Peace Now, please

The Jewish groups described in your article “Dissent in the Diaspora” [April 25] share a sense of dismay, anxiety and outrage at the brutal and repressive policies now being pursued by the present government of Israel. In addition, they express their disappointment in the leadership of the Canadian Jewish community, which pretends to speak for all its members while in fact it uses its money, power and organizational clout to stifle as best it can legitimate dissent within the Jewish community.
Instead of a civil debate carried on within the Jewish community, the growing opposition movements among North American Jews now feel compelled to use unorthodox means of getting their message across, and this may prove embarrassing to the rather unimaginative and dogmatic Jewish leadership.

I have just one fault to find with your otherwise informative article. You neglected to mention the presence of Canadian Friends of Peace Now, one of the oldest and largest (150 members) of the Jewish opposition groups. It was founded about 20 years ago by Canadian Jews in Toronto and Montreal who wished to support the Peace Now movement in Israel. In brief, Peace Now is a grassroots Zionist organization that believes in a two-state solution for the Israel-Palestine conflict. We maintain that the violent tactics used by the Palestinians and by the Israeli army and police are both immoral and futile. Since neither side can defeat the other, a political, not a military, solution is the only way to deal with the problem.
Israel will have to abandon the Occupied Territories as UN Resolution 242 calls upon it to do, and the settlements, which are the main barrier to peace, will have to be abandoned. In return, the Palestinians will have to accept that Israel wishes to remain a Jewish state. Consequently, the Palestinian refugees will not be able to return in large numbers to the State of Israel. The main lines of the future agreement were worked out during the talks at Camp David in December 2000 and at Taba in January 2001. The Saudi proposal, which Israel ignores, completes the peace package. The problem lies in persuading the two enemies to put aside their unrealistic maximal goals and to negotiate the details of what is, in fact, achievable.

But Peace Now Montreal is also concerned with the present situation in Canada. We have watched in dismay as the inflammatory rhetoric used by both sets of supporters has badly eroded the concept of Canadian democratic pluralism. In our recent tour of colleges and universities here in Montreal, we noticed that students educated in Canada are uncomfortable with the tense atmosphere that has arisen on our campuses. They wish to return to an atmosphere of mutual respect, which will permit rational and dispassionate debate. Peace Now advocates reconciliation between Jews and Muslims as one of its goals within the Canadian setting.

Our organization is open to supporters who believe in a moderate, rational middle way. We can be reached through our chat line at PeaceNow-Mtl@yahoogroups.ca and at our soon-to-be-opened Web site.

—Michael Benazon,
Peace Now Montreal

One in 10?

This is in regards to “Dissent in the Diaspora.” It seemed to be a well-researched and accurate story, but you might have pointed out that these groups represent a miniscule segment of Montreal’s Jewish community—well under 10 per cent. Nonetheless, they’re free to express their views and I’m sure they get quite a bit of impolite comments from those on the other side. Such groups also exist in Israel.

Now, how about an article on the Palestinian, Arab or Muslim groups who are opposed to the PLO, or the suicide murder of Israeli citizens? I didn’t think so. It would be quite a task. Free dissent is not a tradition that is welcomed or even tolerated in those countries.

At the end of the article you noted that there would be another anti-occupation demonstration in front of the Israeli consulate on Saturday. This was considerate on the part of the demonstrators, as it is not at rush hour, as has happened in the past, and since it is on the Jewish Sabbath, the consulate will be closed and empty (they will have to do without support from Neturei Karta for the same reason). Meanwhile, I look forward to your announcing the time and place of any rallies to be held by the other 90 per cent of Jewish Montreal.

—Ken Frankel