Adventures at AIPAC in DC and an Invite to Come Along Next Time

      One of the things I liked best about my recent AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee) experience was the unifying impact it had.  I was with fellow Conservative Jews from across the nation (the largest movement represented as usual), plus wonderful Reform, Reconstructionist and Orthodox colleagues and congregants, Democrats, Reputlicans, even supportive Christians from various denomiations.The time I spent with Adas Kodesch leadership was particularly enjoyable -- especially my colleague, friend and dance partners, Orthodox-ordained Rabbi Steven Saks, and his lovely wife, Anne.
     During our day of lobbying on the Hill, I found our Congressional delegation (Carney-Carper-Coons) was well-informed and very supportive of the three points we were advocating for:
1. Israeli's foreign aid package (including the Iron Dome missile defense system which has already saved lives),
2. More effective and enforced sanctions to create a peaceful means to stop Iran from creating nuclear bombs, and
3. Saying no to an un-reformed Hamas joining the Palestinian Authority while simultaneously calling for immediate direct peace talks between the Palestinians and Israelis, as opposed to an attempt to by-pass difficult negotiations with a unilateral declaration of Palestinian Statehood at the United Nations as part of a larger plan to delegitimize Israel.  To each of our Senators and Congressman, I personally stressed the need for serious US government -funded education initatives to create a climate for peace among both Israeli and Palestinian populations, with a special emphasis to reduce incitement among the Palestinians, and for each side to better understand and appreciate the narrative of the other side at all levels of society, but especially among the young -- the future.    
     As a result of my time at AIPAC, Rep. John Carney, Beth Shalom's neighbor, has already enthusiastically agreed to come to our synagogue as a first-time speaker and share his recent Israel experiences with us during Shabbat services.  We are working on a time now.
     I loved our Beth Shalom team who came this year: Seth Bloom, Marla Cooper, Jerry and Renee Covin, Nicole, Stuart and Suzy Grant, Ken Kamm, Jeff Metz and Michael Sigman.  Who was I missing? YOU!  So please take a moment to read Marla Cooper's email. There is a deadline by the end of this week which takes almost half off the regisration price for next year's March 4-6, AIPAC Policy Conference 2012. If you are interested in joining me and Marla and most of this year's delegation, just follow Marla's email links below and you can be registered in a few minutes.  This experience is so worth your while until we can go back to Israel on another synagogue trip.
     Please also take time to read the transcript of Prime Minister Netanyahu's address to the joint session of the House and Senate, paying particular attention to his references to President Obama's speech.  I am convinced that AIPAC provided an opportunity for both men to find harmony in language which helped narrow the gap between them -- a gap which detractors of the US-Israel relationship would only seek to exploit.  As they said repeatedly at our conference: US and Israel: Better Together.
    Warmly,
    Rabbi Michael
(read on!)

Dear friends,

Although I was tempted to send this email to every Jewish person I know, I opted instead to send it to those friends I know have a particularly strong connection to Israel, an unyielding commitment to ensuring her safety and security and the desire to help us impact future US policy towards Israel.   I just returned from the 2011 Policy Conference in Washington D.C. and I can honestly say it was one of the most meaningful experiences of my life.  The last time you probably heard me say this was upon my return from Israel and this experience was right up there.

There are many reasons attending this conference was a profound experience.  I won’t go into all those reasons here but I will share the most important reason…I, along with other members of our delegation lobbied members of congress from the state of Delaware.  We educated them on how important it is to support Israel and the specific ways their support will keep Israel safe and secure.  Our delegation, after being briefed by AIPAC officials and provided Talking Points, met with  Senator Carper, Senator Coons and Representative Carney to “lobby” them on specific issues asking for their support by co-sponsoring legislation/resolutions under consideration in the house and senate.  We got commitments from all three. 

A most rewarding aspect of this experience was that we were able to educate and inform them regarding aspects of the current situation they were not aware of.  This information will undoubtedly strengthen their resolve and commitment to supporting Israel now and in the future. 

Before this conference I had no idea how important AIPAC is to the US/Israel relationship.  AIPAC is the single most important organization in ensuring this relationship stays strong.  There is no more impactful thing you can do to show your support for this relationship than to support AIPAC.  Supporting AIPAC is not simply about giving money.  It is about doing something.  That something can start by attending the 2012 Policy Conference and joining our delegation to lobby members of congress.

Please, please, please join me and others from our synagogue for next year’s conference (if you sign up now it’s only $299 instead of $500).   This year our delegation was 25 individuals from Delaware, up 50%+ from the year before.  Our senators and congressmen took notice of our numbers and it had real impact….they said so.  We need to increase those numbers again for next year.  Please help us and help Israel.

