[ ]J Street [ ]
Friends,

The footage is sickening.

A bare-chested Israeli settler from an illegal outpost firing what appears
to be an American M-4 at Palestinians in the West Bank town of Urif. Next
to him, smiling giddily, two uniformed IDF soldiers.

Nine Palestinians were injured in the chaos. 25-year-old Nidal Safadi,
father of three, was killed.

[1]Images of settler violence

Collaborative reporting from Israeli and American organizations has now
detailed a series of five unprovoked, joint attacks from settlers and IDF
soldiers that day, May 14. Each joint attack included violence against
Palestinian civilians, the burning of farmland and the use of live
ammunition. Four Palestinians were killed.

I’m a former IDF Officer. My kids have served in the IDF. I’ve trained
hundreds of young recruits. And I’m absolutely disgusted by these attacks.

IDF participation in attacks on civilians is brutal, immoral and a
violation of Israel’s founding values. It feeds a cycle of injustice and
retaliation which undermines Israel’s security, degrades the IDF’s
reputation and increases the risk of reprisal attacks.

I am appalled at the violence and impunity. I cannot, however, say that I
am surprised.

Just the other week, 100 former IDF combat soldiers called on the Defense
Minister to do more to deter settler violence. “Settler violence has been
raging for years,” they wrote, “and is being answered with tacit support.”

I share their frustration and anger. When it comes to violence in the West
Bank, impunity is the norm, justice the rare exception. Only one
investigation is underway into only one of the May 14 killings, and it
only came following public pressure.

As abhorrent as this case is, it is also just the sharpest edge of a
systemic problem.

This type of violence and injustice will always be present within a system
which maintains indefinite military control over millions of non-citizens
who are denied civil rights and access to justice. This system destroys
lives, violates our values and is corrosive to our shared vision of a
just, democratic homeland for the Jewish people.

The Israeli government has sent generations of young Israelis to the front
lines of this unjust occupation. We have been too ready to ask them to put
their lives on the line to defend unlawful settlements. Too often, we have
asked them to act as private security for individuals bent on carrying out
violent, ideological extremism.

Friends -- To care about Israelis and to care about Palestinians
is to care about what is happening in the occupied territories.

We must not hesitate to condemn this systemic violence. We must confront
the injustice of this decades-old occupation. We must demand our leaders
pursue a plan to end this cycle of injustice and violence, rather than
merely ‘managing’ this cruel, unjust reality.

That’s why J Street is working to organize within local communities and in
Washington to push our leaders to speak out against settler violence,
settlement expansion and indefinite occupation -- and in favor of real
Israeli-Palestinian peace.

It’s why our legislative advocacy teams are working to advance
transparency and oversight measures to ensure our military aid to Israel
is used only for legitimate security purposes -- and cannot be used to
support demolitions, settlements or indefinite occupation.

And it’s why we’re demanding the US-Israel relationship be fundamentally
realigned to emphasize a clear commitment to the rights of Palestinians
and Israelis to justice, security, freedom and self-determination.

With so many well established, organized and well-resourced forces pushing
back, we need to continue to build a broad, inclusive movement for
progress which spans from our grassroots supporters right up to our most
senior elected officials.

[ [link removed] ]If you know someone who might be interested in adding their name to our
call for a truly just and democratic Israel, please forward this email and
ask them to join us here >>

Thank you for your support in sustaining our work.

Nadav Tamir
Executive Director, J Street Israel


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J Street is the political home for pro-Israel, pro-peace Americans who want
Israel to be secure, democratic and the national home of the Jewish people.
Working in American politics and the Jewish community, we advocate policies that
advance shared US and Israeli interests as well as Jewish and democratic values,
leading to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.



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