Jews for Justice and Peace

Here are some websites to visit. Voices for peace from the other side -- Israel, and Jews living abroad. Gush Shalom has a whole page of links to similar sites, so if you're interested, check it out.

Bat Shalom: an organization of Israeli women working for peace. Here's their declaration of principles.

Jews for Justice for Palestinians: this site is based out of Britain, and has some good information on the conflict (the causes and abuses) in their fact sheets.

Jewish Voice for Peace: a group that seeks to affect U.S. foreign policy as it relates to Israel and Palestine.

These next two are run by Israeli soldiers, or ex-soldiers, who are speaking out against the violence and abuse leveled against Palestinians by the Israeli army.

Breaking the Silence: offers testimonies from soldiers about their experiences in the Occupied Territories during the Second Intifadah.

Courage to Refuse: a site created by officers and soldiers in the Israeli army who are refusing to engage in the oppression of Palestinians in the Occupied Territories. Over 280 soldiers have been court martialed and jailed for their stance.

The Combatants Letter, which began this movement, is as follows:

• We, reserve combat officers and soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces, who were raised upon the principles of Zionism, self-sacrifice and giving to the people of Israel and to the State of Israel, who have always served in the front lines, and who were the first to carry out any mission in order to protect the State of Israel and strengthen it.



• We, combat officers and soldiers who have served the State of Israel for long weeks every year, in spite of the dear cost to our personal lives, have been on reserve duty in the Occupied Territories, and were issued commands and directives that had nothing to do with the security of our country, and that had the sole purpose of perpetuating our control over the Palestinian people.



• We, whose eyes have seen the bloody toll this Occupation exacts from both sides,



• We, who sensed how the commands issued to us in the Occupied Territories destroy all the values that we were raised upon,



• We, who understand now that the price of Occupation is the loss of IDF’s human character and the corruption of the entire Israeli society,



• We, who know that the Territories are not a part of Israel, and that all settlements are bound to be evacuated,



• We hereby declare that we shall not continue to fight this War of the Settlements.



• We shall not continue to fight beyond the 1967 borders in order to dominate, expel, starve and humiliate an entire people.



• We hereby declare that we shall continue serving the Israel Defense Force in any mission that serves Israel’s defense.


The missions of occupation and oppression do not serve this purpose – and we shall take no part in them.