Letter from Israelis in the UK to the Guardian

28 July 2006

We, Israeli citizens resident in the UK, write to make public our dissent from the acts of aggression committed by the Israeli army in Lebanon and Gaza. The Israeli government claims this is necessary aggression in the interests of Israeli national security. We say: "Not in our name."

We do not share the sense of victimisation so immediately assumed by many Israelis. In casting themselves as the sole victims, they obscure the suffering of others, as well as their own role in inflicting that suffering. The destruction of a neighbouring country and the devastation of its civil society cannot contribute to the growth of a partner for peace. Likewise, the long-lasting occupation of millions of Palestinians cannot inspire good will among Israel's Arab neighbours.

The persistent policy of abducting of Lebanese and Palestinian citizens and their detention in Israel without trial cannot further the process of constructive political dialogue. The ongoing Israeli boycott of the democratically elected government of the Palestinian authority has resulted in a humanitarian crisis. This is now aggravated by the Israeli bombardments of densely populated civilian areas, meant to bring them into submission and to assert the Israeli control of Gaza, despite Israel's withdrawal.

Israel's unilateral politics cannot generate just solutions to constant Israeli aggression in Lebanon and to 40 years of occupation over the Palestinian people. We call upon the Israeli government to immediately withdraw all forces from Lebanon and to stop its attacks on Lebanese and Palestinian civilian populations. We call upon the British government and on the international community to actively intervene to end the Israeli aggression in Lebanon.
Ilana Bakal, Daphna Baram, Nimrod Ben-Cnaan, Ron Cohen, Talya Ezrahi, Naama Farjoun, Yael Friedman, Gali Gold, Anat Pick, Meir Shabat, Ehud Sivush, Tirza Waisel

Today, world leaders will be meeting in Rome to discuss the crisis in the Middle East. After Israel's relentless bombing of Lebanon, instigated by Hizbullah's mortar attacks into northern Israel and its capture of two soldiers, we call on the British government to support an immediate unconditional ceasefire to enable humanitarian agencies to deliver medicines, food and clean water to the now over 500,000 displaced Lebanese civilians.

The government's hands-off strategy legitimises Israel's bombing of civilian areas, which contravenes international humanitarian law prohibiting acts of collective punishment. The British government must learn the lessons of the past. There can be no military solution to the political problems in the Middle East. Hizbullah and Hamas developed in direct response to Israel's occupation of Arab lands. As difficult as it may be, the only route to long-lasting peace in the region is a comprehensive plan, which has the Palestinian issue at its heart.

US reluctance to intervene, which has further eroded that country's capacity to serve as a peacebroker in the Middle East, puts the onus on Britain to work with the EU to secure an immediate ceasefire and help parties in the conflict settle their differences through the implementation of all UN resolutions, including 1559.
Dr Karen Abi-Ezzi, Dr Mandy Turner, Dr Julia Buxton, Professor Michael Pugh, Sarah Perrigo, Dr Neil Cooper, Dr Rhys Kelly, Dr Fiona Macauley, Heather Blakey, Sally Holt, Dr Ute Kelly
Department of peace studies, Bradford University