As with many other Gazans, the Israeli government has barred Ms. Sharif from leaving Gaza to attend Birzeit University in the West Bank.  The Israeli High Court affirmed the decision.

Will you stand up for Fatma Sharif and her freedom to learn?  Will you call on the Israeli government to let Gaza live?

Please click here.

It has been nearly a month since Israel announced changes to its Gaza blockade.  Unfortunately, these “new” policies still keep Gazans from living normal lives.

Israel still blocks Gaza businesses from directly accessing raw materials like cement and steel.  Israel still prevents Gazans from exporting their finished goods outside the territory.

No raw materials + no exports = closed factories = mass unemployment

That’s why Israel’s decision to let more consumer goods into Gaza is unlikely to have significant impact.  If you can’t get a job, you can’t earn the money necessary to purchase new products.

So long as Israel maintains its Gaza blockade, peace is but a dream.  And so long as U.S. taxpayers are forced to give Israel billions, U.S. policy must link those funds to an end to the Gaza blockade.

Please click here to show your support for Fatma Sharif and the 1.4 million Gaza Palestinians who still live under an Israeli blockade.

They deserve the freedom to live their lives – a first step towards meaningful peace.

The U.S. war in Afghanistan rages on, with no positive end in sight.  It is now longer than World War II, and it has cost over $300 billion.  That’s $1,000 for every person in the U.S.

We at Freedom Forward want your help as we craft our policy position on the Afghanistan war.

Specifically:  What is the most morally responsible way to leave Afghanistan?

Click here to give us your thoughts.

Your feedback can be as simple as a sentence or as in-depth as an essay.

As we think about what a responsible exit looks like, here are some of the questions we are asking.  Feel free to answer any that stand out to you.  You may share other concerns as well.

• If we leave, what about the interests of Afghan women who currently live in areas free of Taliban control?
• What about Afghans who worked for the U.S. military or international aid agencies?
• How should the U.S. interact with a future regime if it includes Taliban leaders?
• What if the future regime is ONLY Taliban?
• Should international aid continue to flow to Afghanistan after a military withdrawal?  To who?
• Are there ways to minimize potential internal repression after a full withdrawal?
• What about the interests of neighboring nations?

Officially, the debate over an exit strategy continues.  President Obama now seems to be wavering on his original date of July 2011 for the beginning of troop withdrawals.  And there are other questions as well.   For starters, will there be permanent U.S. military bases in Afghanistan?

But back to our request.  What is the most morally responsible way to leave Afghanistan?

Thanks for your input.  Click here to give it.

While the Israeli government has announced that it will be changing its Gaza blockade policies, pro-Israeli lobby groups in the U.S. are still trying to defend past Israeli actions.

Your elected members of Congress need to hear from you. If they have already signed the AIPAC letters, tell them that you oppose their decision.  If they haven’t yet done so, please tell them that you don’t want them to.

Click here to take action.

We have already done the work for you.  Once you type in your zip code, our online activist system will automatically determine which message you should send — and to whom.

Please click here to take action.

The Israeli blockade of Gaza has been an obstacle to regional peace and Palestinian freedom.  It is time to stop defending it.

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(Links:  the AIPAC Senate letter, House letter, Senate signers, and House signers.  PDF format.)

Will you stand up for the Jewish boat’s safe passage to Gaza?

Click here to take action.

The Israeli government has already used force against a prior Gaza flotilla.  Israeli leaders have also used “grey tactics” — sabotage — to keep such ships from setting sail.

But back in the U.S., not every elected official is supporting Israeli actions.  U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein has already called for an “impartial inquiry” and spoken critically of “Israel’s forced isolation of Gaza.”

Please ask Senator Feinstein to take the next step.

Urge her to call on the Israeli government to ensure the safe passage of the Jewish ship to Gaza.

True reconciliation cannot occur until both Israelis and Palestinians live in peace and prosperity.   That’s why U.S. elected officials must stand up for the Jewish activists who are challenging Israel’s blockade on Palestinians in Gaza.

Please take a moment to email U.S. Senator Feinstein.  Urge her to tell the Israeli government that they must guarantee the safe passage of Jewish activists bringing humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Click here to take action.

The Challenge:

From Vietnam to Iraq, many societies and people have been negatively impacted by U.S. power. While we are the world’s oldest living democracy, our international actions have not always lived up to our rhetoric.

Even today, our government provides aid to dictators. We send our soldiers to fight wars that should not have been started. And we provide weapons to governments that use them on civilian populations, like the Israeli government’s treatment of Palestinians.

The Solution:

Freedom Forward will work with policymakers, academics, and concerned communities to challenge the current use of U.S. power. We will fight for a U.S. foreign policy that stands on the side of freedom.

