On June 19, 2019, T’ruah and nine other progressive pro-Israel organizations called on House leadership to vote on and pass House Resolution 326, which reaffirms support for the two-state solution and opposes any US actions that would encourage or endorse unilateral Israeli annexations in the West Bank.
Related: Tell your senators to draw a red line against West Bank annexation.
T’ruah, Ameinu, Americans for Peace Now, Hashomer Hatzair, Jewish Labor Committee, J Street, National Council of Jewish Women, New Israel Fund, Partners for Progressive Israel and Reconstructing Judaism sent the following letter in support of the resolution to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy and House Foreign Affairs Committee leaders of both parties. The legislation was introduced last month by Reps. Alan Lowenthal (CA-47), Karen Bass (CA-37) and Gerry Connolly (VA-11) and is now endorsed by over half of the House Democratic caucus:
Dear Speaker Pelosi, Minority Leader McCarthy, and Leaders of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the Subcommittee on the Middle East, North Africa, and International Terrorism:
As leading progressive organizations in the American Jewish community, we write to ask you to bring to the House floor H.Res.326 introduced by Representatives Alan Lowenthal, Karen Bass, and Gerry Connolly.
H.Res.326 is vital legislation. It will put on record members of the House of Representatives in endorsing the two-state solution as the only means of ensuring “the State of Israel’s survival as a secure Jewish and democratic state” and fulfilling “the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people for a state of their own.”
As you know, the goal of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been longtime, bipartisan US policy on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The resolution references the Clinton Parameters, the George W. Bush Road Map, and the Obama/Kerry Principles, all of which provided frameworks for negotiations toward a two-state solution.
Further, the resolution makes clear that any US proposal which contravenes this essential goal will prove counterproductive. Specifically, it indicates that “a United States proposal that fails to expressly endorse a two-state solution as its objective, that expressly or tacitly encourages unilateral annexation of territory, or is otherwise inconsistent with the broadly held consensus positions for resolving the conflict’s final status issues as reflected in previous United States proposals is likely to put a peaceful end to the conflict further out of reach.”
Consideration by the House of Representatives of this important legislation is an urgent matter. The Trump administration has made clear its openness to Israeli annexation and opposition to a two-state solution. In a recent interview in The New York Times, US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman stated that Israel has the “right to retain” parts of the West Bank. White House senior adviser Jared Kushner and Trump’s Special Representative for International Negotiations Jason Greenblatt refuse to speak of a two-state solution because, in Greenblatt’s words, “There is no point in using a phrase that never achieved peace.”
Disastrously, the Trump administration’s actions have matched these words. By endorsing Israeli claims to Jerusalem without recognition of Palestinian claims and outside the framework of a final-status agreement, President Trump set the stage for the Palestinian leadership to cut off relations with the US. His administration has gone on to close the PLO mission in Washington and the US consulate in Jerusalem; terminate US aid to UNRWA and attempt to take the issue of Palestinian refugees “off the table”; cut off remaining humanitarian aid to the West Bank and Gaza; and recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights. Meanwhile, Trump has stood by as Prime Minister Netanyahu’s government has opened the floodgates to future settlement construction.
H.Res.326 is co-sponsored by over half of the House Democratic Caucus. These members of Congress recognize that with the Trump administration perhaps preparing to launch its long-advertised “peace plan,” the time for members of the House of Representatives to make their voices heard is now.
We respectfully request that you bring H.Res.326 to the floor.
Signed by,
Ameinu
Americans for Peace Now
J Street
National Council of Jewish Women
New Israel Fund
Partners for Progressive Israel
Reconstructing Judaism
T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights
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-Isaiah 58:1
Our approach to ending the occupation is grounded in human rights and a belief that all Israelis and Palestinians are created b’tzelem Elohim, in the image of the Divine, and should be treated with dignity and compassion.
As rabbis and cantors, we care deeply about Israel’s future as a Jewish, democratic state, and as a safe haven for the Jewish people, who have suffered generations of persecution with no country of our own.
At the same time, we recognize the impact and consequences of Israel’s creation for the Palestinian people, and the many decades of suffering incurred by leaders prioritizing power over people. Since 1967, Israel has maintained a violent military occupation of Palestinian land, violating the human rights of millions each day. To ensure the long-term security, dignity, and prosperity of both Israelis and Palestinians, the occupation must end.
With T’ruah’s support, courageous Jewish clergy draw attention to the injustices done in our name.
