BAY AREA ACTIVISTS PUSH FOR ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN PEACE ON CAPITOL HILL

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date: Tuesday, July 7th, 2008

CONTACT: Ryan Simon

BAY AREA ACTIVISTS PUSH FOR ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN PEACE ON CAPITOL HILL

Oakland— Several San Francisco Bay Area activists traveled to Capitol Hill the last week in June to advocate for vigorous U.S. involvement in facilitating a negotiated, two-state resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The delegation included the national Co-Chair of the Rabbinical Cabinet for Brit Tzedek v’Shalom as well as several young Jewish students and activists. Brit Tzedek activists also heard from Israeli Member of Knesset and key Geneva Initiative participant Yossi Beilin on the prospects for the peace process given the current situation in the region.

In meetings with Senator Feinstein and key aides from the offices of Senator Boxer, Congresswoman Barbara Lee, and Congressman Mike Honda, the Bay Area delegation urged lawmakers to embrace tangible foreign policy measures to seize on the political space created by the Israel-Hamas ceasefire brokered only days before to facilitate a negotiated, two-state resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The delegation advocated for U.S. insistence that both Israelis and Palestinians be held accountable for their Roadmap commitments and for comprehensive U.S. engagement in promoting negotiations between Israel and Syria.

Reflected one member of the delegation, “On Sunday we heard Yossi Beilin ask us as American Jews to implore our leadership in Washington to engage themselves in the peace process. The ceasefire is a wonderful development but he hoped that it does not sow complacency among those in Israel and the international community, if anything, the next step needs to be taken. With the window opening with Syria, I feel that that given Ehud Barak’s comments that a deal will never happen without the US, it is essential that the infrastructure for peace be further developed, and the United States play a key role especially into the beginning of the next Presidents administration."

The Capitol Hill meetings were part of Brit Tzedek v’Shalom’s annual National Advocacy Days programs, which brought more than 140 American Jewish activists from across the country to meet with representatives from 115 Congressional offices, as well as a number of other political and opinion leaders. In the days leading up to National Advocacy Days, the activists participated in Brit Tzedek’s Grassroots Leadership Training Institute, which included intensive training on community organizing and advocacy.

“It was an amazingly invigorating experience to be part of a growing movement of Jews and non-Jews in this country, and an organization that advocates what I believe. We support the State of Israel by ensuring that through peace with her neighbors and co-existence, her future is secure.”

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Brit Tzedek v'Shalom, also known as the Jewish Alliance for Justice and Peace, is the largest Jewish grassroots peace organization, with 38,000 members and supporters nationwide. Brit Tzedek's mission is to educate and mobilize American Jews and others in support of a negotiated two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The San Francisco Bay Area chapter of the organization has more than 1100 members and supporters