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WEBSITES PROMOTING ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN PEACE
I've noticed in surfing the web for news, information and
opinion about the Mideast conflict, there are many sites.
But there are few sites which act as a compendium or directory for all
the others. To answer this need, I’ve compiled a comprehensive
(well, as comprehensive as possible) list of online American Jewish and
Israeli resources devoted to Mideast peace. I’ve created three
sections: one devoted to organizations; one to weblogs and the last to
media and research resources. No such list as this can be truly
comprehensive. Organizations may have been left out unintentionally. If you feel I have left out a significant peace resource,
please let me know (and include a URL) and I will add it.
Now that I have this megaphone I’d like to note two serious deficiencies in the online Mideast peace community:
1. Why aren’t there more bloggers blogging on Mideast peace in a
sustained fashion? I am compiling a list of all such bloggers. If you know of
other blogs devoted to peace and reconciliation between Israelis and
Palestinians let me know. I would also urge every blogger interested in
the subject to cross link to the blogs listed below so that we can
mutually strengthen traffic to our sites and our peace message.
2. While several organizations below maintain forums at their site
for discussion of the conflict, few attract a broad membership. Some which do seem to have a lot of shouting going on. The Israeli-Palestine Forum is an attempt to create a forum with a broad, but focussed membership with as little pushing and shoving as possible.
Over the years, I proposed to several peace organizations that they initiate such a project. But none have been
willing or interested in doing so. That's why I've decided to do it myself. I just hope that if I do it, they will come.
Mideast Peace Organizations
The Abraham Fund Initiatives:
A New York and Jerusalem-based non-governmental organization working to
advance coexistence, equality and cooperation among Israel's Jewish and
Arab citizens.
American Friends of Neve Shalom/Wahat Al-Salam:
The American Friends of Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam is dedicated to
dialogue, cooperation and a genuine and durable peace between Arabs and
Jews, Palestinians and Israelis by encouraging, supporting and
publicizing the projects of Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam, the “Oasis of
Peace.”
Americans for Peace Now [APN]:
Founded to help Shalom Achshav and to build an informed and empowered pro-peace American public
Brit Shalom
With voices calling for vengeance louder than the voices calling for
reconciliation--Brit Shalom/Tahalof Essalam - the Jewish-Palestinian
Peace Alliance: an organisation by Jews and Palestinians, undertakes
systematic, informed, serious, persistent and efficient activity for
peace.
Brit Tzedek v'Shalom, the Jewish Alliance for Justice and Peace:
National organization of American Jews deeply committed to Israel's
well-being through the achievement of a negotiated settlement to the
long-standing Israeli-Palestinian conflict
B’Tselem:
Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories
documents and educates the Israeli public and policymakers about human
rights violations in the Occupied Territories, combats the denial
prevalent among the Israeli public, and helps create a human rights
culture in Israel.
Find Common Ground:
Seattle-based interfaith group which recently hosted a well-attended
University of Washington symposium with Ami Ayalon and Sari Nusseibeh.
Foundation for Middle East Peace:
Dedicated to informing Americans about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
and assisting in a peaceful solution that brings security for both
peoples.
Geneva Accords:
Israeli-Palestinian peace proposal drafted by Yossi Beilin, Amram Mitzna, Yasser Abed Rabbo and other political leaders
Gush Shalom ("The Peace Bloc"):
The 'hard core' of the Israeli peace movement
Israel Policy Forum:
Supports active and sustained American efforts aimed at resolving the
conflict between Israel and its Arab neighbors. A return to
negotiations in the Israeli-Palestinian arena is a critical component
of the war against terrorism and of the struggle for a secure Israel
Jewish Peace Fellowship:
Affiliated with the Fellowship of Reconciliation, a Christian pacifist
activist group, JPF supports a non-violent, equitable resolution of the
ME conflict.
Jewish Peace Lobby:
American Jewish organization which seeks to promote a just and lasting
resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Its central focus is US
foreign policy through which it promotes policies strengthening the
long-term security of Israel as well as the vision of a humane Israel
which protects democratic values and human rights. It endorses policies
which promote the rights and well-being of the Palestinian people. To
these ends, it regularly engages US policy makers as well as Israeli
and Palestinian policy makers.
Jewish Voice for Peace:
Israelis and Palestinians. Two Peoples, One Future
Meretz USA:
A progressive Zionist organization that educates Americans about issues
of civil rights and peace in Israel, and promotes the values of peace,
pluralism and democracy in Israel. Affiliated with Israel’s Meretz
political party.
NEVE SHALOM/WAHAT AL-SALAM:
A village in Israel established jointly by Jews and Palestinian Arabs
of Israeli citizenship and engaged in educational work for peace,
equality and understanding between the two peoples.
New Israel Fund:
Works to strengthen Israel's democracy and to promote freedom, justice and equality for all Israel's citizens.
New Profile: Movement for the Civilization of Israeli Society:
Anti-war, anti-militarist site dedicated to the idea that Israelis do
not need to live in a soldiers’ State and in a state of perpetual war.
The Parent’s Circle:
Bereaved Israeli and Palestinian parents who have lost loved ones through Israeli-Palestinian violence
Peace in the Middle East:
An open letter from American Jews to our government
Peace Now!
The first and primary goal of PEACE NOW has been to press the Israeli
government to seek peace - through negotiations and mutual compromise -
with our Arab neighbors and the Palestinian people.
