Australian Jewish Democratic Society

The AJDS has written a statement in support of the Obama initiative in the Middle East.
If you support this statement, please follow the link at the end of the statement to provide your public endorsement through an online petition which demonstrates the extent of support for a new approach in the Middle East.
Background (Preamble):
The Australian Jewish Democratic Society together with other Jewish Australians who care greatly for both the future of Israel and the legitimate national aspirations of Palestinians strongly endorse the views recently expressed by the US President in Cairo.
His words represent a sea change in approach to a conflict that has festered for so long that many of us have despaired of the possibility of finding a path to a resolution. His words articulate both the main elements of the conflict as understood by the Australian Jewish Democratic Society and a way forward to hope:

When the horrors of the Holocaust and the actions of the nazis
are associated with more modern events, many of us find the
comparisons to be demeaning and insensitive. When those tags
are applied to Israel we find them totally offensive.
Yet Morry Sztainbok (AJN letters 5/6/2009) finds no problem
using those sorts of comparisons when it comes to people he
clearly despises. To quote him: “..then it was Kapos, today
Jewish ‘peace’ activists; then it was Mein Kampf, today the
charters of Hamas and Fatah.”
So Sztainbok thinks that it is within the acceptable limits of
public debate to associate kapos with Jews he disagrees with,
and compare Palestinians with the nazis. His words make that
clear.
I think that sort of vilification is offensive to Jews and
Palestinians. My only comfort is that my letter will be one of
many who condemn Sztainbok’s words. After all, the Jewish
community wouldn’t display a double standard, would it?
Harold Zwier

Obama’s speech to the Muslim world has generated a huge amount of commentary. The
following is intended as an overview some of the more interesting points raised
–Sol Salbe

Ten Comments on Obama in Cairo – Still Accumulating, Not Expending Capital– Daniel Levy

 This piece was also published at TPM Café

The Obama team´s remarkable wordsmithery and the president´s unparalleled capacity for delivery were exquisitely on display again today in Cairo. But this speech should perhaps be remembered as much for what was not said. Gone was the arrogance and lecturing: there was no lavishing of praise on Egypt´s undemocratic leader – the word ‘Mubarak´ was not even mentioned once. Out too was the purple finger version of democratization and even the traditional American condescension toward the Palestinian narrative. But perhaps most remarkably of all, the words ‘terror´ or ‘terrorism´ did not pass the president´s lips. Here was a leader and a team around him smart enough to acknowledge that certain words have become too tainted, too laden with baggage, their use has become counter-productive, today the Global War on Terror framing was truly laid to rest.

Barack Obama: Israel’s true friend

Gideon Levy Open Democracy

Gideon Levy is a journalist with the Israeli newspaper, Ha’aretz

The United States president’s meeting with Israel’s prime minister offers Israel a future it must grasp, says Gideon Levy. 25 – 05 – 2009 It’s already clear: the United States president is a great friend of Israel. If Barack Obama continues what he started in his meeting with Binyamin Netanyahu on 18 May 2009, he might prove to be the friendliest president to Israel ever. Richard M Nixon saved Israel from the Arab states in 1973, and Obama is about to save Israel from itself.

Nixon sent Israel arms and ammunition at a critical time, and Obama is sending – at a time no less critical – the substance of a complete peace plan, a plan that would save Israel. All that remains is whether Obama stays determined and decisive as he was in the White House summit. In one moment he changed Washington’s madness and the attitude toward the Israeli occupation. Now it will be seen if he succeeds in altering the same madness in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

Barack Obama: Israel’s true friend

Gideon Levy Open Democracy

Gideon Levy is a journalist with the Israeli newspaper, Ha’aretz

The United States president’s meeting with Israel’s prime minister offers Israel a future it must grasp, says Gideon Levy. 25 – 05 – 2009 It’s already clear: the United States president is a great friend of Israel. If Barack Obama continues what he started in his meeting with Binyamin Netanyahu on 18 May 2009, he might prove to be the friendliest president to Israel ever. Richard M Nixon saved Israel from the Arab states in 1973, and Obama is about to save Israel from itself.

Nixon sent Israel arms and ammunition at a critical time, and Obama is sending – at a time no less critical – the substance of a complete peace plan, a plan that would save Israel. All that remains is whether Obama stays determined and decisive as he was in the White House summit. In one moment he changed Washington’s madness and the attitude toward the Israeli occupation. Now it will be seen if he succeeds in altering the same madness in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.