Media Releases – April 2000
April 2000
April 1, 2000 WIG Lawsuit against Rabin Center
April 2, 2000 U.S. Speaking Engagement Schedule of Ruth and Nadia Matar
April 11, 2000 Barak Continues To Deceive The Jewish People
April 16, 2000 There Ought To Be A Law
April 18, 2000 A Pesach Message to Ehud Barak
*******************************************************
Jerusalem, April 1, 2000
WIG Lawsuit against Rabin Center
The following is a translation of the lawsuit filed by the Women for
Israel’s Tomorrow (Women in Green) against the Yitzhak Rabin Center
for Israel Studies.
In the Tel Aviv-Jaffa District Court
The Plaintiff: the “Women for Israel’s Tomorrow” (“Women in Green”)
organization represented by Adv. Avraham Landstein and/or Adv. Erez
Moskovitz 6b Epstein St., Tel Aviv 62962 telephone: (03)544-3747, fax:
(03)546-7811
versus
The Defendants: 1) the Yitzhak Rabin Center for Israel Studies
26 Hayyim Levanon St., Tel Aviv 61175
represented by Adv. Amnon Zichroni
57 Rothschild Boulevard, Tel Aviv 65785
telephone: 525-6333, fax: 525-6444
2) the State of Israel
represented by the Minister responsible for the implementation of the
Center for the Perpetuation of the Memory of Yitzhak Rabin Law, Prime
Minister and Minister of Defense Ehud Barak Prime Minister’s Office,
Ha-Kiryah, Jerusalem
3) Dr. Irit Keinan
Director-General, Yitzhak Rabin Center for Israel Studies
26 Hayyim Levanon St., Tel Aviv 61175
Essence of the Lawsuit: damages, slander, permanent restraining order
Amount of the Lawsuit: NIS 1,200,000 (one million, two hundred
thousand New Israeli Shekels)
Lawsuit
1. The Plaintiff is a nonprofit organization in Israel, better known
by the name “Women in Green.” The Plaintiff conducts voluntary
activity in Israel and abroad. Its budget is based primarily on
contributions received from its supporters within the Jewish
communities throughout the entire world. To this end, inter alia, a
friends’ of the Women in Green organization was established in the
United States: “American Friends of Women in Green,” which is an
organization contributions to which are exempt from taxes, in
accordance with the instructions of the “US Tax Return.”
2.The Defendants are
a. Defendant no. 1 is a body that was established by the Center for
the Perpetuation of the Memory of Yitzhak Rabin Law 5757-1997 (“the
Law”), the purpose of which according to the Law is: “Chapter 1 –
Purpose of the Law 1. The purpose of this Law is to establish a center
that will memorialize for future generations the activity and heritage
of Yitzhak Rabin” (published in the Book of Laws 1608, 8 Shevat
5757-January 16, 1997).
b. 1) Defendant no. 2 is responsible for the activity of Defendant no.
1, both by force of the above law and by force of section 9(2) of the
State Comptroller’s Law 5718-1958 [Combined Version].
2) The Prime Minister is the minister responsible for the
implementation of the above Law.
c. Defendant no. 3 is the Director-General of Defendant no. 1, and is
directly responsible for its actions, by being the “head of the
Center,” as is described in section 19 of the above Law.
3.At a time not known to the Plaintiff, the Defendants established an
Internet site, in Hebrew and in English. The address of the site is
registered as: http://www.rabincenter.org.il (“the site”).
4.It shall be noted that the establishment of an Internet site does
not appear within the context of the purposes and powers of Defendant
no. 1, in accordance with the above Law.
5.During the course of the month of November 1999, the supporters of
the organization in Israel and in the United States were stunned to
reveal that entering the above site, under the heading “The Murder,”
leads to a subheading in which appear the words “shulayim kitzoniyim,”
and in English “The Extremist Fringe.” Turning to this section of the
above site led to a page in which appears a photograph of Yitzhak
Rabin, of blessed memory, in the uniform of an SS officer, underneath
which is written: [in Hebrew and in English – trans.] “Demonstration
of ‘Women in Green’ 26.3.95 courtesy of the Lavon Institute for Labor
Research” (“the inciting and damaging publication,” attached in
Appendix A).