Our work includes:
Training and educating current and future American rabbis and cantors to be the moral leaders we need. Over 80% of rabbinical and cantorial students spending their required year in Israel participate in our Year-in-Israel Program, which takes students to see human rights issues with their own eyes and meet the activists working to address them
Running trips to the West Bank for ordained Jewish clergy
Providing educational programming on specific issues and bringing the voices of Israeli and Palestinian activists and human rights experts to our community
Organizing rabbis, cantors, and their communities to take action to protect democracy in Israel and to support the human rights of both Israelis and Palestinians
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Now more than ever, your voice is urgently needed to counter the rising tide of intolerance and hatred of minorities in our country. Click below to sign the pledge to hold Trump accountable for upholding human rights and civil liberties.
If you are a rabbi or cantor, sign here.
If you are a lay member of the Jewish community, sign here.
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The year 2017/5777 marked 50 years since the Six-Day War, when Israel captured East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza. This anniversary calls both for celebration of Jewish sovereignty over our holiest site, the Temple Mount, and a more somber commemoration of the 50 years of military occupation that followed this war.
In the biblical cycle, 50 is the yovel (jubilee) year, in which debts are released, slaves go free, the shofar of liberation is sounded, and each person returns to his or her family's holdings. This year of release offers us the opportunity to get unstuck, to move beyond the pain of the past fifty years, and to find a new path toward liberation.
In this spirit, we offer you a guide that delves into seven concepts associated with yovel through biblical text, classical commentary, and Hasidic interpretations, and also looks at the complexities of Jerusalem. Each section includes questions for conversation and background information on texts. Videos of prominent rabbis teaching texts from the guide can be viewed here.
Also, check out the Sh’ma Now April 2017 issue on Yovel, examining the concept of the Jubilee year. We address this 50-year marker metaphorically as a time to reflect on how to reset debts and rethink our relationship to the Land of Israel, as we mark more than 50 years since the 1967 Six-Day War and its aftermath.
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-Isaiah 58:1
Our approach to ending the occupation is grounded in human rights and a belief that all Israelis and Palestinians are created b’tzelem Elohim, in the image of the Divine, and should be treated with dignity and compassion.
As rabbis and cantors, we care deeply about Israel’s future as a Jewish, democratic state, and as a safe haven for the Jewish people, who have suffered generations of persecution with no country of our own.
At the same time, we recognize the impact and consequences of Israel’s creation for the Palestinian people, and the many decades of suffering incurred by leaders prioritizing power over people. Since 1967, Israel has maintained a violent military occupation of Palestinian land, violating the human rights of millions each day. To ensure the long-term security, dignity, and prosperity of both Israelis and Palestinians, the occupation must end.
With T’ruah’s support, courageous Jewish clergy draw attention to the injustices done in our name.
Our work includes:
Training and educating current and future American rabbis and cantors to be the moral leaders we need. Over 80% of rabbinical and cantorial students spending their required year in Israel participate in our Year-in-Israel Program, which takes students to see human rights issues with their own eyes and meet the activists working to address them
Running trips to the West Bank for ordained Jewish clergy
Providing educational programming on specific issues and bringing the voices of Israeli and Palestinian activists and human rights experts to our community
Organizing rabbis, cantors, and their communities to take action to protect democracy in Israel and to support the human rights of both Israelis and Palestinians
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Now more than ever, your voice is urgently needed to counter the rising tide of intolerance and hatred of minorities in our country. Click below to sign the pledge to hold Trump accountable for upholding human rights and civil liberties.
If you are a rabbi or cantor, sign here.
If you are a lay member of the Jewish community, sign here.
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In the biblical cycle, 50 is the yovel (jubilee) year, in which debts are released, slaves go free, the shofar of liberation is sounded, and each person returns to his or her family's holdings. This year of release offers us the opportunity to get unstuck, to move beyond the pain of the past fifty years, and to find a new path toward liberation.
In this spirit, we offer you a guide that delves into seven concepts associated with yovel through biblical text, classical commentary, and Hasidic interpretations, and also looks at the complexities of Jerusalem. Each section includes questions for conversation and background information on texts. Videos of prominent rabbis teaching texts from the guide can be viewed here.
Also, check out the Sh’ma Now April 2017 issue on Yovel, examining the concept of the Jubilee year. We address this 50-year marker metaphorically as a time to reflect on how to reset debts and rethink our relationship to the Land of Israel, as we mark more than 50 years since the 1967 Six-Day War and its aftermath.
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-Isaiah 58:1
Our approach to ending the occupation is grounded in human rights and a belief that all Israelis and Palestinians are created b’tzelem Elohim, in the image of the Divine, and should be treated with dignity and compassion.
As rabbis and cantors, we care deeply about Israel’s future as a Jewish, democratic state, and as a safe haven for the Jewish people, who have suffered generations of persecution with no country of our own.
