No, Mr. Netanyahu—
you do not speak for
American Jews
•Most polls indicate that a majority of American Jews (and most non-Jews) support President Obama’s attempt to
negotiate a settlement that would prohibit Iranian development of nuclear weapons rather than the Netanyahu
approach of undermining those negotiations.
•Most polls indicate that a majority of American Jews oppose the expansion of West Bank settlements that
Netanyahu favors and support the creation of an independent Palestinian state living in peace with Israel.
And…
The American People
Do Not Want a
War with Iran
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s attempt to shape American foreign policy toward Iran
is unwelcome. A poll in February showed 62% of Americans opposed the way that the
Republican leadership had invited Netanyahu to speak. Choosing to make his American
visit a few days ahead of Israeli elections lead some to suspect that his visit is a tactic to help
build support for his political party. Misleadingly, much of the media quotes “American
Jewish leaders” who support Netanyahu—but those leaders are not elected by American
Jews and the media should be quoting leaders who represent the majority sentiments
of American Jews who have long been committed to peace and reconciliation with the
Palestinian people. While many of us hope to see the people of Iran non-violently work to
transform Iranian society to foster democracy and human rights, we know that war with
Iran will only strengthen the repressive hold of the Islamic fundamentalists and decrease
the security of Americans and of Jews around the world. So we oppose the efforts of some
in Congress and the Netanyahu faction in Israel who together seek to derail negotiations
with Iran.
We who sign this ad (the full list can be read at www.tikkun.org/AdSignatories) are
American Jews and our non-Jewish allies who oppose any attempt to drag the American
people into another war. We remember the way that the Bush Administration lied us
into a war with Iraq by providing false information about a non-existent threat of Iraqi
nuclear weapons. We do not need a repeat of that scenario as militarists in Israel and the
U.S. once again use the fear of non-existent nuclear weapons to manipulate us into another
war. It is not in the interests of the U.S., Israel or the people of the world.
The strategy of domination over those identified as “evil others” and used by the U.S.
and Israel as the path to homeland security has not worked. Using force, violence, wars,
Signatories
bombings, torture, and coercion has been tried for the past five thousand years and it has
not produced a world of peace or security.
It is time to switch from full spectrum dominance to a Strategy of Generosity. The U.S.
spent over a trillion dollars on the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. The outcome was a greatly
weakened Iraq and ISIL (the “Islamic State”) armed with weapons brought to the region by
the U.S. That same trillion dollars could have been used to create a Global Marshall Plan
that could have wiped out global and domestic poverty, homelessness, hunger, inadequate
education and inadequate health care—thereby demonstrating to the world a U.S. that
cares for the well-being of others (see for example www.tikkun.org/gmp, a resolution in
support of which was introduced into the Congress by Rep. Ellison and endorsed by two
dozen other Congressional reps).
The Islamic extremists and others who resort to violence would have a much harder time
recruiting fighters and supporters to struggles against the West if we were known to the
world through our generosity, humility and respect for indigenous cultures rather than
through our military and economic power. Similarly Israel would achieve far greater
security were it acting in a spirit of generosity toward the Palestinian people. The “realists”
scoff at such thinking—yet their strategies have continually failed for thousands of years.
So even while some of the signatories to this letter do not oppose the use of force in
extreme circumstances like WWII or stopping ISIS/Islamic State, we do believe it is time
to give generosity and caring for others a real chance. The capitalist ethos of materialism
and winning though intimidation is destructive to us, our families, and to people around
the world. Instead of more wars and domination, it is time for what Jews call “tikkun”—
healing and transformation. Lets start now with a Global Marshall Plan!
For a full list of the 2400+ signatories visit tikkun.org/AdSignatories (all institutions listed below for identification purposes only)
Sponsors
Rabbi Michael Lerner, Editor Tikkun Magazine
Cat J. Zavis, Executive Director of the Network of Spiritual Progressives
“Humanity may be divided between...those to whom the sword is the symbol of
honor and those to whom seeking to convert swords into ploughshares is the only
way to keep our civilization from disaster.” —Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel
Inner Editorial Board, Tikkun
Rabbi Aryeh Cohen, Prof. Rabbinic Literature at
American Jewish University, L.A.
