|
|
|
||
|
Jews in UK renounce right to live in Israel
A group of prominent Jews seek today to renounce their right to Israeli residence and citizenship in protest at Israel's "barbaric" policies towards the Palestinians. In a letter to the Guardian, the group, which includes writers, academics and artists, say they regard the legal entitlement as "morally wrong" when those who "should have the most right to a genuine return ... are excluded." Among the 45 signatories are Steven Rose, director of the Brain and Behaviour Research Group at the Open University who is campaigning to suspend EU funding of Israel's universities, and Professor Irene Bruegel, of the group Jews for Justice for Palestinians. Theatre director and film producer Michael Kustow, singer Leon Rosselson and writer Mike Marqusee also signed the letter, which follows an article in yesterday's Guardian about a group of South American Indians who converted to Judaism and moved to Israel only to be housed in settlements in the disputed territories. The letter says: "We do not wish to identify ourselves with what Israel is doing. "We wish to express our solidarity with all those who are working for a time when Israel, the West Bank and Gaza Strip can be lived in by people without any restrictions based on so-called racial, cultural, or ethnic origins." We are Jews ...
We are Jews, born and raised outside Israel, who, under Israel's "law of return", have a legal right to Israeli residence and citizenship (Real lives, G2, August 7). We wish to renounce this unsought "right" because: 1) We regard it as morally wrong that this legal entitlement should be bestowed on us while the very people who should have most right to a genuine "return", having been forced or terrorised into fleeing, are excluded. 2) Israel's policies towards the Palestinians are barbaric - we do not wish to identify ourselves in any way with what Israel is doing. 3) We disagree with the notion that Zionist emigration to Israel is any kind of "solution" for diaspora Jews, anti-semitism or racism - no matter to what extent Jews have been or are victims of racism, they have no right to make anyone else victims. 4) We wish to express our solidarity with all those who are working for a time when Israel, the West Bank and Gaza Strip can be lived in by people without any restrictions based on so-called racial, cultural, or ethnic origins. We look forward to the day when all the peoples of the area are enabled to live in peace with each other on this basis of non-discrimination and mutual respect. Perhaps some of us would even wish to live there, but only if the rights of the Palestinians are respected. To those who consider Israel a "safe haven" for Jews in the face of anti-semitism, we say that there can be no safety in taking on the role of occupier and oppressor. We hope that the people of Israel and their leaders will come to realise this soon.
|
||
