Hug Jews for a Free Palestine

By Reima Malik

Bay Area Jews celebrated the High Holy Days by renouncing their rights to Israeli Citizenship (Aliyah). They also voiced their opposition to a local Jewish organization for its role in promoting “Jewish-only” policies in Israel.

A Peace Rally arranged by Jews for a Free Palestine (JFFP) to renounce Aliyah started at Justin Herman Plaza in San Francisco at noon on Thursday, October 2. Later the group marched to the Jewish Community Federation (JCF), where they stood outside the building and renounced Aliyah in public. MWU! was there to talk with some of the participants and to hand out hugs as usual.

The event fell in between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. In language borrowed directly from the MWU! Manifesto (OK, so there is no such thing), Dr Susan Green of San Francisco declared, “We reject the idea that Israeli apartheid makes Jews safe, and we will not stand by while 4.5 million Palestinian refugees are denied their basic human rights and the right to return to their homes. We demand that institutions like the Jewish Community Federation wake up to this reality.”

MC Ettinger is one of the founders of Jews for a Free Palestine (JFFP).

MWU!: Tell us about JFFP.
MC: We are Bay Area Jews, and we want no more blood and injustice in our name. We are not behind occupation or oppression. I support this cause because I believe in justice. Judaism doesn’t support ethnic cleansing. We want the Palestinians, the people who lived on that land much longer and more recently than us, to have the same right of return that we do.

MWU!: How long has your organization been around?
MC: It’s been in existence since September 2000, since the 2nd Intifada. And the members have been growing.

MWU!: Why did you pick JCF as a place to renounce Aliyah?
MC: JCF promotes and supports the exclusionary immigration and land ownership policies of Israel. JCF has financially supported this cause by sending $3 million in 2002, and $5 million in 2001.

MWU!: Has there been any response/reaction from JCF as a result of your protest?
MC: Yes, JCF CEO Sam Salkin agreed to meet with JCF board members and Jews for a Free Palestine to discuss this issue.
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The first person to step on stage and renounce Aliyah was Barbara.

Barbara
Stop US aid to Israel. American tax payers can scream about how wrong the settlements are, but let’s get to the root problem--end aid to Israel. One standard of justice--not one for Israel and another for the rest of the world. 25% of Palestinian children are suffering from malnutrition. Is this right, I don’t think so! I am proud to say no to Aliyah, no to occupation, no to US funding of Israel, and yes to the right of return for all Palestinians who lost their homes. It is our duty to support development programs in Palestine, not just as Jews but as fellow humans.

Sarah
I am here today to renounce Aliyah. I and many fellow Jews are horrified to see the violence that is going on in their name. Many want to stand up, but they are scared of being ostracized by the Israeli government or by mainstream Jewish organizations. The tactics that they claim are taking care of Jewish interests are tearing the Jewish community apart. JCF provides un-critical support for Israel. My mother was a civil rights activist; this is what being Jewish means to me. I want justice, not violence and oppression.
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Samantha
MWU!: What does Aliyah stand for?
Samantha: The exclusionary “Jewish Law of Return.” Aliyah was created in 1950 by Israel. The law permits any Jewish person with a grandparent of Jewish heritage to emigrate and settle in Israel, often with large cash incentives, especially for moving to illegal settlements in occupied Palestine. You may go to www.renouncealiyah.us for more information.

MWU!: Can a non-Jewish person or a Jewish convert share the same right?
Samantha: Probably not, but the converts might get some rights. There is an extensive paperwork process where you have to prove your heritage.

MWU!: What injustice are you here to protest?
Samantha: The Palestinian refugee population of 4.5 million is the highest in the world. And for the past 55 years, they have been denied their right of return to their ancestral villages and homes. We support international law and United Nations Resolution 194 that call for a refugee’s right to return to their displaced land.

Libby Goldberg

MWU!: What does the peace symbol that you were holding stand for?
Libby: Freedom, peace, prosperity. It is a symbol shared by both Jews and Muslims.

MWU!: Did you know that Aliyah is also the name of a girl in Arabic?
Libby: No, but it also means to go up for prayers.

MWU!: How do you feel after renouncing Aliyah?
Libby: I wasn’t supposed to be here. I am also the granddaughter of someone who spent their lifetime supporting Zionism. I am supposed to be on the other side. But then I started looking around me and saw beyond the regular news media. The atrocities inflicted upon the Palestinian people by my people in my name--I am not with that. I want to expose all the lies that we have been taught. I am pledging to devote my life to the struggle for Justice. I am also the great granddaughter of Jewish refugees from Russia--they hid their kids wherever they could to prevent their rape, torture and murder.

MWU!: Can you undo your renunciation?
Libby: Yes, Aliyah is just a concept. I didn’t need to sign a document to renounce it. I could undo it, but I doubt if I ever would.

MWU!: What might be the consequences of renouncing it?
Libby: I might have trouble going to Israel, say if I ever wanted to go live there. I might get harassed, but I don’t think there are any major consequences.

MWU! How did you get involved in this movement?
Libby: I got politically active when I lived in New York City a few years ago. Did you know that New York is the city with one of the highest Jewish populations in the world? In terms of Jewish political activism, NYC is the hub.

MWU!: Happy Jewish New Year. How did you celebrate the day?
Libby: I cooked for friends and family; that is what I do for a living.

MWU!: Yom Kippur is coming up as well, Will you observe the fast?
Libby: Probably not, I believe in doing good in other ways.

MWU!: Have you had the opportunity of going to Israel or Palestine?
Libby: Unfortunately not. I would like to go to Palestine, but ever since Rachael Corrie’s death the entry has become real difficult. If at the border they get the slightest hint of your activism, say if you have any political material with you, you are denied entry at the border.

Eric Roman
Eric Roman is the publicity coordinator for JFFP. He lives in Oakland and works for a non-profit organization.

MWU!: Does your family support your cause?
Eric: No, but they aren’t outrightly against me either. I come from a Zionist background. I am not a Zionist any longer.

MWU!: Does your family know that you are here today and that you renounced Aliyah?
Eric: No, and they don’t have to know. I feel strongly about the cause; I come from a family where I had some survivors and some victims of the holocaust. I have heard so much about their sufferings--why now turn around and inflict them on other.