At the same time, we recognize the impact and consequences of Israel’s creation for the Palestinian people, and the many decades of suffering incurred by leaders prioritizing power over people. Since 1967, Israel has maintained a violent military occupation of Palestinian land, violating the human rights of millions each day. To ensure the long-term security, dignity, and prosperity of both Israelis and Palestinians, the occupation must end.
With T’ruah’s support, courageous Jewish clergy draw attention to the injustices done in our name.
Our work includes:
Training and educating current and future American rabbis and cantors to be the moral leaders we need. Over 80% of rabbinical and cantorial students spending their required year in Israel participate in our Year-in-Israel Program, which takes students to see human rights issues with their own eyes and meet the activists working to address them
Running trips to the West Bank for ordained Jewish clergy
Providing educational programming on specific issues and bringing the voices of Israeli and Palestinian activists and human rights experts to our community
Organizing rabbis, cantors, and their communities to take action to protect democracy in Israel and to support the human rights of both Israelis and Palestinians
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Now more than ever, your voice is urgently needed to counter the rising tide of intolerance and hatred of minorities in our country. Click below to sign the pledge to hold Trump accountable for upholding human rights and civil liberties.
If you are a rabbi or cantor, sign here.
If you are a lay member of the Jewish community, sign here.
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In the biblical cycle, 50 is the yovel (jubilee) year, in which debts are released, slaves go free, the shofar of liberation is sounded, and each person returns to his or her family's holdings. This year of release offers us the opportunity to get unstuck, to move beyond the pain of the past fifty years, and to find a new path toward liberation.
In this spirit, we offer you a guide that delves into seven concepts associated with yovel through biblical text, classical commentary, and Hasidic interpretations, and also looks at the complexities of Jerusalem. Each section includes questions for conversation and background information on texts. Videos of prominent rabbis teaching texts from the guide can be viewed here.
Also, check out the Sh’ma Now April 2017 issue on Yovel, examining the concept of the Jubilee year. We address this 50-year marker metaphorically as a time to reflect on how to reset debts and rethink our relationship to the Land of Israel, as we mark more than 50 years since the 1967 Six-Day War and its aftermath.
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-Isaiah 58:1
Our approach to ending the occupation is grounded in human rights and a belief that all Israelis and Palestinians are created b’tzelem Elohim, in the image of the Divine, and should be treated with dignity and compassion.
As rabbis and cantors, we care deeply about Israel’s future as a Jewish, democratic state, and as a safe haven for the Jewish people, who have suffered generations of persecution with no country of our own.
At the same time, we recognize the impact and consequences of Israel’s creation for the Palestinian people, and the many decades of suffering incurred by leaders prioritizing power over people. Since 1967, Israel has maintained a violent military occupation of Palestinian land, violating the human rights of millions each day. To ensure the long-term security, dignity, and prosperity of both Israelis and Palestinians, the occupation must end.
With T’ruah’s support, courageous Jewish clergy draw attention to the injustices done in our name.
Our work includes:
Training and educating current and future American rabbis and cantors to be the moral leaders we need. Over 80% of rabbinical and cantorial students spending their required year in Israel participate in our Year-in-Israel Program, which takes students to see human rights issues with their own eyes and meet the activists working to address them
Running trips to the West Bank for ordained Jewish clergy
Providing educational programming on specific issues and bringing the voices of Israeli and Palestinian activists and human rights experts to our community
Organizing rabbis, cantors, and their communities to take action to protect democracy in Israel and to support the human rights of both Israelis and Palestinians
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Now more than ever, your voice is urgently needed to counter the rising tide of intolerance and hatred of minorities in our country. Click below to sign the pledge to hold Trump accountable for upholding human rights and civil liberties.
If you are a rabbi or cantor, sign here.
If you are a lay member of the Jewish community, sign here.
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In the biblical cycle, 50 is the yovel (jubilee) year, in which debts are released, slaves go free, the shofar of liberation is sounded, and each person returns to his or her family's holdings. This year of release offers us the opportunity to get unstuck, to move beyond the pain of the past fifty years, and to find a new path toward liberation.
In this spirit, we offer you a guide that delves into seven concepts associated with yovel through biblical text, classical commentary, and Hasidic interpretations, and also looks at the complexities of Jerusalem. Each section includes questions for conversation and background information on texts. Videos of prominent rabbis teaching texts from the guide can be viewed here.
Also, check out the Sh’ma Now April 2017 issue on Yovel, examining the concept of the Jubilee year. We address this 50-year marker metaphorically as a time to reflect on how to reset debts and rethink our relationship to the Land of Israel, as we mark more than 50 years since the 1967 Six-Day War and its aftermath.
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Yovel / Jubilee: Fifty Years Since 1967
