A South African Jewish Declaration of Conscience

Sign our South African Jewish Declaration of Conscience! In response to the anti Israel "Call by Concerned Jews" (and now Lebanese) which lays all blame on Israel for the Lebanon crisis we call on South African Jews to publicly support our alternative declaration by posting their name and/or personal message in the comments section below.

We declare that that all peoples of the Middle East, be they Jewish or Arab, have the right to live in free and prosperous societies. Terrorist organisations, such as Hamas and Hizballah, are the greatest obstacle to realizing this vision. Their incitement of hatred and indiscriminate acts of violence against Israel, do not only destroy the lives of the Jewish people that they so hate, but also poison the Arab societies within which they operate. Thus all terrorist organisations must be dismantled for there to be any hope of a better Middle East.

The Jewish state has consistently sought peace with its Arab neighbours. To this end, it has made painful concessions. In terms of its 1978 peace agreement with Egypt, Israel relinquished the entire Sinai Peninsula. In 1993, it entered into the Oslo Peace Process with the Palestinians and under these accords handed over much of Gaza, Judea and Samaria (West Bank) to PLO control. Israel unilaterally withdrew from Southern Lebanon in 2000. And most recently, it disengaged from all of the Gaza almost one year ago.

Yet despite these unprecedented gestures, Israel has not received peace. Terrorist organisations and certain rogue states throughout the region have continued their campaign for Israel’s destruction. And we support Israel’s right to defend itself against this unprovoked aggression.

We regret the loss of all innocent life on both sides of the conflict. However we recognise that there is a moral distinction between terrorist organisations that deliberately kill civilians and the Israeli Defense Force that inadvertently does so.

The terrorist organisations that use their civilians as human shields in blatant contravention of international law bear much of the culpability for Arab civilian deaths.

South Africa, with its significant accomplishments in nation building, could play a meaningful role in the development of sustainable Arab democracies in the region. Its vast experience in reconciliation could also serve to help counteract decades of anti-Jewish hatred that has permeated the Arab world.

We believe that a just and lasting peace between Israel and its Arab neighbours is possible. Israel’s peace agreements with Egypt and Jordan attest to this. But peace cannot cohabit with terrorism. Thus it is the duty of all who long for freedom and prosperity in the Middle East, to support the eradication of this scourge.

Update
The views in the comments do not necessarily represent the views of It's Almost Supernatural.

Admin Note: This entry will remain at the top of the blog for the next while. Normal blog posts appear under this entry.

Update @ 11/08/2006
A small number of Lebanese have now joined the terror supporting "Jews for peace". Read about the updated petition which apportions all blame for the crisis on Israel here.

Comments

[Mandy W]

I support Israel

[Jack Bloom]

I support this, but it is distressing that it is in reaction to the "look at us, we are the good Jews" declaration of others who outrageously claim the high ground. Even the Arab press is awash with articles castigating Hezbollah and the role of Syria and Iran, so what is wrong with them. Their arrogance is unbelievable in that they can only conceive of Jews, but not Muslims or Arabs, as morally responsible beings.

[LISA KOWALKY]

I fully support Israel!

[Tamara Gritzman]

I support Israel's right to self defence

[Carla]

I support this as well.

[Maish Weinstein]

I support Israel and anyone who is priveleged to be a Jew has an obligation....
But they are right anyway!

[Romy Gamsu]

We will only have Israel to support us, for as long as we proudly support Israel!

May Hashem bless and protect our soldiers, our leaders and our Land.

[Maor Rautman]

I fully support this declaration.

Am Yisrael Chai!

[Debra Mankowitz]

I support the moral integrity of the state of Israel and its very brave,very young soldiers that sadly have to defend Israel and her citizens against another group of Islamofascists. Alan Dershowitz describes Hizbollah and its leader: " Nasrallah is a modern day Hitler, who currently
> lacks the capacity to carry out his genocide. But he
> is an ally of Iran, which will soon have the
> capacity to kill Israeli's five million Jews. Listen
> to what the former President of Iran has said about
> how Iran would use its nuclear weapons:
>
Hashemi Rafsanjani, the former president of Iran,
> has threatened Israel with nuclear destruction,
> boasting that an attack would kill as many as five
> million Jews. Rafsanjani estimated that even if
> Israel retaliated by dropping its own nuclear bombs,
> Iran would probably lose only fifteen million
> people, which he said would be a small "sacrifice"
> from among the billion Muslims in the world."

[Clive Sher]

Strongly Support Israel's right to defend herself against any form of terrorism.

[punsy]

i support

[R. Traub]

I strongly support Israel. (See Debra Mankowitz's comment above)

[Jacques Talpert]

I 100% SUPPORT ISRAEL

[Leon von Zwiklitz]

Go Israel! I support Israel, and pray for peace to happen soon.

