Jews Against the Occupation

We, concerned Jews from around the world, continue to view with horror the consequences of military repression and economic blockade of the Palestinians by Israel.
Israel and the Palestinians are not equal partners in a peace process. Israel is a nation state equipped with an army and highly sophisticated weaponry; the Palestinians are a dispossessed people, living under Israeli military, political and economic control in a territory fragmented by expanding Jewish settlements.
The calculated act of provocation organized by Ariel Sharon at Haram el-Sharif, with the agreement and support of Ehud Barak, set the region ablaze. This was possible because the situation was already potentially explosive as a result of the Israeli delaying tactics and refusal to recognize a Palestinian state whose proclamation has been repeatedly deferred.
Israel gains legitimacy for its actions by claiming to act in the name of Jews worldwide. As Jews, we deplore antisemitism and all forms of racism. We support the co-existence, on equal terms, of Palestinians, Israelis, and all other peoples of the region and call for an end to Israeli aggression and oppression.
We urge Israel to uphold the human rights of Palestinians by:
* immediate, total and unconditional withdrawal from all of the territories taken by force and occupied in 1967
* recognition of the Palestinian right to national self-determination, to return and to compensation, and the implementation of steps towards the realization of this right
* abolition of all discriminatory laws, and the introduction of full legal equality between Jews and non-Jews
* redistribution of resources and a massive program of international aid to rehabilitate Palestinian communities.
Only an approach based on these elements stands any chance of leading to the conditions for a just peace in the region