The Philadelphia Jewish Voice September 2005 > Perspectives

Perspectives

Jamie Levin, Executive Director, Ameinu

President's Perspective: Battle of the Ribbons in Israel

In my last post I reported upon the "Leaving Gaza-Returning to Zionism" caravan that was to travel around Israel, from north to south, drumming up support for the disengagement. The Ha'aretz article details what took place at representative stops and
behind the scenes:

Small crowds were the norm. Ami Ayalon points out that "had the government retreated from the disengagement plan, half a million would have come out to Rabin Square." Unfortunately, the energy in the street is still anti-disengagement.

There is a disagreement over why Peace Now did not participate in the caravan. Peace Now claims Ayalon did not want them as they are "too leftist." Ayalon says that isn't true.

To add a touch of the absurd, a woman stands at an intersection wearing a t-shirt which reads "Non-political Orange." With complete seriousness, she tells the reporter, ""My friends and I want to bring sanity back to the color orange, to release it from the bonds of politicization."

The Unspoken Truth: Canada in the Age of Terror

There is a famous aphorism attributed to Elias R. Beadle: "Half the work that is done in this world is to make things appear what they are not." In the aftermath of the London transit system bombings, the Canadian media coverage of this horrific event has exemplified Beadle's dictum. From editorials in newspapers based in western Canada to
commentaries on national television stations based in Toronto, one suggestion by both pundits and politicians has emerged in the wake of these bombings: It is not "if" terrorism in the name of Islam reaches Canada, but "when.''

UPZ Second Annual Conference

The Union of Progressive Zionists will be holding its second annual conference this fall, "Visions for a Progressive Israel," for progressive student activists across North America. The conference will offer its participants the opportunity to network with fellow students; hear engaging figures from Israel/Palestine and the US; gather resources and programmatic ideas to take back to your campus; develop organizational
skills for campus activism; deepen your knowledge of the conflict and how you can work toward achieving a just and peaceful solution.