Jill Goldberg, Langara College
Peter Gabel, Editor at Large
Dr. Aaron J. Hahn Tapper, Director Jewish Studies, USF
Dr. Deborah Kory, Psychologist
Prof. Mark Levine, Political Science, UC Irvine
Ana Levy-Lyons
Prof. Cynthia Moe Lobeda, author of Resisting Structural Evil
Prof. Shaul Magid, Chair, Jewish Studies, Indiana University
Dr. Phillip Wolfson, Psychiatrist
Prof. Stephen Zunes, Politics and International Studies, USF
Rabbi Rachel Barenblat Rabbi Haim Beliak Rabbi Neil Comess-Daniels Rabbi Nilton Bonder Rabbi Joseph Edelheit Rabbi Edward Nydle Rabbi Tirzah Firestone Rabbi Gershon, Steinberg-Caudill Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb
Rabbi Shaya Isenberg Rabbi Burt Jacobson Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum Rabbi Deb Kolodny Rabbi Brant Rosen Rabbi David Shneyer Rabbi Brian Walt Rabbi Arthur Waskow Rabbi Sheila Peltz Weinberg Rabbi Joseph Wolf
Other signatories include:
Rae Abileah Prof. Charles F. Altieri, UC Berkeley Siamak Arassi Stanley Aronowitz Prof. Paul Atwood, U Massachusetts Roberta and Leonard Badger-Cain/Cain Peter Barglow Raymond Barglow Prof. Wendy Barker, U Texas
Prof. Aliki Barnstone U Missouri Thomas Bender, NYU Prof. Nathaniel Berman, Brown U Ed Berne Joel Bleifuss, In These Times Robert Blauner, UC Berkeley Prof. Ned Block NYU Nathan Board MoveOn.org
Rena Bransten Mal Burnstein Co-Chair, Rules Committee, California Democratic Party David Burrell, U Notre Dame Prof. Claude Calame, Ecole des Hautes Etudes Tony Campolo Prof. Hugo Cardenas Universidad de Santiago
Nachshon Carmi Prof. Ira Chernus, U Colorado Prof. Peter Child, MIT Joan Chittister, Benetvision Martha Christian Prof. Robert Cohen, NYU Prof. James Cohen, Sorbonne Prof. Bruce Cohen, Worcester State
Mark Crispin Miller, NYU Prof. Fred Dallmayr, U Notre Dame Victoria de Grazia Noel Dennis Charles Derber, Boston College Prof. Hasia R. Diner, NYU Michael Dowd Prof. Ian Duncan, UC Berkeley Stan Duncan
Stefan Edlis Prof. Gregory Elliott, Brown U Frederick Enman, Boston College Harold Erdman Seth Farber, Ph.D. Institute of Mind and Behavior Heidi Feldman Prof. Gordon Fellman, Brandeis George Finley III Nancy Fleischer
Alissa Flores Prof. Carol Fontaine, Andover Newton Theological School Dr. Helen Fox, U Michigan Estelle Frankel, Author of Sacred Therapy Marty Garbus Prof. Laura Ginsparg-Jones, Cornell U Prof. Peter Golden, Rutgers
Prof. Linda Gordon, NYU Prof. Emily Gottreich, UC Berkeley Prof. William Graham, Harvard Barbara Green Prof. Ramon Greenberg, Harvard Lester Grinspoon M.D., Harvard Medical School Prof. Charles G. Gross, UC Berkeley
and Princeton U Margaret Gullette, Brandeis Prof. Janet Gyatso, Harvard Prof. Sally Haslanger, MIT Josh Healey Raymond Helmick, Boston College Bonnee Henry, UCC Prof. Olivier Herrenschmidt, U. Paris Prof. Laurence
Horn, Yale Susannah Heschel, Professor of Jewish Studies, Dartmouth College Dr. Bruce Hirsch Jane and Richard Hirschmann/Levy Prof. Douglas Hofstadter, Cognitive Scientist Prof. Tera Hunter, Princeton Prof. Harold Jacobs,
SUNY Prof. Glenn Jacobs, U Massachusetts Prof. Irene Jillson, Georgetown Prof. Steven Jonas, Stony Brook Prof. Catherine Keller, Drew U Prof. Marie Kennedy, UCLA Mimi Kennedy, Progressive Democrats of America
Prof. Amber Kerr, UC Davis Prof. Ben Kiernan, Yale Nancy Kim Irena Klepfisz, author Prof. Thomas Kleven, Thurgood Marshall Law School Prof. David Kronenfeld, UC Riverside Prof. Lauren Langman, Loyola U Chicago
Larry Lerner, Partners for Progressive Israel Prof. Donald Levine, U Chicago Prof. Daniel Levine, U Texas David Loy, Buddhist Social Theorist Milton Masur M.D. Patricia McDonald Ray McGovern Prof. Everett Mendelsohn,
Harvard Douglas Mirell Don Moon Prof. Leslie Morris, U Minnesota Susannah Nachenberg, Jewish Voices for Peace Prof. Stuart Newman, N.Y. Medical College Joyce Carol Oates, Princeton U and Stanford U Prof. Peter Ochs,
U Virginia Wendy Orange Prof. Annelise Orleck, Dartmouth Richard Page Dr. John Paggioli Bob Petit Richard Platkin, LA Jews for Peace William Pollak Prof. Jeffery Prager, UCLA James Prescott, National Institute of Health
