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December 1, 2000/Kislev 10, 5761, Vol. 53, No.10
U.S. Jews divided over peace
MICHAEL J. JORDAN
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
NEW YORK - Reports of the peace camp's demise have been greatly exaggerated.
Although weeks of Middle East violence stunned them into silence, self-doubt and soul-searching, those American Jews most out front in promoting the peace process are rediscovering their voices.
Groups like the Reform movement's Union of American Hebrew Congregations and Americans for Peace Now are launching new campaigns to promote their vision of the way out of the current crisis.
The Reform movement, for instance, is calling for dismantling Jewish settlements buried in the heart of Arab populations and reaching out to Israeli Arabs, some of whom erupted into violence against Israeli forces in the early days of the latest fighting.
By speaking out, the peace camp may wipe away the veneer of "unity" and "solidarity" that has enveloped the Jewish community since violence broke out two months ago.
Ever since the Oslo peace process began seven years ago, American Jews - like their Israeli brethren - have been at odds over what concessions, if any, should be made to the Palestinians.
Following the May 1999 election of Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, many Jews applauded Barak's peace-seeking efforts, while others denounced him for a perceived willingness to achieve peace at all costs.
But since this new outbreak of violence erupted in late September, American Jewish backers of Barak have been generally muted as Diaspora Jewry rallied behind Israeli efforts to quell the insurrection.
Early on, peace advocates were wracked with anger, confusion and disillusionment. They say they had to "ask themselves hard questions" about whether they had been wrong all along about talking peace with Arafat.
At the same time, their rivals on the other end of the political spectrum crowed, "I told you so."
While peace activists feel betrayed by Arafat and agree that there must be greater insistence that Arafat fulfill his commitments, they assert that he is still the man to deal with.
"It may take longer, it may be harder, but the notion that we can continue with the status quo and reject the idea of a negotiated settlement is exceedingly dangerous for the Jewish state," said Rabbi Eric Yoffie, president of the UAHC, which represents some 900 Reform congregations.
Yoffie and others have no regrets for gambling on Arafat's good faith.
"There were always risks to the process," said Michael Sonnenfeldt, chairman of the Israel Policy Forum, a group that was formed to promote the peace policies of the Labor government headed by Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin.
"It's not simply a question of let's give up more and more, but something Israel can do in its own best self-interests toward ending the cycle of death and violence," said Mark Rosenblum, founder and policy director for Americans for Peace Now.
Other Jewish leaders were less than enthusiastic about the initiatives by the UAHC and Americans for Peace Now.
"I do agree that there is no alternative to peace in the long term," said Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.
"But the question is under what terms and what road will lead to it, and a precondition is to have a real partner for peace who will live up to his commitments. The evidence now would appear to be that, unfortunately, Israel does not have a partner there."
Morton Klein, president of the Zionist Organization of America, was more blunt.
"Negotiation has unfortunately become a euphemism for more one-sided concessions in return for broken promises by Arafat's terroristic regime," Klein said.
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