Friend,
For a long time, we in the pro-Israel, pro-peace movement have made clear that if we want to bring the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to a peaceful end, we need to get serious about confronting its root causes. The horrific escalation we saw earlier this year, with so many families suffering unimaginable losses, drove home just how unacceptable the ongoing cycle of violence is.
Again and again, Israelis and Palestinians suffer the consequences of an unjust 'status quo' that is constantly deteriorating and provides no path to a better future.
Again and again, we’ve seen what happens when leaders treat the conflict as something that can be “managed” -- while ignoring the ways in which occupation and de facto annexation oppress Palestinians on a daily basis and deliberately undermine the prospects for self-determination and a viable two-state peace agreement.
At J Street, we know it can sometimes be hard to understand (let alone explain) the complex process of settlement expansion, home demolitions, and displacement that has slowly worked to seize more and more Palestinian land and to prevent the creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel. That’s why we’ve worked with Israel’s leading human rights lawyer, Michael Sfard, to create a compelling, 20-minute video presentation that explains in clear, concise detail exactly how 'de facto annexation' works -- and why it’s so dangerous.
When we shared a first look at this presentation with over 4,000 people during our National Conference in April, it quickly became one of the most popular, praised and requested segments we’ve ever done. Now, we’re making it available to all of our supporters in the hopes that you can share it widely with friends and family as a way to spark challenging but necessary conversations about the threat the occupation poses to our shared vision of a just, secure and democratic Israel.
We need your help to show our communities and our elected leaders why the “status quo” in Israel and the occupied Palestinian Territory is so unacceptable, and why US policies need to do more to end it.
Sfard has been called “one of the great heroes” of the struggle against occupation. His detailed, vivid analysis is a powerful tool for explaining and demonstrating what the daily reality in the occupied territory looks like, how it tramples on Palestinian rights and international law, and how it endangers Israel’s future as a democratic homeland for the Jewish people.
To help promote the release of this important tool, dig deeper into how de facto annexation will be impacted by Israel’s new political reality, and discuss how we can help fight it, Michael Sfard will join us for a live public discussion on Wednesday, July 7 at 12pm Eastern along with Hagit Ofran, director of Peace Now’s Settlement Watch.
Register to join us tomorrow's discussion here >>
Friend, we’re dedicated to having honest conversations about what’s really happening on the ground in Israel and the occupied territory -- and to providing a powerful political voice for the millions of Americans who want a future in which both Israelis and Palestinians have the safety, self-determination and freedom they deserve. Only by facing up to difficult realities today can we truly work to change things for the better in the future.
Thank you for joining us in this important work.
Adina Vogel Ayalon
Chief of Staff
PS. If you’ve got friends or family who might be interested in joining J Street, please forward them this link to sign up: www.JStreet.org/Join
