With Prime Minister Ehud Olmert preparing for his visit next week to U.S. President George Bush, from whom he will ask for both monetary and political support for his unilateral withdrawal plan, activists in both the U.S. and Israel are preparing a massive campaign to present the plan's dangers to U.S. officials. They are calling upon the public to help.
"Our goal is to prevent Olmert from selling his retreat plan to Bush," says Suzy Dym, of the Rehovot-based Matot Arim (Cities of Israel) organization. "U.S. citizens should please contact President Bush, by phone, fax, or email, and say simply: 'President Bush, please oppose Olmert's dangerous scheme' - and explain, briefly, why."
Olmert is to meet with Bush, for the first time since he became Prime Minister, on May 23. He will ask Bush for $10 billion to help pay for the withdrawal and the eviction/relocation of an estimated 70,000 Jews - although some estimates of the final cost run as high as $25 billion.
NY State Assemblyman Dov Hikind, currently in Israel for a three-day visit, announced that he has launched a national campaign to thwart American aid for the withdrawal. "U.S. taxpayer dollars should not underwrite a reward for terror," Hikind says. "I will be working with members of Congress, colleagues in government, and Evangelical leaders to prevent the realization of a $10 billion incentive for terrorists."
U.S. citizens can call the White House at 202-456-1111; you will be asked what state you are from. Faxes can be sent to 202-456-2461, and emails can be sent to Comments@whitehouse.gov and vice_president@whitehouse.gov.
The campaign organizers recommend the following talking points:
Suzie Dym says, "Each of us has the power to increase the response wave tenfold. There are plenty of people who are willing to participate in this type of campaign if asked by you, their friend/neighbor/colleague/relative - but only if asked... Send them this email, follow up with ten of them, print up a reminder and hang it in your school, synagogue, church or organization, call some friends who don't have email, send it to your synagogue or church's religious leader. In short, make this email the talk of the day: Mention it to whomever you happen to meet or speak to in the course of the day." For more information, send email to.
"Our goal is to prevent Olmert from selling his retreat plan to Bush," says Suzy Dym, of the Rehovot-based Matot Arim (Cities of Israel) organization. "U.S. citizens should please contact President Bush, by phone, fax, or email, and say simply: 'President Bush, please oppose Olmert's dangerous scheme' - and explain, briefly, why."
Olmert is to meet with Bush, for the first time since he became Prime Minister, on May 23. He will ask Bush for $10 billion to help pay for the withdrawal and the eviction/relocation of an estimated 70,000 Jews - although some estimates of the final cost run as high as $25 billion.
NY State Assemblyman Dov Hikind, currently in Israel for a three-day visit, announced that he has launched a national campaign to thwart American aid for the withdrawal. "U.S. taxpayer dollars should not underwrite a reward for terror," Hikind says. "I will be working with members of Congress, colleagues in government, and Evangelical leaders to prevent the realization of a $10 billion incentive for terrorists."
U.S. citizens can call the White House at 202-456-1111; you will be asked what state you are from. Faxes can be sent to 202-456-2461, and emails can be sent to Comments@whitehouse.gov and vice_president@whitehouse.gov.
The campaign organizers recommend the following talking points:
- Olmert's retreat plan will strengthen the world axis of Mideast terror
and make Israel a defense burden instead of a defense asset. - Olmert's retreat plan is staggeringly expensive. Sever Plotzker, financial commentator of Israel's largest newspaper, Yediot Acharonot, has estimated the cost at $25 billion.
- Olmert's retreat plan is not a matter of consensus in Israel. Fewer than 30%of Israeli Jews voted for the plan (a record low of 62% of Israelis voted, of whom less than half voted for parties touting the withdrawal.)
- Olmert's retreat plan would make internationally important religious sites such as Hebron, Shilo, and Beth El both unsafe and "Judenrein," as has occurred with Joseph's Tomb.
- Olmert's retreat plan is an existential danger to Israel. Haaretz commentator Ari Shavit has written the following:
- Though the plan appears brave and enchanting, it has a small flaw: It has no Palestinians, and totally ignores the fact that the conflict is bilateral and the political reality is multilateral.
- Olmert's plan means the establishment of an armed Hamas state in Judea, Samaria and Gaza, promising Hamas almost total control of a hostile, dissatisfied and violent Palestinian state for generations, with the motto, "We've chased them out of Ofrah, we'll chase them out of Lod and Jaffa as well."
- Since Olmert wishes to establish this country without first assuring its demilitarization, it will have significant military capability.
- Since he wishes to establish it without removing the Arabs' "right of return" from the agenda, it will have a destructive and internationally recognized claim against Israel.
- All the above will turn Olmert's Hamas state into a danger for the very existence of the State of Israel.
- The convergence plan will not implement the Bush vision of a two-state solution, but will rather create an unstable reality in which an Islamic Palestinian state systematically undermines the foundation of the Jewish democratic state.
- It will also endanger regional stability. A fervent, victorious Hamas state will accelerate Jordan's collapse, threaten Egypt, and help destabilize Syria as well. It will help bury U.S. President George W. Bush's dream of stability and democracy in the Middle East.
- Though the plan appears brave and enchanting, it has a small flaw: It has no Palestinians, and totally ignores the fact that the conflict is bilateral and the political reality is multilateral.
Suzie Dym says, "Each of us has the power to increase the response wave tenfold. There are plenty of people who are willing to participate in this type of campaign if asked by you, their friend/neighbor/colleague/relative - but only if asked... Send them this email, follow up with ten of them, print up a reminder and hang it in your school, synagogue, church or organization, call some friends who don't have email, send it to your synagogue or church's religious leader. In short, make this email the talk of the day: Mention it to whomever you happen to meet or speak to in the course of the day." For more information, send email to