Rachel Klein of Hevron was one of some 40 women protesting outside the Inbal Hotel this morning, where the Jewish Agency is commemorating its 75th anniversary. "What are you protesting?" asked Israel National Radio's Eli Stutz, and Ms. Klein answered,
"We're here because the Jewish Agency has apparently agreed to fund the transfer of the Jews from Gush Katif to other places in Israel. The Jewish Agency people have been persuaded by Sharon that the withdrawal will, quote, 'provide security, give a boost to the economy, and improve Israel's diplomatic standing.' This, as Women in Green has long said, is the same type of pie-in-the-sky reasoning that brought us the Oslo disaster, with more than 1,000 Jews murdered..."
Klein said that Prime Minister Sharon
"is a bulldozer, and he has a plan that he's determined to put through, and he needs money and support from the Jewish Agency to do it... We know that the Jewish Agency is a very positive agency, thank G-d, that has helped put Israel on its feet, and continues to do so; they want to do the right thing, and arguments like [the above] easily persuade them that this plan will be good for Israel - even though it is even worse than Oslo, as it doesn't take us out of Gaza, as Sharon says, but rather brings the terrorism of Gaza much closer to the heart of Israel. Some people, even some Likud ministers, have fallen for this reasoning, but others haven't, thank G-d, and we hope to persuade the Jewish Agency not to fund this terrible and disastrous plan."
Women in Green Co-Chairperson Nadia Matar, speaking at once through a megaphone and on the phone to Israel National Radio, first said how much she loves and appreciates "our brothers and sisters" in the Jewish Agency and its work on behalf of the State of Israel, Zionism and Jewish education. She then continued,
"We are here to urge you not to fund Ariel Sharon's plan for the ethnic cleansing of Jews within Israel. Do not use your funds for the destruction of Jewish communities, of tens of synagogues, and the transfer of Jews, [etc.] - merely because he cannot get the money from the Knesset. In the Knesset, he has no majority, and the Knesset refuses to fund. Do not fall into the trap of supporting that which most of Israel opposes!"
Absorption Minister Tzippy Livny (Likud), a supporter of Sharon's withdrawal plan, said this week that she isn't even sure the plan will work. "Maybe what we are doing is a mistake," she told the Jerusalem Post, "but what are the alternatives? When I look at the future, even though I have to be optimistic, I do not see the [demographic] numbers changing dramatically."
Shifra Hofman, President of the Victims of Arab Terror International organization, explained her presence at today's demonstration:
"There are no words that can explain how a Zionist organization that helped the return of the Jewish people to their home after 2,000 years of exile, thank G-d, would now agree to help the expulsion of Jews from their land. Funding the expulsion of Jews is not Zionism!" She said that every Jew to whom the State of Israel is dear should "pick up and pack up and come home to Israel."
See also the
considered response by the Mattot Arim (Cities of Israel) grassroots organization.
"We're here because the Jewish Agency has apparently agreed to fund the transfer of the Jews from Gush Katif to other places in Israel. The Jewish Agency people have been persuaded by Sharon that the withdrawal will, quote, 'provide security, give a boost to the economy, and improve Israel's diplomatic standing.' This, as Women in Green has long said, is the same type of pie-in-the-sky reasoning that brought us the Oslo disaster, with more than 1,000 Jews murdered..."
Klein said that Prime Minister Sharon
"is a bulldozer, and he has a plan that he's determined to put through, and he needs money and support from the Jewish Agency to do it... We know that the Jewish Agency is a very positive agency, thank G-d, that has helped put Israel on its feet, and continues to do so; they want to do the right thing, and arguments like [the above] easily persuade them that this plan will be good for Israel - even though it is even worse than Oslo, as it doesn't take us out of Gaza, as Sharon says, but rather brings the terrorism of Gaza much closer to the heart of Israel. Some people, even some Likud ministers, have fallen for this reasoning, but others haven't, thank G-d, and we hope to persuade the Jewish Agency not to fund this terrible and disastrous plan."
Women in Green Co-Chairperson Nadia Matar, speaking at once through a megaphone and on the phone to Israel National Radio, first said how much she loves and appreciates "our brothers and sisters" in the Jewish Agency and its work on behalf of the State of Israel, Zionism and Jewish education. She then continued,
"We are here to urge you not to fund Ariel Sharon's plan for the ethnic cleansing of Jews within Israel. Do not use your funds for the destruction of Jewish communities, of tens of synagogues, and the transfer of Jews, [etc.] - merely because he cannot get the money from the Knesset. In the Knesset, he has no majority, and the Knesset refuses to fund. Do not fall into the trap of supporting that which most of Israel opposes!"
Absorption Minister Tzippy Livny (Likud), a supporter of Sharon's withdrawal plan, said this week that she isn't even sure the plan will work. "Maybe what we are doing is a mistake," she told the Jerusalem Post, "but what are the alternatives? When I look at the future, even though I have to be optimistic, I do not see the [demographic] numbers changing dramatically."
Shifra Hofman, President of the Victims of Arab Terror International organization, explained her presence at today's demonstration:
"There are no words that can explain how a Zionist organization that helped the return of the Jewish people to their home after 2,000 years of exile, thank G-d, would now agree to help the expulsion of Jews from their land. Funding the expulsion of Jews is not Zionism!" She said that every Jew to whom the State of Israel is dear should "pick up and pack up and come home to Israel."
See also the
considered response by the Mattot Arim (Cities of Israel) grassroots organization.