Meretz USA Rallies in Annapolis

An on-the-scene report from Executive Director Charney V. Bromberg

I had the opportunity, last week, to appear as a panelist after last Tuesday evening’s production of “Masked” – an Israeli-written play about three Palestinian brothers caught up in the First Intifada. It is, first of all, an extraordinary piece of stagecraft; my Palestinian friends find the play authentic, and I am not surprised, because the playwright has tapped into basic human qualities and dilemmas - here in the context of the Intifada - and laid them out boldly.

My point, however, is not to advertise the play, but to share with you my answer to the first question that was presented to the post-show panelists: What do you think will come out of Annapolis, and would you go there to support it or oppose it.

I answered last, and began my response by saying I was, in fact, physically going to Annapolis (even before the date had been set) to stand with others who support the renewal of negotiations. I gave the audience the address of the Meretz USA website and invited them check out our trip.

Virtually all the activist groups at Beit Shalom - Ameinu, Brit Tzedek, Hashomer Hatzair, Habonim Dror, Meretz USA and the Union of Progressive Zionists- as well as Americans for Peace Now and The Workmens’ Circle came together to sponsor a rally in Annapolis and two buses, one from New York, the other from Washington, to get there.

So, what did we accomplish? There were less than 40 people on the bus to Annapolis; the total turnout at our rally was in the range of 100. Not many people, but there was news coverage. Tammy Shapiro of the UPZ acted as the emcee of the rally. As our past-president, Lilly Rivlin said, the torch was passed to a new generation: the young people of Hashomer and Habonim sang; the speaker from APN was Noam Shelef; Rob Levy spoke for Brit Tzedek - both 30 or under.

Still, only one hundred people!?! Well, I’m not surprised and I’m not discouraged. In the age of electronic communication - television and the internet - the idea of “being there” doesn’t have quite the ring to it that it once had. But still, those of us who went were there, and that was important, because we were bearing witness, not just to the media who would carry our message - but to our own commitments. And that is vital. If we believe, if we support, and what we believe, and what it is that we support – these things have meaning beyond either numbers or external impact.

When I spoke to the assembled not-so-multitudinous audience, I said that we need to stop thinking of ourselves as a minority - that each one of us present was as ten thousand, because opinion polls for a decade say that the overwhelming majority of American Jews - 65 to 70% - support a two-state solution, an end to occupation, the creation of a viable, peaceful Palestinian state. That, I hope will be the message we build over the weeks and months ahead as the negotiating process that Presidents Bush and Abbas, and Prime Minister Olmert announced, moves forward. And we must be particularly insistent to our President and members of Congress, that we expect the United States to be determined and unflagging in its efforts to keep things moving. In our solar system, the United States is the sun, and if it doesn’t apply its gravity, if it doesn’t show the light, if it doesn’t apply the heat, the bus to peace ain’t gonna get there.

There are real obstacles out there including the awful chasm that is Gaza. Can Israel and the PA talk peace without peace in Southern Israel. Why do I feel that there is a train wreck waiting to happen?

But even if we can put that nightmare aside, what are our mainstream American Jewish organizations saying to their constituencies? Is the message going out that we should pray for the courage of Israel’s leaders who now have a credible Palestinian partner with whom to negotiate? Or are our Rabbis and organizational leaders saying, “Circle the wagons around Jerusalem, circle the wagons because “they” must never be trusted, must never get anything, because whatever they get is a fatal loss for the Jewish people?”

So this is the time that we must start acting like the majority we are - speaking out in a way we really haven’t for the last 10 years or more. “Listen,” we have to say - “Israelis know how to take care of themselves. Their leaders know the risks. They have committed themselves to peace. They want to untangle themselves from the Palestinians, from the occupation, from the settlements and they have learned the lesson of Gaza. They want to negotiate, and we should support them.

That’s the fight all of us have to fight - in letters to the editor, in discussions with our political leaders, in discussions at our shuls.

So, it was good to be at Annapolis with our President, Larry Lerner, our immediate Past President, Lilly Rivlin, and ISRAEL HORIZONS editor, Ralph Seliger; with Board member Shirley Rausher, and Assistant Director Ron Skolnik. It was good that all the organizations mentioned worked hard and quickly to get us there - and a special “yasher koach" to Ameinu Executive Doni Remba who was our quarterback. Hinei ma-tov umanayim, shevet achim gam yachad.

See the Meretz USA Weblog for other in-person reports from Meretz USA Past President Lilly Rivlin and ISRAEL HORIZONS Editor Ralph Seliger.