In our first year, we tested our approach by calling for changes in U.S. actions towards Pakistan. We published editorials, recommended new policies, and built community support.

The result? People were willing to listen. Now we need to speak louder.

Our ultimate goal is to advance alternatives to current U.S. foreign policy in regions around the world. As we grow, so too will our ability to push for change.

In an undisclosed harbor in the Mediterranean, a small vessel is waiting for a special mission. She will be sailing to Gaza.  “Israel will have a great chance to show the world that there is another way, a way of courage not fear, a way of hope not hate,” says Edith Lutz, one of the organizers and passenger on the “Jewish boat.”

…The Jewish Voice for a Just Peace in the Near East, along with her friends of EJJP (European Jews for a Just Peace in the Near East) and Jews for Justice For Palestinians (UK) are sending a call to the leaders of the world to help Israel find her way back to reason, a sense of humanity and a life without fear.

You can read the full email below:

The Jewish boat to Gaza is sailing soon

In an undisclosed harbor in the Mediterranean, a small vessel is waiting for a special mission. She will be sailing to Gaza. In order to avoid sabotage, the exact date and name of the port of departure will be announced only shortly before her launch.

“Our purpose is to call an end to the siege of Gaza, to this illegal collective punishment of the whole civilian population. Our boat is small, so our donations can only be symbolic: we are taking school bags, filled with donations from German school children, musical instruments and art materials. For the medical services we are taking essential medicines and small medical equipment, and for the fishermen we are taking nets and tackle. We are liaising with the medical, educational and mental health services in Gaza.

”In attacking the Freedom Flotilla, Israel has once again demonstrated to the world a heinous brutality. But I know that there are very many  Israelis who compassionately and bravely campaign for a just peace. As broadcasting journalists from mainstream television programs are accompanying our boat, Israel will have a great chance to show the world that there is another way, a way of courage not fear, a way of hope not hate”, says Edith Lutz, one of the organizers and passenger on the ”Jewish boat”.

The ”Jüdische Stimme” (Jewish Voice for a Just Peace in the Near East), along with her friends of EJJP (European Jews for a Just Peace in the Near East) and Jews for Justice For Palestinians (UK) are sending a call to the leaders of the world to help Israel find her way back to reason, a sense of humanity and a life without fear. ”Jewish Voices” expects the political leaders of Israel and the world to guarantee a safe passage for the small vessel to Gaza, thus helping to form a bridge towards peace.

For More Information Please Contact:

(Germany) Edith Lutz, EJJP,  +49 152 0451 9740
(Germany) Kate Leiterer, EJJP,  +49 1629 6604 72472
(Great Britain) Glyn Secker, Jews for Justice For Palestinians, +44 (0)79 1709 8599

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However, the damage to the Gaza blockade has been done.

A chorus of international voices — including prominent world leaders — are now calling for an end to the current blockade.  It is a triumph of international solidarity and civil disobedience against a deeply immoral policy.  Even more ships are expected to challenge the Israeli blockade in the days ahead.

The real question now is what the future holds for Gaza.

Will Gaza Palestinians be allowed live normal lives, in an economy that facilitates employment, opportunity, and freedom?  Or will they be forced by Israel and Egypt to continue to live on humanitarian aid from the international community — under a repackaged blockade that is still just as offensive to the human spirit?

In the days ahead, Freedom Forward will continue our efforts to advocate for a meaningful peace that is fair to all of the people of the region — including Gaza.  We will need your support and involvement.  Thank you for joining us in this campaign.

The ship, the MV Rachel Corrie, is named after an American activist who was killed in 2003 when she was crushed by an Israeli bulldozer. The crewmembers include former UN Assistant Secretary-General Denis Halliday and Nobel Peace Prize winner Mairead Maguire, an Irish peace activist.

They deserve our support, because it is through their efforts that a lasting peace is made possible.

The Israeli blockade of Gaza has denied 1.4 million Palestinians access to everything from basic food to crayons. It is difficult to imagine a long-term regional peace so long as so many people continue to suffer.

That’s why the efforts of these humanitarian activists are so important. Thanks to their work, diplomats, government officials, and leading newspapers are now calling for an end to the Israeli blockade.

I will confess a certain level of personal investment in the safe passage of the MV Rachel Corrie. I have had the privilege of briefly collaborating with former UN Assistant Secretary-General Denis Halliday, an above-mentioned crew member on the ship.