6.a. The Defendants knew, and/or should have known, that the above
inciting and damaging publication is incorrect, and that the
photograph in which the late Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, of blessed
memory, is presented in the uniform of an SS officer (“the abominable
poster”) was never presented by and during a demonstration of the
“Women in Green.”
b. On the one hand, the identity of those distributing and holding the
above abominable poster was explicitly determined by the Shamgar
Commission of Inquiry into the assassination of the late Prime
Minister, and by the investigation of the Israel Police of this
matter, while, on the other hand, it was explicitly known by the
Defendants that the assembly in which the above abominable poster was
displayed, that was held in “Zion Square” in Jerusalem on October 5,
1995, was not a demonstration of the “Women in Green” that was held on
March 26, 1995.
7.On November 8, 1999, Ms. Ruth Matar, one of the leaders of the
Plaintiff, addressed a letter to the Attorney-General. In the letter,
Ms. Matar complained regarding the presumed existence of incitement,
by means of “the inciting and damaging publication,” by the Defendants
against the Plaintiff. In the response, the Plaintiff was answered on
December 5, 1999, by Ms. Taliah Sasson, the Director of the Department
for Special Tasks in the State Attorney’s Office, who stated that “the
inciting and damaging publication” “does not constitute the basis of a
criminal offense,” and referred the Plaintiff to receive civil or
criminal succor based on the law prohibiting slander (a copy of the
letter by Ms. Taliah Sasson is attached in Appendix B).
8.On 29 Heshvan 5760-November 8, 1999, Member of Knesset Rabbi Benny
Elon addressed a letter to Defendant no. 1, in which he directed the
latter’s attention to the fact that it “disseminates the libel as if
there were a connection between the ‘Women in Green’ and the poster
and the demonstration” (attached in Appendix C).
9.The Defendants acted in the manner described above when they
disseminate maliciously and not in good faith the damaging
publication, with the intent of humiliating the Plaintiff in the eyes
of people, and to transform it into an object of hatred, scorn, or
derision by them, and to harm it from the economic and public aspect,
and thereby improperly caused damage to the Plaintiff, either out of
negligence or by a false presentation of the relevant facts, knowing
that they are false, or without believing their veracity, or out of
recklessness.
10.In the second stage, after it was known to the Defendants that the
Plaintiff took notice of the inciting and damaging publication,
Defendant no. 1 began to publicize the site with a correction of what
is written under the abominable photograph mentioned above, in the
manner in which the caption under the abominable photograph was
completely erased, but the “accusing finger” continues to be pointed
to the Plaintiff by means of innuendo (“the publication by innuendo”).
That is to say, the publication was done in a manner that leads the
“surfer” in the site to the conclusion that it was the Plaintiff that
publicized the abominable poster or, alternately, that it is connected
with it, by the presentation of the photographs in the pages of the
site that is implemented as follows:
a.entry to the Internet site of the Yitzhak Rabin Center for
Israel Studies, that is to be found at the Internet address:
http://www.rabincenter.org.il (“the site”).
b.within the site is a part called “Murder of a Leader.” In this
part is the entrance to the subsection called “The Extremist
Fringe.” This subsection contains the caption appearing in the
upper part of the third page of the subsection “The Extremist
Fringe” [shulayim kitzoniyim] in the Hebrew version of the site.
Under it is the caption:
Anti government demonstration of “Women in Green”
Courtesy of the Lavon Institute for Labor Research
Hadari
(a photograph demonstrating the above “publication by innuendo” is
attached in Appendix D/1 and D/2).
Under this photograph, in the lower part of the fourth page, is the
same photograph that appears in the lower part of the third page of
the subsection “The Extremist Fringe” [shulayim kitzoniyim] in the
Hebrew version of the site. Under it is the caption: A right wing
demonstration against the peace agreement 21.12.93 Courtesy of the
Lavon Institute for Labor Research Hadari
c. in the fifth page (according to the chronological order of
entry to the site), under the same caption, “The Extremist
Fringe,” is to be found, in the upper part of the page, the same
photograph that appears in the upper part of the fourth page of
the subsection “The Extremist Fringe” [shulayim kitzoniyim] in the
Hebrew version of the site. Under it is the caption:
A demonstration in Jerusalem against the Gaza and Jericho Agreement –
3.8.94 I.P.
Under this photograph, in the lower part of the fifth page, is the
same photograph appearing in the lower part of the fourth page of the
subsection “The Extremist Fringe” [shulayim kitzoniyim] in the Hebrew
version of the site. Under it there is no caption.
d. In both versions (the English and the Hebrew), under the
subcaption “shulayim kitzoniyim” or “The Extremist Fringe,” no
other organization appears as the extremist fringe, except for the
Plaintiff, and the impression gained is that the Plaintiff, and
only it, is “The Extremist Fringe.”
