Why has Ameinu embarked upon this video initiative about the West Bank settlements?
Israel is faced with a moment of truth regarding its identity and future existence as a Jewish, democratic state. The facts of demography and geography are clear; there are 10.6 million people living between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, split almost evenly between Jews and Arabs.
In order to realize the objectives of Zionism, to live as a normal people in a Jewish state guided by the prophetic principles of justice, Israel must reach an agreement with the Palestinians on a two state solution. Such an agreement must guarantee security for Israel and create the opportunity for economic viability for the Palestinians.
Reaching this objective has proven to be extremely difficult for a variety of reasons. The Palestinian extremists, led most recently by Hamas, have sabotaged the efforts of more moderate Palestinian leaders. Since 1967, successive Israeli governments have embarked upon misguided settlement initiatives that make reaching a territorial agreement more complicated.
Regardless of what the Palestinians do in the immediate future, it is imperative upon Israel to begin returning most of the settlers to Israel proper. We are not proposing a unilateral withdrawal policy as was done in Gaza, but rather an orderly plan to move the people living in certain territories. This effort will serve three main purposes:
- It will be a sign to the Palestinians and the world that Israel is indeed serious about a two-state solution.
- The Israeli Defense Forces will be able to focus on defending Israel against terrorist attacks rather than expending resources on securing far flung settlements
- Funds going to the settlement enterprise can be better invested in the education and welfare of all Israeli citizens.
We hope this educational campaign will reach large numbers of American Jews and develop support for the pro-peace agenda of the current Israeli government, particularly in light of the momentum created by the November 2007 Annapolis peace conference.
