaches its 61st birthday this spring, its sustainability as both a Jewish and democratic state is not yet a foregone conclusion!
Having recently returned from Meretz USA's riveting 8-day study tour in Israel, the 2009 "Israel Symposium", we found our friends in the Israeli peace movement deeply troubled by the prospect of an Israeli government that would tread water on the peace process - or worse - and might backslide on issues of equality. More than ever before, Israeli progressives are looking to us, the American Jewish community, to muster all the energy we can to help keep the chance for peace alive.
On Friday, February 20, 2009, outgoing Meretz MK Avshalom ("Abu") Vilan spoke to Meretz USA supporters in New York. His remarks were also carried by conference call. The following is a summary of his talk.
Opening on a personal note, MK Vilan noted that, as of February 24, he would no longer be a Knesset Member, since the Meretz party would have only three seats in the new Knesset, and he had been ranked number six on the party list. Vilan noted that he would continue with his effort to promote the One Home initiative for bringing West Bank settlers back to Israel.
MK Vilan first analyzed the results of Israel's February 10 elections, including the setback suffered by both Meretz and Labor. Pointing to the trend shown by the public opinion polls, he reported that the balance between Israel's right-religious bloc and its center-left bloc (65 vs. 55 seats) had been essentially stable - before the Gaza War, during the war, and after it as well. On the other hand, the election campaign saw major shifts within each of these blocs.
Vilan indicated that, in the last weeks of the campaign, the leaders of the two largest parties - Tzipi Livni of Kadima and Binyamin Netanyahu of Likud - had coordinated their strategy, in an effort by each party to grow at the expense of its natural allies. This strategy worked, he said: In the final run-up to the election, Kadima rose by seven seats at the expense of Labor and Meretz. Likud rose at the expense of Yisrael Beiteinu, whose Knesset result of 15 seats was much less than the polls' prediction of 20.
On
Friday, January 9, 2009, Tzali Reshef of the New Movement-Meretz party, and of
Peace Now, spoke by conference call with Meretz USA supporters. The following is a summary of his remarks.
In his State of the Union address Wednesday night, President Obama assured the American people that he would continue to aggressively pursue his domestic agenda in 2010. He summed up his determination at the end of the speech with a rousing, "I don't quit" guarantee.
featuring special guest:
On Tuesday, June 9, 2009, Ambassador (ret.) Philip C. Wilcox, Jr., the President of the Foundation for Middle East Peace, addressed a crowd of Meretz USA supporters in New York. His wide-ranging remarks included a history and analysis of the Israeli, Palestinian and American approaches to the peace process. The summary below focuses primarily on the American aspect of his discussion.
Several weeks ago, when President Obama was asked about the prospects for Mideast peace in light of Israel's new right-wing government, he responded: It's not easier than it was, but I think it's just as necessary. 
Opening on a personal note, MK Vilan noted that, as of February 24, he would no longer be a Knesset Member, since the Meretz party would have only three seats in the new Knesset, and he had been ranked number six on the party list. Vilan noted that he would continue with his effort to 