11.The Plaintiff is not extremist in its views, and certainly does not
meet the definition of “extremist fringe.”
12. a. Tremendous monetary damage was caused to the Plaintiff due to
the inciting and damaging publication, and due to its definition as
the “extremist fringe” by the Defendants. The Plaintiff possesses
testimonies according to which many people refrained from joining the
international support body that was formed in England in support of
its activities, due to their erroneous thinking that ensued from the
above inciting and disgraceful publication, and from the definition as
the “extremist fringe” in the above publication by innuendo.
b. For the same reason, many refrained from economic support in the
form of making contributions to the Plaintiff, that, as is stated
above, is a voluntary nonprofit organization that is based on
contributions for the financing of its activities.
13.The publication in the Internet is of broad scope and cannot be
estimated; on the other hand, the Plaintiff cannot estimate its
damages, because it cannot precisely determine what amount was
withheld from it due to the actions and faults of omission of the
Defendants. The Plaintiff accordingly estimates the sum of the
Lawsuit, solely for the purposes of paying the court fee, in the
amount of NIS 1,200,000 (one million, two hundred thousand New Israeli
Shekels).
14.a. The presentation of the Plaintiff as an organization that
champions extremism )”Extremist Fringe”), and by its being the sole
organization that the Defendants present under the caption “Extremist
Fringe,” as if it is a fringe, and very extreme, organization,
constitutes the publication of slander against the Plaintiff, contrary
to the Slander Law 5725-1965. The publication in the site is intended
to harm the Plaintiff and to negate its legitimacy as a legal
organization in the eyes of the public. Additionally, the publication
is intended to present the Plaintiff as an “extremist organization” in
order to harm it and to attach to it the label of “extremist,” with
all that this entails, to expose it to derision, hatred, and scorn in
the eyes of people.
b. Their connecting the members of “Women in Green” with protest
against the late Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, together with the
manner of presenting the Plaintiff as an extremist fringe
organization, constitutes the presentation of the members of the
organization as those who persecuted the late Prime Minister, Mr.
Yitzhak Rabin, of blessed memory, in an invalid manner – if not to
allude in the most distorted manner to some connection to or
responsibility for the assassination of the late Prime Minister – in
order to turn the Plaintiff and its members into a target for hatred
and scorn; this also constitutes the publicizing of slander against
it, in accordance with the Slander Law 5725-1965.
c. As was stated, the Plaintiff has no connection to the above
abominable photograph, and the connecting of this photograph with the
“Women in Green” organization has no basis in reality. The publicizing
of the above abominable photograph in this manner connects the
Plaintiff with the assassination of the late Prime Minister Yitzhak
Rabin, of blessed memory, in order to turn the Plaintiff and its
members into a target for hatred and scorn, by attributing to it and
to its members an act that it did not perform and in which it had no
involvement, in order to insinuate in the most coarse and distorted
fashion regarding the nature of the “Women in Green” organization as
an organization that breaks the law and incites, if not regarding more
serious matters. All this constitutes the publicizing of slander
regarding the Plaintiff, in accordance with the Slander Law 5725-1965.
d. As was stated above, publicizing over the Internet is of broad
scope, and therefore the harm to the Plaintiff is grave and
considerable. It should further be added that the publicizing caused
considerable anguish to both the male and female members of the
organization.
15.On February 23, 2000, Defendant no. 1 was requested by the
Plaintiff to act as follows:
a. an immediate cessation of the publicizing of the damaging
photographs on the above site;
b. the publicizing of an apology to the Plaintiff on the above site in
a central and clear location, that relates to the difficult and
unjustified damages to the “Women in Green” organization;
c. the payment of compensation for the harm done to [its] reputation
and financial support, and for the causing of anguish due to the
publicizing of the false photographs, in the amount of NIS 500,000;
d. the payment of compensation for the harm done to [its] reputation
and financial support, and for the causing of anguish due to the
publicizing of the damaging photographs, in the amount of NIS 500,000
(a copy of the letter is attached, in Appendix E).
