Jews Against the Occupation (JATO) describes itself as "an organization of progressive, secular and religious Jews of all ages throughout the New York City area advocating peace through justice for Palestine and Israel" [1] and removal of what they call "apartheid wall".
The organization claims that it seeks unity with the Palestinian people by promoting human bonds that transcend religious, ethnic, and political divisions. There are six major planks in their platform; opposition to what they regard as:
- Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands,
- Israeli military aggression and police brutality,
- U.S. foreign aid to Israel,
- Israeli economic strangulation of Palestinian society,
- Exclusion of Palestinians from their ancestral homes,
- Censorship of anti-Israeli political speech under pretext of accusations of anti-Semitism.
Selected Quotes
"The Israeli military fires ... live ammunition at unarmed Palestinian civilians engaged in peaceful protest, failing to distinguish between peaceful and violent resistance." -- Sam Miller-Eisenstein [2]
"Dore Gold is an architect of the spin that the killing of Palestinian civilians and the destruction of Palestinian society somehow constitute a battle between two equal sides," said Sam Miller-Eisenstein of Jews Against the Occupation. "Palestinians don’t have tanks – they have stones, a few militants, and what remains of their dignity. This is not a war between Palestinians and Israelis; it’s a brutal occupation."
"It’s time for people like Gold to stop crying self-defense. Not only are Israel’s actions illegal acts of war on Palestinians – but they don’t keep Jews safe either. As Jews and as human beings, we demand Israel stop committing atrocities in our name." -- Sam Miller-Eisenstein [3]
See also
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