Meretz USA Statement on the War in Israel and Lebanon

08/04/2006

New York, New York...The current hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah pose difficult choices for Israel. Israel has the universally acknowledged right to defend its population and territory, but the intensity and impact of its responses have undermined international support. While we are deeply troubled by the death of innocent civilians in Lebanon, they are occurring in large part because Hezbollah, an organization dedicated to Israel’s elimination, staged an unprovoked raid across Israel’s border, killing and kidnapping Israeli soldiers, and has since unleashed massive and deadly missile attacks targeting Israel’s civilian population. Accordingly, we believe Israel has the right to require that the end result of the current situation eliminate the possibility of a return to the status quo ante.

Nonetheless, Israel’s leaders now apparently recognize that they cannot eliminate Hezbollah; at best, Israel may be able to create a security zone that would substantially, but not entirely, reduce the capacity of Hezbollah to launch rockets across the internationally recognized border.

As the war goes on, we believe Israel, out of necessity, must help enable a political solution. To effectively eliminate the aggressive capabilities of Hezbollah will require an international peacekeeping and diplomatic effort (as we called for in our statement of July 14) that effectively implements UN Security Council Resolution 1559 and restricts the Iranian/Syrian ability to act directly or through proxies to disrupt the region. However, unless and until the international community - as it did in Bosnia - interposes
itself, achieving and maintaining quiet, Israel will have no choice but to continue its efforts to drive Hezbollah out of missile range.

We believe the failure, thus far, to achieve a cease-fire and create an international peacekeeping force is a function of a failed American Middle East policy and the hypocrisy of the international community. Neither of these two conditions can easily be remedied, but, in due course, the American people, through the political process and a serious engagement between Congress and the Administration, must reshape American foreign policy goals and practice. In the interim, in continuing to support Israel’s right to defend its borders and population, we believe it is imperative that Israel exercise all due caution in the exercise of its considerable military power and avoid getting mired in Lebanon again in the misguided belief that the problems imposed by Hezbollah, Syria and Iran can be met only through military means.

As American Jews, we believe that we can contribute in the following ways to Israel and to peace:

• Appeal to your Congressperson: Visit or write your representatives in Congress and share this statement directly or in your own words with them.
• Give generously: Meretz USA is continuing to expand its list of recommended organizations in Israel that are helping the Jewish and Arab civilian population at this time of need.