I participated in the Valley Jews Against Mass Starvation in Gaza action on July 31, because I urgently wanted to stand up as a Jew against this horrendous human rights abuse. When I first heard that the idea of crossing some of the usual political lines had been initiated by Jewish Voice for Peace, I was impressed and gratified. I have not ever been a member of JVP, but I had assumed that they would not want to collaborate with those who did not share their clear anti-Zionist position, and yet they had decided that at this moment it was more important that we stand together as Jews to say NO!
It was so wonderful to see and hear JVP, Friends of Standing Together, rabbis and members of local congregations, and activists (primarily Jewish) of all stripes speaking with one voice against the devastation we are witnessing. Every one of those at the microphone, whether organizer, musician, or rabbi, who shared words, prayers or songs with us, was absolutely clear about the horror of this moment, and the responsibility of both Israel and the United States for creating and maintaining both the violence and the starvation.
Although I appreciated the presence of the Gazette reporter and his front-page story, I was troubled that JVP was not mentioned (though other groups were) and I wondered why. Even more, I was distressed that the only rabbi quoted in the article emphasized the “complexity” of the situation, in contrast to the straightforward message of the gathering: Jews Say NO (unambiguously NO) to starvation in Gaza.
Alice Levine
Easthampton