Prof. Laurin Raikin NYU James Reddington Prof. Judith Richman, U Illinois Robert Roach Richard Rohr, Center for Action and Contemplation Wade Clark Roof, UCSB Prof. Stephen Rosenbaum, UC Berkeley Joel Rosenberg,
Tufts Penny Rosenwasser David Rothfield Herbert Rothschild, Peace House Prof. Saskia Sassen, Columbia U Donna Schaper Prof. Raquel Scherr, UC Davis Bev Schwartz Prof. David Schweikart, Loyola U Prof. Peter Dale
Scott, UC Berkeley Dr. Maynard Seider Prof. Svi Shapiro, UNC Ramin Shojai Prof. Arthur Shostak, Drexel U Robert Silverstein Steve Smale Syeda Siddiqi Prof. David Smiley, Columbia U J. Alfred Smith Sr. Prof. Robert
Snyder, Rutgers Prof. Michael Steinlauf, Gratz College Heng Sure, Institute for World Religions Pat Thomas Prof. Paul Thomas, UC Berkeley Gail and Robert Thomas Wread/Rosin Barbara Tillman Prof. Abraham Udovith,
Princeton Willis Unke Erik van Praag Joan Vogel, Vermont Law School Prof. Beverly Voloshin, SF State Prof. Harry Vreeswijk Bertrand, Russell College Robin and Nancy Wainwright Prof. Deborah Ruth Wallen, Goddard College
Prof. Thomas Weisskopf, U Michigan Maureen Wesolowski Prof. David Wetherell, Deakin U Prof. Bruce Wexler, Yale Prof. Frank Wicks, Union College Prof. William Wilson, Harvard Mary Wilson Prof. Susan Winnett
Jamie Wolf Tony Wolfe Prof. Donald Wood, U Wisconsin-Platteville Medora Woods Prof. David Wunsch, U Massachusetts Peter Yarrow of “Peter, Paul, and Mary” Prof. Marilyn Young, NYU Prof. Lee Zimmerman, Hofstra
Network of
Spiritual
Progressives
The prophetic voice of liberal and progressive Jews
and our non-Jewish allies.
www.tikkun.org
The interfaith (and secular-humanist-welcoming) Network of
Spiritual Progressives is the education-outreach arm of Tikkun.
Our shared mission: Seeking a New Bottom Line, so that every institution, corporation, government policy, our health care system, our
legal system, and educational system are judged efficient, rational and productive to the extent that they maximize love, generosity, social
and economic justice, caring for each other and caring for the earth, and transcending a narrow utilitarian or instrumental way of thinking
so we respond to the universe (and other human beings) with awe, wonder and radical amazement. You don’t have to believe in God or be
part of a spiritual or religious community to be a spiritual progressive—but you do have to want to build a world of love and justice and
environmental sanity and sustainability. Support our ESRA—Environmental & Social Responsibility Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
www.tikkun.org/ESRA. The ESRA would mandate public funding of federal and state elections and ban all other sources of money, require
any large corporation selling goods or services in the U.S. to prove a satisfactory history of environmental and social responsibility every
five years to a panel of ordinary citizens or lose their right to operate in our country. J oin the Network of Spiritual Progressives and help
popularize this idea. www.spiritualprogressives.org (membership in which also gives you a free subscriptiont to Tikkun).
q Yes, I want to help you place this message in other U.S. and Israeli media.
I will donate to support your work for peace and generosity.
q Charge my credit card $___________________ q MC q Visa q Amex
Credit Card No._______________________________ Exp. date____________
Security Code (required)_____________ (Last 3 digits on reverse of MasterCard or Visa; last 4
digits on front right side of American Express)
Name on card_____________________________________________________
Billing Address____________________________________________________
City, State, Zip, Country_____________________________________________
Email___________________________________ Phone__________________
Return this coupon or send a check to
Tikkun, 2342 Shattuck Ave, #1200, Berkeley, CA 94704
Or donate and sign on as a signatory to this ad online at
www.tikkun.org/peaceproject
[email protected]