Links to Jewish voices

When I arrived in Palestine and made contact with the ISM, I was immediately struck by the number of Jews, mostly from the United States, that were participating in the Summer of Freedom program. I got acquainted with many of them, and applaud the civil courage that it takes to go against the mainstream Jewish organizations in the U.S. Later I read and put up some of their stories and comments on this web site. Then I decided to create a separate category and call it "Jewish Voices," for surely one of the hopeful signs is the disproportionate number of Jews who are traveling to Palestine to help and bear witness. My deep felt thanks to all of them.
Louis

it is important to keep understanding in all this horror and desparation, not to excuse or condone, but to understand. for if i lose my sense of understanding then i lose my ability to maintain my humanity. and for me it became most important to keep seeing the humanity in these young soldiers, for it is easy to become like them in these situation - to want to steal their guns and shoot them. more...

An Israeli mother talks about The war to annihilate Palestinian civil society

My son Haggai has chosen the route of resistance. For succeeding not to drown in the IDF fascism that the education system in Israel tried so hard to teach him, he is now paying the price of imprisonment. Like him, in prison too, are Yoni, Yoni, Uri, Matan, Shimri, Hillel, Adam, Dror, Dror, Eshel, Itzik, Ido and my student Ori. More...

Reports from Henry Herskovitz
Here are a couple of samples from these reports:

some interesting items. None of the soldiers I've spoken with have any Palestinian friends. and i've found out that jewish israelis cannot enter area "A", which is palestinian controlled areas. ostensible reason is for their safety, but i'm sure that it's because the israeli gov't cannot afford the risk of allowing jewish people to meet their occupied brothers. they might actually place a human face and heart on these people, and find them much harder to hate, to call them disparaging names. My orthodx cousin from pittsburgh has never met a pal, and refuses my offers to come to ann arbor to meet my friends. this is not conspiracy theory - this is the incredible reach and power of a blind zionism, that never meant to come in peace to this land. and nablus is the result, nablus along with countless other towns and villages.

. . .

oh, yeah, where's the lesson? the lesson is that the next time someone in your community tries to tell you that Arabs hate Jews, or Palestinians really hate Jews, you tell them that this Jewish American spent two and a half weeks in the lowest ground out city in the occupied world, told the locals he was Jewish, and they welcomed him with open arms. They understand that there are good Jews and bad Jews just as the owner explained to me that there are good Palestinians and bad Palestinians.
They understand that they're resisting the policies of the Israeli government, and the controlling, humiliating actions of the Israel "Defense" Forces. And if the kids get it confused, and scream death to the Jews, scribble a Jewish star in flames on a wall, the lesson is that it's not they who are conflating Judaism with the State of Israel, it's the Jewish State itself that's doing that.
This conflict has nothing to do with being Jewish. Lynn looks more Jewish than Rabbi Schneerson, and we walk down the street like a king and queen. Jewish people who come here in peace will always be welcomed by the generous Palestinians. Jewish people in riot gear, screaming out commands at a wilted population, herding them like cattle, will always be hated. Jewish people that take the beautiful mountain tops to build their condo settlements with their superior, exclusive, highway system will never be welcome.
That's the lesson.
In peace,
Henry