Physicians for Human Rights-Israel
Physicians For Human Rights-Israel was founded in 1988
with the goal of struggling for human rights, in particular the right
to health, in Israel and the Occupied Territories. Human dignity,
wellness of mind and body and the right to health are at the core of
the organization's mission and inform our
activities and efforts on both the individual and general level. Our
activities integrate advocacy and action toward changing harmful
policies and direct action providing healthcare.
Pursue the Peace
An organizaiton of Seattle-area Jews supporting a just Israeli/Palestinian peace
Rabbis for Human Rights is
the rabbinic voice of conscience in Israel, giving voice to the Jewish
tradition of human rights. We promote justice and freedom, while
campaigning against discrimination and inhumane conduct. The North
American affiliate is at http://www.rhr-na.org/id5.html
Sari Nusseibeh Homepage
Nusseibeh is president of Al Kuds University and a leading Palestinian
supporter of peace and reconciliation with Israel. Click here for the Nusseibeh-Ayalon peace plan
Seeds of Peace
Empowers children of war to break the cycle of violence. Seeds of Peace
is dedicated to preparing teenagers from areas of conflict with the
leadership skills required to promote coexistence and peace.
The organization focuses primarily on the Middle East, but its programs
have expanded to include other regions of conflict including the
Balkans, South Asia, and Cyprus.
Seruv:
Israeli soldiers who pledge their commitment to the security of Israel,
but declare that they will take no part in missions intended to prolong
the occupation
SHMINISTIM:
Israeli Youth Refusal Movement; REFUSE TO SERVE THE OCCUPATION!
The Shalom Center:
A network of American Jews who draw on Jewish tradition and
spirituality to seek peace, pursue justice, heal the earth, and build
community.
The Shefa Fund:
Encourages American Jews to use tzedakah to create a more just society,
and in the process, to transform Jewish life so that it becomes more
socially conscious and spiritually invigorating
Tikkun Community:
People from many faiths and traditions, called together by TIKKUN magazine and its vision of healing and transforming our world.
Washington Institute for Near East Policy:
A public educational foundation dedicated to scholarly research and informed debate on U.S. interests in the Middle East
West-East Divan Workshop
Edward Said’s and Daniel Barenboim’s “all-Mideast” orchestra composed
of Israeli, Palestinian, Jewish and Muslim musicians who make music
around the world and attempt to live out a life of collaboration and
tolerance.
Mideast Peace Media and Research Resources
Bitterlemons.org
Presents Israeli and Palestinian viewpoints focusing on the
Palestinian-Israeli conflict and peace process. Produced, edited and
partially written by Ghassan Khatib, a Palestinian, and Yossi Alpher,
an Israeli. Its goal is to contribute to mutual understanding through
the open exchange of ideas. Bitterlemons.org aspires to impact the way
Palestinians, Israelis and others worldwide think about the
Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
Common Ground News Service - Middle East:
Provides news, op-eds, features, and analysis by local and international experts on a broad range of Middle East issues
International Crisis Group
ICG’s work in Israel, the occupied territories and with Israel’s
Arab neighbours focuses on new, comprehensive political and diplomatic
strategies to address the sources of conflict, and deal with those
factors within Israel and Arab societies hindering the achievement of
sustainable peace.
Middle East Information Center
An information resource helping us to better understand the conflicts
in the Middle East. We focus on the Arab-Israeli conflict because it is
arguably the single most important source of tension in the region
Mideast Web:
Massive compendium of facts, figures, historical background and resource links to the Middle East conflict
Israeli, Palestinian, and Middle East News and Research Resources:
Media links and other research tools
Tikkun Magazine:
Jewish Critique of Politics, Culture, & Society
Mideast Peace Weblogs
Aron’s Israel Peace Blog
Aron was raised Orthodox, made aliya and served ten years in the
Israeli Army. Reading his excellent blog is just like being thrown
right into the Israeli political, moral maelstrom
Aspasia was one
of the great dissenters of world history. In ancient Athens, she opened
a school of rhetoric and philosophy that welcomed men and women. She
introduced salon culture to the city and counted amongst her
contemporaries Socrates, who claimed he learned from her the art of
rhetoric, the playwright Euripides, the philosopher Anaxagoras, and the
sculptor Pheidias. When Aspasia married Pericles, the great statesman,
his opponents charged her with impiety (the age-old slur of the
malcontent), and spread rumors that her salon was a bordello. She
successfully defended herself and her reputation.
Dutchblog Israel
Bert de Bruin ( Yonathan Dror Bar-On ), is a former Dutch historian,
who specialized in modern Jewish history and in history of the Middle
East, and who in 1995 emigrated from the Netherlands to Israel. He
currently is working on his doctoral thesis, on the subject Jews and non-Jews in Post-Liberation France, 1944-49.
Expat Egghead and Cathy
Head Heeb: Knocking Down 4,000 Years of Icons
A remarkably lucid and comprehensive blog devoted to international relations with a strong focus on the Mideast conflict.
Lawrence of Cyberia
Diane Mason's blog boasts thorough, in depth analysis of the conflict
with sympathy & criticism levelled at both sides. The author
masterfully explores Haaretz, using it to plumb the depths of Israeli negative stereotypes about Palestinians.
Searching for a Rainbow:
Notes on life in Israel, baseball, kids, etc
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