We lobbied members of congress immediately following PM Netanyahu’s speech to congress…here it is http://ironicsurrealism.blogivists.com/2011/05/24/transcript-israeli-pm-benjamin-netanyahu-speech-joint-meeting-of-u-s-congress-may-24-2011/

To learn about this year’s Policy Conference: http://www.aipac.org/pc/

Please consider joining us next March for the 2012 Policy Conference by registering at : https://aipac.secure.force.com/ddp_publiceventregistration?event=EV000004

Thank you. 

P.S.  Please share this.

Marla

Parashat Behukkotai: Curses and Blessings-Holocaust and Israel & Obama

     This past Wednesday I had the honor of accompanying a bus filled with Christian Clergy to the US Holocaust Museum, as part of the ongoing work of the Halind Wind Preston Holocaust Education Committee. 
     As we made our way back to Delaware after our day-long sojourn in Washington, DC, I was allowed to address the group.  I desired to put their Holocaust experience into some larger perspective in anticipation of President Obama's remarks on Israel - Palestine crisis. 
     First, as a corrective to President Obama's remarks made in Cairo two years ago, I emphasized that Israel came into existence not BECAUSE of the Holocaust, but rather, INSPITE OF the Holocaust.  Of course, had there been a Jewish State in the years 1939 - 1945, it is unlikely tht six million Jews would have died, as they would have had a home. At the Evian Conference called by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the years leading up to the Holocaust, not one Western country wanted to take the Jews of Germany in, at a time when Hitler was willing to let them go. 
      So Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu comes to the United States knowing that he and his government cannot affort to get it wrong, and if that means offending the U.S. President, it is worth the price.  Because if you ask the question, "what is the WORST that can happen?," anyone who has been to the US Holocaust Museum, or Yad Va Shem in Jerusalem, can answer that question.  Also, if Israel is asked to just trust the West on this one, well Jewish experience during the Holocaust argues you cannot really trust the West.  So despite liberal frusration that the current Israeli government is not more forth-coming on issues of territorial compromise, the backdrop and context of the Holocaust at leaast gives some perspective to where this perceived conservatism might be based.
     As for President Obama's ACTUAL words on the Israel-Palestine stalemate, I have found that anti-Obama folk have chosen to emphasize certain aspects of the speech while ignoring other parts which don't support their "throwing Israel under the bus" claim, while pro-Obama factions have ignored certain aspects of his speech which could insight continuing Palestinian foot-dragging.  In fact, the 1967 borders have always been the basis of negotiations, going back to UN Resolution 242.  In fact it was Israel who offered to go back to these lines right after the Six Day War, and it was the Arabs, not Israel, who responded with their "three no's:" No Negotiation, No Recognition, No Peace.  It was only after that when the liberal Labor Party began a Settlement Policy to ensure no future sneak attacks.
     Most relevant: President Obama's inclusion of "mutually agreed land swaps" directly echos former President George W. Bush's suggestion of "land swaps" to ensure that the largest Israeli Settlment Blocks on the controversial side of the post-1967 "Green Line" stay in Israeli hands, in exchange for pre-1967 territory inside Israel.
    Well read for yourself, unfiltered, and come to your own conclusions.
     Shabbat shalom!

For decades, the conflict between Israelis and Arabs has cast a shadow over the region.  For Israelis, it has meant living with the fear that their children could be blown up on a bus or by rockets fired at their homes, as well as the pain of knowing that other children in the region are taught to hate them.  For Palestinians, it has meant suffering the humiliation of occupation, and never living in a nation of their own.  Moreover, this conflict has come with a larger cost to the Middle East, as it impedes partnerships that could bring greater security and prosperity and empowerment to ordinary people.

For over two years, my administration has worked with the parties and the international community to end this conflict, building on decades of work by previous administrations.  Yet expectations have gone unmet.  Israeli settlement activity continues.  Palestinians have walked away from talks.  The world looks at a conflict that has grinded on and on and on, and sees nothing but stalemate.  Indeed, there are those who argue that with all the change and uncertainty in the region, it is simply not possible to move forward now.

I disagree.  At a time when the people of the Middle East and North Africa are casting off the burdens of the past, the drive for a lasting peace that ends the conflict and resolves all claims is more urgent than ever.  That’s certainly true for the two parties involved.

For the Palestinians, efforts to delegitimize Israel will end in failure.  Symbolic actions to isolate Israel at the United Nations in September won’t create an independent state. Palestinian leaders will not achieve peace or prosperity if Hamas insists on a path of terror and rejection.  And Palestinians will never realize their independence by denying the right of Israel to exist.

