Jewish leaders in row over Israeli fence...
A row has erupted between Jewish leaders in the United States over the 7.6-metre high security fence Israel is building around Palestinian areas in the West Bank.
The row, which has drawn in prominent politicians from the US and Israel, was triggered by a letter sent to President George Bush by Edgar Bronfman, the billionaire scion of the Seagram's drinks fortune and president of the World Jewish Congress.
Co-signed by Lawrence Eagleburger, secretary of state under president George Bush snr, the letter criticised the fence as a "separation wall", and said that the continuing construction was "complicated and potentially problematic".
They also urged Mr Bush to put pressure on Israel and apply "the same straightforwardness" with the Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, as he had shown with the Palestinian Prime Minister, Mahmoud Abbas.
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/08/10/1060454082463.htmlThis comment from the senior vice-president of the World Jewish Congress demanding that Bronfman must defend the government of Israel no matter what it does caught my attention.'It would be obscene at any time for the president of the World Jewish Congress to lobby the president of the United States to resist policies being promoted by the Government of Israel.'
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He ((Isi Liebler))wrote: "It would be obscene at any time for the president of the World Jewish Congress to lobby the president of the United States to resist policies being promoted by the Government of Israel. But on a security issue such as the security fence, one that impacts on the life and death of Israelis, your intervention . . . can only be described as an act of perfidy which will not be swept under the carpet."
(quote from your article
Where the hell is this guy, Isi Liebler, getting off? Bronfman and Eagleburger’s unprecedented letter has ignited a firestorm among Jewish leaders. World Jewish Congress senior vice president Isi Leibler called on Bronfman to resign over the letter - another unprecedented act.
"By this, you have initiated an outrageous act that stands in defiance of the broad consensus of the World Jewish Congress constituency, unbefitting to the President of that organization. Without a doubt that broad consensus seeks to maximize its support of the policies determined by the democratically elected government of Israel during these difficult times.”
Liebler added: “You have in the past expressed other odd ideas about Israel, but your most recent foray is much more serious and has crossed every red line… your intervention - irrespective as to whether you formally used your presidential title or not - can only be described as an act of perfidy which will not swept under the carpet.” ((Liebler really has a thing about carpets!))
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http://www.palestinechronicle.com/article.php?story=20030806195833742---
(Excerpt)
Bronfman told The Jewish Week that he “deliberately” refrained from writing the letter on WJC stationary in order to make clear these were his private views.
“My purpose was simple,” Bronfman said. “Sharon was meeting the president and I wanted to make sure the president knew that the Jewish community is divided and is not all right-wing idiots.”
http://www.thejewishweek.com/news/newscontent.php3?artid=8300((THANK YOU MR. BRONFMAN!))
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(Excerpt)
Bronfman, who is spending the summer vacation on his Idaho ranch, said Israel and the Jewish community cannot afford a fight with the White House now. Bronfman is known as one of the harshest critics of the pro-Israeli lobby AIPAC and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations that are "dominated by the right wing."
Labor Party Chairman Shimon Peres and Justice Minister Yosef Lapid were among the many Jewish leaders and Israeli public figures who wrote Bronfman letters of support following the report of his letter to Bush.
WJC chairman Israel Singer yesterday slammed right-wing Jewish leaders, saying they are doing everything to destroy the political pluralism in the community and boycotting anyone whose opinion is different from theirs. He said public opinion polls indicate that some 80 percent of the Jews support the road map and the peace process and just as right-wing officials can express their opinions, so can the left-wing camp.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=326444&contrassID=2&subContrassID=1&sbSubContrassID=0&listSrc=Y
http://www.rense.com/general39/jleaders.htm--
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