16.On February 29, 2000, the offices of the representative of the
Plaintiff received a response from the former representative of
Defendant no. 1, that, in practice, did not respond to the demand
cited in Appendix E.
17.On March 8, 2000, the offices of the representative of the
Plaintiff received the letter by Adv. A. Zichroni, on behalf of
Defendant no 1 (attached in Appendix F). The letter in Appendix F
similarly did not constitute a tangible response to the claims of the
Plaintiff against the Defendants; the representative of the Plaintiff
therefore addressed the representative of Defendant no. 1 with an
additional letter on March 14, 2000, that also did not receive any
response, despite the repeated telephone inquiries to the offices of
the representative of Defendant no. 1 (a copy of the letter is
attached in Appendix G).
18.Despite the appeal by the representative of the Plaintiff (Appendix
G) in which Defendant no. 1 was requested to cease immediately from
the damaging publication, in order to lessen the damage, the
Defendants did not do so, and continued the publicizing to the time of
the filing of this Lawsuit.
19.Defendants no. 2 and no. 3 were negligent in the use of their
authorities regarding Defendant no. 1, they did not supervise its
activities, and as a result brought about the forbidden publication
that is the subject of this legal claim.
20.The actions of the Defendants harmed the Plaintiff and the honor of
its members, taking into account the social and public circumstances
in which they live. The Plaintiff was severely shamed by the
Defendants, and as a result irreparable and indescribable damage was
caused to the Plaintiff, especially in consideration of the size of
the population in which the libelous matters described above were
disseminated.
21.a. The series of actions and faults of omission of the Defendants
clearly reveals that the Defendants were resolute to harm the good
name of the Plaintiff, its economic strength, and its standing,
maliciously and not in good faith, with the intent of disgracing the
Plaintiff in the eyes of people, and to turn it into a target for
hatred, scorn, and derision by them.
b. The Defendants acted in the manner described above, by publicizing
maliciously and not in good faith the damaging publication and the
publication by innuendo, with the intent of disgracing the Plaintiff
in the eyes of people, and to turn it into a target for hatred, scorn,
and derision by them, and to harm it financially, and thereby
improperly caused damage to the Plaintiff, either by negligence or by
a false presentation of the relevant facts, knowing that they are
false, or without believing their veracity, or out of recklessness.
c. In addition to what is stated above, the above acts and/or faults
of omission also constitute a wrong and/or damage, contrary to the
Damages Ordinance [New Version] 5741-1981, and the Plaintiff is
therefore entitled to compensation, both in accordance with the
Damages Ordinance and in accordance with the Prohibition of Slander
Law 5725-1965.
22.a. The Plaintiff estimates its damages and/or suitable general
compensation, to the day of the filing of the claim, in the amount of
at least NIS 1,200,000, solely for the purposes of paying the court
fee, while reserving its rights to increase the sum of the Lawsuit.
b. Consequently, the Court is requested to obligate the Defendants to
pay to the Plaintiff damages and/or compensation as detailed above,
including general compensation and/or compensation for damages and/or
harm to rights and/or anguish and/or loss of time, in the amount of
NIS 1,200,000.
c. It is to be noted that due to the trampling of and/or disregard
exhibited by the Defendants regarding the rights of the Plaintiff
and/or the harm to them, obligating the Defendants for exemplary
compensation is to be considered.
d. The Plaintiff therefore establishes its claim in the amount of NIS
1,200,000 (one million, two hundred thousand New Israeli Shekels).
23.The Defendants must compensate the Plaintiff for the damages
detailed above, that were caused by the actions and failures of
omission of the Defendants detailed above, with linkage and interest
increments as the law allows from the day of the filing of the claim
to its actual payment in full, due to the violation of the strictures
of the above law, and/or because of the negligence of the Defendant in
its actions and/or faults of omission detailed above.
24.Consequently, the Court is requested to exercise its general
authority to give succor, by force of section 75 of the Courts Law
5744-1984, and to award any sum that it sees fit as proper
compensation to the Plaintiff for its damages.
25.The Plaintiff is entitled to a permanent restraining order
prohibiting the Defendants from publicizing the publications that are
the subject of this Lawsuit.
