Email from Zionist Organization of America   ZIONIST ORGANIZATION OF AMERICA IN THE MEDIA     ZOA Supports Jews Moving Back to Gaza While AJC, ADL, Jewish Federations, Reform & Conservative Jews Oppose, AIPAC Mum By Andrew Lapin (December 9, 2024 / JTA) A number of major centrist and liberal American Jewish groups say they oppose the reestablishment of Israeli settlements in Gaza. The statements by some of the largest Jewish organizations in the country, made in response to press inquiries, come as Israel has reportedly cleared out portions of northern Gaza, and as far-right Israeli government ministers have called for resettling the Palestinian enclave. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir have also repeatedly called for Israel to encourage Palestinians to leave Gaza, drawing condemnation from the Biden administration. For several American Jewish groups — including some that have vocally defended Israel’s prosecution of its war in Gaza against Hamas — the idea of Israeli settlements in Gaza is a non-starter. Groups opposed to the idea include the Jewish Federations of North America, the American Jewish Committee and the Anti-Defamation League. Also opposed are bodies representing the Reform and Conservative movements, which together can claim to represent the majority of American Jews. “The land between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, indigenous to both Jews and Arabs, cannot be the exclusive domain of one people, but must be shared,” Jason Isaacson, AJC’s chief policy and political affairs officer, said. “Like the vast majority of Israelis, AJC believes that the reestablishment of Israeli settlements in Gaza, or a program of displacing Palestinians from Gaza or the West Bank, would be contrary to Israel’s interests.” Israel evacuated its Gaza settlements in 2005, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly ruled out the idea of reestablishing them after the war. But while most Israelis oppose the idea, more than a third — including 42% of Israeli Jews — support it, according to a recent poll by the Israel Democracy Institute. That includes nearly 60% of Israeli Jewish right-wingers, the current government’s voter base. “Ideas like settlement in Gaza are welcome, we need to remember that in the end that’s the biggest punishment for what they did to us on Oct. 7,” Ben-Gvir said in an interview on Israeli radio this month, referencing the Hamas attack that launched the war. He said he discusses encouraging Palestinian emigration from Gaza frequently in government meetings, and said, “I’m starting to see a certain openness to the topic” on Netanyahu’s part. “I hope the prime minister will understand in the end that this is the way,” he added. (...) Representatives for the Orthodox Union and the Rabbinical Council of America, major American Orthodox groups, did not respond to a request for comment. Neither did William Daroff, CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, an umbrella group that supports Israel and whose members span political ideologies. Some American Jews, though, support resettling Gaza, including Morton Klein, the head of the Zionist Organization of America, which has long supported Israeli settlements. “We truly support Jews who want to return to their homes in Gaza or live in Gaza. If two million Arabs can live in Israel, why can’t Jews live in Gaza?” Klein said. “And the Israeli government should help facilitate that.” The statements came as some of the same groups opposed to resettling Gaza harshly criticized a new report from the human rights NGO Amnesty International this week that accuses Israel of genocide. The report also calls on the international community to “oppose any attempts by Israel to establish a permanent military presence in Gaza, alter its borders and demographic make-up or shrink its territory,” among a litany of charges against Israel. Israel has rejected the genocide accusation, saying that it takes extensive measures to limit harm to civilians, an argument the AJC and other supporters echoed. CONTINUE READING     Share This Email Share This Email   DONATE     Copyright © Zionist Organization of America 2024, All rights reserved. Zionist Organization of America | 633 Third Ave 31 B | New York, NY 10017 US Unsubscribe | Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice