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GUESTS:
CECILIE SURASKY – Deputy Director, Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) Muzzlewatch, JVP’s acclaimed blog documenting efforts to silence open debate about Israel-Palestine policy, and leads JVP’s fundraising, media and online outreach efforts.
DALIT BAUM, PH.D.* – founder of “Who Profits from the Occupation”, an activist research initiative of the Coalition of Women for Peace in Israel. Dalit is a feminist scholar and teacher in Israel at Haifa University and the Beit Berl College.
JORDAN ASH – Minnesota Chapter Representative of Jewish Voice for Peace
Every so often, TruthToTell tries to examine some local perspective on a national or global issue that has no small impact on people we care about.
In recent months, the United States government has chosen to sic this country’s legal machinery on individuals and organizations who dare to defy the administration’s official stances on the State of Israel’s treatment of Palestine and Palestinians. Minnesota men and women committed to peace and humanitarian relief for Palestinians decimated by Israeli firepower, especially in Gaza, have not only been detained and subpoenaed to appear in Chicago with only a scant notion of their accusations, but Palestinian sympathizers attempting to deliver humanitarian relief have been attacked or detain on the high seas and in ports of the Mediterranean. People have died at the hands of Israel’s military in pursuit of such aid in the name of national security.
The United States refuses to condemn these killings and other actions taken by Israel. Our President’s response to continued occupation and settlement of the West Bank in violation of 1967 accords has been tepid at best, negligent at worst.
Now, various Jewish groups are seeking to exert a kind of pressure almost everyone can understand: Economics. Stop and reduce the money. Withhold the investments. Stop buying Israeli goods. Boycotts. Suddenly and recently, Israel passed a rigid anti-boycott law. Of course, to whom these laws apply could be a question.
One group – Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) – has launched an initiative to stop certain funds from further investing in Israel, especially the huge pension funds within TIAA-CREF. JVP has condemned any escalation of violence, but that Israel’s earlier this year was again disproportionate.
This week, TRUTHTOTELL’S ANDY DRISCOLL and MICHELLE ALIMORADI discuss the status of actions being taken against Israeli violence and the economic response they encourage with national and local members of Jewish Voices for Peace.