26.As was stated above, the actions of the Defendants constitute
“incitement,” if not in the criminal realm, then this certainly is an
instance of the incitement of the majority against a minority. It is
therefore fitting to present here the statement by Daliah
Rabin-Philosoff, daughter of the late Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, of
blessed memory, regarding this matter, as it was published in the
Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper on March 1, 2000, marking the birthday of
the late Yitzhak Rabin, of blessed memory:
“And for a moment there was no earth – and darkness was upon the face
of the deep,” Reuven Weimer, a dear friend of ours, wrote after the
bitter and impetuous night. The State of Israel after the political
assassination of an incumbent Prime Minister by a member of his
people, upon the mandate of a nationalistic religious ideology, is
left to lick its wounds in the face of the harsh question marks that
have been placed on the Israeli-Jewish experience, on the one hand,
and, on the other, on the prognosis for its near and distant future.
Many words have been spoken, essays have been written, chapters have
been recorded, but we have not yet conducted the true national
soul-searching. I wish to once again remind us all that in the
undemilitarized zone – the no-man’s-land between freedom of
expression and unbridled incitement grew, flourished, was nurtured,
and strengthened the walking bomb of the murderer who shot Yitzhak
Rabin on November 4, 1995. Perhaps it is preferable that I quote from
the sentence of the murderer, that was written by Justice Edmund
Levy. He says, in relating to this issue: “The debate that is being
conducted among us is difficult and penetrating, because it is
concerned with issues that are existential to the State of Israel,
not only in our generation, but mainly for future generations….
This debate must be conducted as is accepted in a democratic regime,
forcefully, but also with mutual respect and tolerance; the latter is
its supreme test, specifically when unpopular views are expressed by
a minority. Furthermore, the divisiveness among the people will not
be canceled or rectified solely by verbiage, but by deeds, primarily
those of the public’s leaders, from the entire spectrum of the
political rainbow, who are mandated to repeat to themselves day and
night: ‘The wise must be careful with their words.'” Within us, in
the Israeli society that sails forward in a blazing fury of violence,
rudeness, impatience, bluntness, and violence of all sorts, we will
continue to walk ahead, we, who have suffered the harshest blow of
all, and all those who are engaged with us in the labor of
perpetuation with complete faith, with love and devotion, and we
shall mention to all, morning and night, that there will not be here
a land [eretz] without civil conduct [derekh eretz]. The role of
fashioning the public and political discourse in a democratic country
is entrusted to academia, the media, and the fashioners of public
opinion, but, more than all, and above all, to the leadership, in all
its strata and diversity. This heavy responsibility is never lifted
from their shoulders. We must all repeat to ourselves day and night,
without any respite or alleviation, without justifications and
hypocrisy, the terrible lesson of “words that became the order to
fire” (in the words of the poet Hayyim Guri), that are engraved in my
heart forever.
(Daliah Rabin-Philosoff, “Between Freedom of Expression and
Incitement,” from Yedioth Ahronoth, Wednesday, 24 Adar I, 5760-March
1, 2000)
It is only reasonable that specifically the Defendants should take
care in such matters. Unfortunately, it is specifically they who have
committed the sin of incitement, and imposing the stain of libel.
27.The Court has the jurisdictional and practical authority to judge
this Lawsuit.
28.Consequently, the Court is requested to summon the Defendants to
trial and to obligate them to pay to the Plaintiff compensation in
the amount that the Court will determine, and to pay the sums coming
to them for their damages, with linkage and interest increments from
the day of the filing of the claim to its actual payment in full, and
in addition to pay court costs, including legal fees, with the
addition of Value Added Tax, as the law allows. The Court is
similarly requested to order the Defendants to publish an apology to
the Plaintiff and its members concerning the matter that is the
subject of this Lawsuit, the publication of which will be in a place
and manner identical with the damaging publications that are the
subject of this lawsuit.
Adv. Avraham Landstein,
representative of the Plaintiff
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Jerusalem, April 2, 2000
U.S. Speaking Engagement Schedule of Ruth and Nadia Matar
Ruth Matar:
April 3 Elizabeth, New Jersey, at home of
Cindy and David Romanoff
840 Park Avenue
— 8:00 P.M.
April 4 Miami Beach, Florida, Beth Israel Synagogue
— 8 P.M.
April 5 Palm Beach, Florida, Temple Emanuel Rabbi Feleman
— 7:30 P.M.
