Jewish Community Expresses Support For Israel’s Disengagement Plan
(Boston, July 19, 2005) Nancy K. Kaufman, Executive Director and Susan A. Calechman, President of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston issued the following statement today regarding Israel's plans to disengage from the Gaza Strip and communities in northern Samaria. "The JCRC fully supports Prime Minister Sharon and the government of Israel as they begin implementation of the Gaza disengagement plan. Israel's rigorous democracy is taking bold and courageous risks in an effort to protect her security and to renew the process of resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We also support the Israeli government's effort to resolve the conflict through a negotiated two-state solution as expressed in the Road Map. Final borders and other final status issues must be left to the parties themselves to negotiate in a peace process free from violence and the threat of violence.
Disengagement will only lead to a peaceful outcome if there is a commitment on the part of the Palestinian leadership to put an end to terrorism. We call upon the Palestinian Authority (PA) to disarm the terrorist groups and their infrastructure. This includes removal of existing stockpiles of weapons and preventing such stockpiles from being rebuilt; preventing the smuggling of weapons; closing of clandestine weapons manufacturing and preventing attacks, especially during the disengagement process. The future of peace, and the stability of the PA itself, is fully dependent on it taking this action.
We recognize the profound sacrifices being made by the families who are being relocated, some after living in their homes for nearly 30 years. The loss of their homes, synagogues, farms, businesses and schools is an immense sacrifice which should be recognized with efforts made to bridge any gaps that develop among Israelis as a result of this effort.
We condemn the rhetoric of a tiny extremist fringe that promotes violence as a response to policies undertaken by the democratically elected Israeli government. At the same time, the rights of free speech and lawful dissent which are basic and indispensable in a democratic society must be protected. It is critically important that those with differing views of the peace process condemn explicit hate speech, venomous language, and threatening words. It is also important that discussion among all the conflicting viewpoints be created to promote an atmosphere in which differences can be expressed with civility and respect. We call on the US government to continue its work with Israeli and Palestinian leaders to ensure that all commitments are met and that a resolution to this conflict leads to a secure peace for both sides."