[Bianca Wailer]

I support Israel fully!

[Jack Todes (Philadelphia)]

Very strongly support Israel's right to live in peace and to defend itself

Without reserve, I support the right for Israel and its' people to live in peace. The innocent injuries and deaths on both sides are horrific but would not happen if Hezbollah and all that back it would live and let live.
Jonathan Levy

[linda kramer]

AS a S.A. mother of 2 sons in the I.D.F. and as a lover of Israel, I strongly support it's right to defend itself. Am Yisrael Chai!

[Anita Levy]

I fully support Israel. Without the State of Israel Jews throughout the world would not be able to walk with their heads high

[Elaine Katz]

I strongly support Israel and its right to exist in peace.

[Elaine Katz]

I strongly support Israel and its right to exist in peace

[Elaine Katz]

I strongly support Israel and its right to live in peace

[dan]

I support Israel.

[Marcia Parness]

The Jewish people have been persecuted for far too long, Israel has a right to defend itself and its citizens from those who wish to obliterate the Jewish State, and People. We have a homeland of which we can be proud, and hold our heads up on the moral highground

[Yehuda Montrose]

I support

[Jonathan Glaser]

I STRONGLY support Israel! Am Yisrael Chai!!

[amanda lewis]

I SUPPORT AM YISRAEL!

[KIM]

I SUPPORT ISRAEL!!!

[Stan]

I support Israel and its right to live in peace

[Naomi Dinur]

NEVER AGAIN.
The Jewish nation have the right of self rule and safe determination with safety and security.
Clearly the case of unprovoked attack,the rockets aimed at peaceful civilian population, and brought death and destruction. Every human being is dear-be it Israeli or Lebanese. Hizbollah worked to maximize civilian casualties on both side. The hands were Hizbollah, but the voice is that of Iran.

[Matie Hazan]

Israel has the right to defend herself.
I fully support Israel.

[Roy]

I STRONGLY SUPPORT !
people who know nohing about anyhing (kasrils) should research their opinions...

[jarred myers]

NEVER AGAIN-JEWISH BLOOD IS NOT FREE!

[lawrence sher]

I would like to throw a hand grenade into each one of these individuals houses whilst their whole family are present and see how much enthusiasm they have for missiles being shot at Israeli villages and homes.

[lawrence sher]

I would like to throw a hand grenade into each one of these individuals houses whilst their whole family are present and see how much enthusiasm they have for missiles being shot at Israeli villages and homes.

[Sheldon Davis]

I am pleased to see that like myself there are still some Jews that don't accept Israel as the jews representative even though in this specific case I think that the concerned S.A jews are wrong because in my view HIzbolla does not serve anyones interest except Iran.
It's time to wake up. There is no chosen race. Israel should withdraw from Palestine and Iran should withdraw from Lebanon.
I don't think that the concerned South African Jews are anti semites but some of the racist comments on this site will definately increase anti semitsm

[Monessa Shapiro]

Israel will always have my love and support and I will always feel tremendous pride in it as a country and the Israelis as a people.

[Fizzy]

I am not Jewish, and am an ex-South African living in the UK.
I wholeheartedly support Israel in her just fight against terrorism and fully support her right to exist peacefully.

[Colin]

As a Secular supporter of Israel and Zionism I unequivocally support Israel. I will always support democratic societies when attacked by the forces of totalitarianism.
Does Red Ronnie, Zapiro and Max Ozinsky really think that when the Hezb’allah terrorists scream "itbach al yahud" (Kill the Jew) that they are somehow excluded?

[Lauren Snitcher]

To be a Jew is to be a Zionist. For all our history we have been persecuted simply for having been born Jewish.Never again will we be dependent on a world unwilling to offer us the inalienable right to exist.Israel exists and as such it is entitled to defend that right.

Fully Support (Any REAL LIBERAL human being in this world need to do so ! )

[Mikhail Kramer]

support 100%

[Gary Selikow]

I swear to fight to my last breath for Israel as a sovereign Jewish State, to determine it's own borders and to defend itself as it see's fit.
I cannot and will not keep company with those who make common cause with modern-day Arab Nazis who shoot a pregnant Jewish woman at point blank range before executing her four terrified small daughters.
I shall always shun those who show any acceptance of the perpetrators of such atrocities and will continue to condemmn those whose twisted ideas suggest any equivocation of Israel's self-defence with brutal Arab terror.
Seriously , I pray that all Israel-haters and anti-Zionists burn in hell forever.

[Zepskypedsymn]

Hi, i see that you here and is very intresting for me. But I don't have many time for asking you. I hope that I see you laters.!

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