Nadia Matar:
April 3 Teaneck, New Jersey, at home of
Zahava & Arthur Englard
1275 Hastings S
— 8 P.M.
April 4 Cleveland, Ohio Park Synagogue East
— 7 P.M.
April 5 Chicago, IL, KINS
— 7:30 P.M.
April 6 Baltimore, MD, Bnai Jacob Shaarai Zion Congregation
— 7:30 P.M.
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Jerusalem, April 11, 2000
Barak Continues To Deceive The Jewish People
Just prior to his departure to meet with his mentor Bill Clinton, Ehud
Barak began to lay the groundwork (as he was well taught to do by
Clinton’s public relations man Carville) for his intended momentous
concessions to Arafat concerning Jerusalem. In an offhand comment,
which nevertheless made front page headlines in the Jerusalem Post,
Barak deceptively stated that “he had no interest in annexing the
approximately 50,000 Palestinians living in villages on the capital’s
outskirts, such as Abu Dis and Anata.”
By lumping Anata and Abu Dis together, Barak was consciously preparing
the public for this new and stupendous concession concerning Jerusalem
that he was about to make. At the same time, he continues to play the
tune of his dominant concept of separation of the Arab and Jewish
population, even where such a separation is not feasible or possible as
in the case of Jerusalem. He is deceptively suggesting that Abu Dis is
in the same category of being on the outskirts of Jerusalem. However, he
well knows that Abu Dis, as distinguished from Anata, is literally a
stone’s throw from the heart of the Old City of Jerusalem and the
Western Wall.
Today, the Palestinian police with Arafat’s knowledge and consent,
require the removal of Israeli flags when cars operate on highways
haughtily controlled by the Palestine Authority. To create PA control of
Jerusalem’s neighborhood of Abu Dis, is inviting disastrous, and
predictably dire, consequences to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and
to the City’s future. Abu Dis was recently in the news when Arabs refused
to allow Jewish Knesset Members to visit there. How much more violent
hostility awaits us if Barak turns over this area to Arafat.
Barak’s deception boils down to his maintaining that he is for a united
Jerusalem, while at the same time he is willing to cut off parts of
this ancient city such as Abu Dis. While he may claim that what he is
cutting off is not part of Jerusalem, it is just that. The
Carville-Barak team are busy preparing their public relations effort to
convince the Jews that they are losing nothing by giving up on Abu Dis:
“It is just a concentration of Arabs there, and who wants to rule over
them. It is on the outskirts of Jerusalem, and not part of the city.
Barak is unwavering, however, in his stance that he is for a united
Jerusalem.” All these latter deceptions, Carville is ready to feed to a
gullible Jewish public through a media that will not criticize Barak,
nor point out his hypocrisies.
How long will a silent Jewish populace allow themselves to be tricked
by Barak’s use of Carville’s foreign professional public relation’s
outfit? When will the Jews come to their senses and vigorously protest
against the lack of honesty and candor in the present Administration and
its leader Barak, in giving up part of its most prized and ancient
possession to Arafat? If, with regard to our spiritual Capital, the
Jews of our generation are hoodwinked and silent, then they do not
deserve to be considered part of the loyal chain of our ancestors, who,
throughout the ages, yearned and prayed for Jerusalem.
Ruth and Nadia Matar
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Jerusalem, April 16, 2000
There Ought To Be A Law
Here in Israel if you severely criticize a government official, or are
deemed by the Attorney General’s office to have incited to violence by
your statements, you are liable to face criminal prosecution. Witness
the attempted prosecution of MK Avigdor Lieberman for berating the
conduct of some high police officials, even though a large majority of a
Knesset Committee refused to waive his immunity. And the aged spiritual
leader, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef of Shas, faces a police investigation for his
comparing Yossi Sarid to Haman, the historic symbol of one, who by his
actions, is to be considered an enemy of the Jewish People. It is very
doubtful in this present climate in Israel, whether the Jewish Prophets
of yesteryear, were they alive today, would be allowed to impart their
previous vital moral and religious messages.