As for Israel, our friendship is rooted deeply in a shared history and shared values.  Our commitment to Israel’s security is unshakeable.  And we will stand against attempts to single it out for criticism in international forums.  But precisely because of our friendship, it’s important that we tell the truth:  The status quo is unsustainable, and Israel too must act boldly to advance a lasting peace.

The fact is, a growing number of Palestinians live west of the Jordan River.  Technology will make it harder for Israel to defend itself.  A region undergoing profound change will lead to populism in which millions of people -– not just one or two leaders — must believe peace is possible.  The international community is tired of an endless process that never produces an outcome. The dream of a Jewish and democratic state cannot be fulfilled with permanent occupation.

Now, ultimately, it is up to the Israelis and Palestinians to take action.  No peace can be imposed upon them — not by the United States; not by anybody else.  But endless delay won’t make the problem go away.  What America and the international community can do is to state frankly what everyone knows — a lasting peace will involve two states for two peoples:  Israel as a Jewish state and the homeland for the Jewish people, and the state of Palestine as the homeland for the Palestinian people, each state enjoying self-determination, mutual recognition, and peace.

So while the core issues of the conflict must be negotiated, the basis of those negotiations is clear:  a viable Palestine, a secure Israel.  The United States believes that negotiations should result in two states, with permanent Palestinian borders with Israel, Jordan, and Egypt, and permanent Israeli borders with Palestine.  We believe the borders of Israel and Palestine should be based on the 1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps, so that secure and recognized borders are established for both states.  The Palestinian people must have the right to govern themselves, and reach their full potential, in a sovereign and contiguous state.

As for security, every state has the right to self-defense, and Israel must be able to defend itself -– by itself -– against any threat.  Provisions must also be robust enough to prevent a resurgence of terrorism, to stop the infiltration of weapons, and to provide effective border security.  The full and phased withdrawal of Israeli military forces should be coordinated with the assumption of Palestinian security responsibility in a sovereign, non-militarized state.  And the duration of this transition period must be agreed, and the effectiveness of security arrangements must be demonstrated.

These principles provide a foundation for negotiations.  Palestinians should know the territorial outlines of their state; Israelis should know that their basic security concerns will be met.  I’m aware that these steps alone will not resolve the conflict, because two wrenching and emotional issues will remain:  the future of Jerusalem, and the fate of Palestinian refugees.  But moving forward now on the basis of territory and security provides a foundation to resolve those two issues in a way that is just and fair, and that respects the rights and aspirations of both Israelis and Palestinians.

Now, let me say this:  Recognizing that negotiations need to begin with the issues of territory and security does not mean that it will be easy to come back to the table.  In particular, the recent announcement of an agreement between Fatah and Hamas raises profound and legitimate questions for Israel:  How can one negotiate with a party that has shown itself unwilling to recognize your right to exist?  And in the weeks and months to come, Palestinian leaders will have to provide a credible answer to that question.  Meanwhile, the United States, our Quartet partners, and the Arab states will need to continue every effort to get beyond the current impasse.

I recognize how hard this will be.  Suspicion and hostility has been passed on for generations, and at times it has hardened. But I’m convinced that the majority of Israelis and Palestinians would rather look to the future than be trapped in the past.  We see that spirit in the Israeli father whose son was killed by Hamas, who helped start an organization that brought together Israelis and Palestinians who had lost loved ones.  That father said, “I gradually realized that the only hope for progress was to recognize the face of the conflict.”  We see it in the actions of a Palestinian who lost three daughters to Israeli shells in Gaza.  “I have the right to feel angry,” he said.  “So many people were expecting me to hate.  My answer to them is I shall not hate.  Let us hope,” he said, “for tomorrow.”

That is the choice that must be made -– not simply in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but across the entire region -– a choice between hate and hope; between the shackles of the past and the promise of the future.  It’s a choice that must be made by leaders and by the people, and it’s a choice that will define the future of a region that served as the cradle of civilization and a crucible of strife.

Conservative Movement Reaching Out to YOU

JTS Chancellor Arnold Eisen has launched a blog called “Conservative Judaism: A Community Conversation.” The blog features essays on the chancellor’s vision for Conservative Judaism in the 21st century, responses by Movement leaders and members of the community, and encourages a conversation with all of us.

Go to www.jtsa.edu/CJBlog to follow the essays and post comments.

Make your voice heard.

TONIGHT! First Friday Night Family Services in the First State

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Please join us tonight, beginning at 6 p.m. for an Israel-inspired Simcha Hour, featuring edible and drinkable delights from Eretz Yisrael, followed by 6:30 p.m. Family Shabbat Services, including Rabbi Michael on guitar and a child-friendly story, focusing on Peace and Israel. We will also be celebrating Jason Barnes, as he becomes a bar mitzvah.

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