But just as there is a law which prevents such abuse of public
officials and incitement against them, there ought to be a law which
punishes those who deliberately keep from the Jewish populace facts
which show that the peace process is not working. Today we received a
communication from Col. Bill Lichtman, a volunteer American pilot who
fought in the Israeli War of Independence. Bill wrote a stinging
critical article with regard to the failure of the “peace process”, and
the Arab use of this device as a means of eventually destroying
Israel. He submitted this article to a well known American Jewish
publication. In response the editor wrote to him that while he wholly
agrees with Col. Bill’s well written evaluation, there is an existing
silent, but nevertheless controlling agreement, that the “media” will
not attack the “peace process”; accordingly his magazine could not
publish Colonel Bill’s article.
In Israel, the problem is even more grave. Arafat encouraged, and
almost daily incidents of serious Arab stonings, burnings and thefts of
cars go virtually unreported, and certainly unpunished. The Arab school
curriculum of the Palestinian Authority and its media teaches unabated
hatred of the Jews, and non-recognition of Israel, yet one is hard
pressed to learn of these facts in our own media. Statements of high
placed Arabs in said Authority, and even our own Arab Knesset Members,
daily inveigh against the Jewish State, and seek its demise. At the same
time, they demand further concessions and additional territorial
segments of the Jewish Homeland. All this goes unreported to the Jewish
Populace for fear it would upset the prospects for peace with the
Arabs. The morale of the Jewish People is at an all time low, as a
result of this unfair, unbalanced and even distorted portrayal of the
“peace process.”
Why can’t we have a law where anyone is subject to criminal prosecution
who withholds information from the public, whether it be the one sided
nature of the peace process, or the PA’s failures to implement their
undertakings in the various Agreements it has entered into with Israel.
In a vibrant democratic society it is absolutely essential for the
public to be informed. It certainly does not get such information from
the present Barak government, nor from our media. Both manipulate our
public by withholding the true state of affairs and facts, in the
mistaken belief that they alone know best what is “good for the Jews.”
Ruth and Nadia Matar
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Jerusalem, April 18, 2000
A Pesach Letter to Ehud Barak
The following is a translation into English of a letter sent by
registered mail to Prime Minister Barak and to Deputy Minister
Efraim Sneh.
——————————————————————-
Tuesday, 13 Nisan 5760 April 18, 2000
A Message from the Women of Israel to the Prime Minister, in Honor of
the Pesach Holiday
To:
Mr. Ehud Barak
Prime Minister of Israel
Mr. Efraim Sneh
Deputy Minister of Defense
On the eve of the Pesach holiday we wish to convey a message
from women in the national camp, and especially from the women of
Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and Gaza.
Today, we all know that you intend to implement ethnic cleansing in
Judea, Samaria, and Gaza. You intend to destroy dozens of settlements
in Judea, Samaria, and Gaza, and to transfer tens of thousands of
Jews from there. Another part of the settlers of Judea, Samaria, and
Gaza will presumably be able to remain where they are. You hope that
the latter will evacuate their settlements “of their own accord” after
the PLO Authority has embittered their lives with intolerable terror.
The recent transferal of hundreds of Kalashnikovs from Israel to the
archmurderer Arafat is apparently supposed to make their job easier.
We, the women of Israel, will not let you implement your wicked plan.
The people of Israel continued to exist in Egypt by the merit of the
courageous women who, selflessly, at great personal risk, let the
male children live, contrary to the decrees of Pharaoh. You should
know that, today as well, the spirit of bravery and self-sacrifice
has not left the women in Israel. The women of Israel will fight,
putting their lives at stake, against your decrees that threaten
the continued existence of the people of Israel in its land.
On the eve of Purim we held in Netzarim a conference of the women of
Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and Gaza. Attached is the public statement
that we issued that evening, that has already been signed by hundreds
of women. In the coming weeks additional tens of thousands of women
will sign, and we shall thereby convey a clear message to you and to
the entire world:
Eretz Israel belongs to the Jewish people for all time, and
only to it – thus our Torah has established. There is no legal
or moral validity to the handing over of parts of Eretz Israel
to foreigners. This is a betrayal of Judaism for all time. We
will not allow our being uprooted from our homes and from our
land. We shall not permit the destruction of our life’s work.
We shall stand resolute at the gate, with our children,
against those who arise to destroy us, EVEN IF THEY ARE OUR
BROTHERS.
With the hope that you reverse your malicious intentions, Hag Sameach
– have a happy holiday!
Ruth and Nadia Matar
Cochairpersons, Women in Green
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cc: media and public figures
[Attached to this letter was the Women’s Manifesto that we sent to our
e-mail list around Purim time]