A 34-year veteran of the UN, Mr. Halliday served between 1997 and 1998 as the chief administrator of the UN’s “oil for food” program in Iraq. This was the program established in Iraq during the long years of sanctions that followed the first Gulf War in 1990. He quickly realized that the program essentially provided Iraqis with just enough food to avoid total starvation. Medicine was unavailable, children experienced stunted growth, and the middle class disappeared.

Mr. Halliday resigned from the UN to protest this program and the fundamental realities of the Iraq sanctions. In the aftermath of his resignation, I helped organize one of his many speaking engagements calling for an end to the Iraq sanctions regime.

Today, Mr. Halliday and his colleagues aboard the MV Rachel Corrie are putting their own lives on the line. A growing number of people around the world are standing in solidarity, some by endorsing our statement to that effect. Already, the statement includes signatories from cities as diverse as Honolulu, Dublin, Ramallah, and Lahore. The nations represented include the US, Canada, and countries in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Africa.

Meanwhile, 1.4 million Palestinians in Gaza continue to wait for an end to Israel’s blockade. One year ago, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter had this to say about their struggle:

“I understand even paper and crayons are treated as “security hazards” and not permitted to enter Gaza. I sought an explanation for this policy in Israel, but did not receive a satisfactory answer – because there is none.”

Just one month ago, the Israeli reporter Amira Hass added even more details, specifying that “Israel prohibits the import into the Gaza Strip of items such as cilantro, sage, jam, chocolate, french fries, dried fruit, fabrics, notebooks, empty flowerpots, and toys.”

It is time to end this blockade once and for all. Only then can the international community make progress towards a lasting Middle East peace. Let us hope that the MV Rachel Corrie succeeds in its mission.

Sanjeev Bery is the Executive Director of Freedom Forward.

That’s why brave activists are challenging the Israeli blockade by bringing humanitarian supplies to Gaza by sea.

Will you show your support?

Two more ships are expected to cross the Israeli blockade at any moment.   One of these ships is the MV Rachel Corrie.

The ship is named after an American activist who was killed in 2003 when she was crushed by an Israeli bulldozer that was about to demolish a Palestinian home.

The ship’s crewmembers include former UN Assistant Secretary-General Denis Halliday and Nobel Peace Prize winner Mairead Maguire, an Irish peace activist.

Will you join them?  Will you stand in solidarity with the MV Rachel Corrie?

Click here to publicly show your support.

This is a rare moment in international politics.  Diplomats, government officials, and leading newspapers are now calling for an end to the Israeli blockade.

Meanwhile, 1.4 million Palestinians in Gaza continue to suffer under extreme hardship.

One year ago, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter said the following:

“I understand even paper and crayons are treated as “security hazards” and not permitted to enter Gaza. I sought an explanation for this policy in Israel, but did not receive a satisfactory answer – because there is none.”

One month ago, the Israeli reporter Amira Hass revealed even more details of Israel’s blockade:

“Israel prohibits the import into the Gaza Strip of items such as cilantro, sage, jam, chocolate, french fries, dried fruit, fabrics, notebooks, empty flowerpots, and toys.”

It is time to end this blockade and begin the path to peace.   Please show your support for the MV Rachel Corrie.

Sign the Statement of Solidarity.

In the June 1st edition of the Washington Post, journalists Scott Wilson and Laura Blumenfeld uncritically repeat Israeli claims regarding the Gaza aid flotilla as fact.

Wilson and Blumenfeld should recognize that Israeli officials have a vested interest in discrediting the activists who challenged Israel’s blockade of Gaza. Instead, the reporters wrote a piece in which they presumed to know what Israeli officials were thinking — not just what they were doing.

The piece, “Israel says Free Gaza Movement poses threat to Jewish state,” runs in the Tuesday edition of the Washington Post. The first two sentences bear repeating in full:

Once viewed only as a political nuisance by Israel’s government, the group behind the Gaza aid flotilla has grown since its inception four years ago into a broad international movement that now includes Islamist organizations that Israeli intelligence agencies say pose a security threat to the Jewish state. The Free Gaza Movement’s evolution is among Israel’s chief reasons for conducting Monday morning’s raid on a ship carrying medicine, construction materials, school paper and parts for Gaza’s defunct water treatment plant.

The key phrase in all of this is the following: “The Free Gaza Movement’s evolution [to include Islamist organizations] is among Israel’s chief reasons for conducting Monday morning’s raid…” Note that this isn’t a quote from an Israeli official. This is the narrative of the journalists themselves.

Why is this important?

No journalist can definitively write what Israel’s “chief reasons” are for its raid. Journalists can only know what Israeli government officials publicly claim their chief reasons are. This isn’t just true of Israeli officials — it is true of all government officials.

Journalists are supposed to treat government statements with a healthy degree of skepticism. That skepticism is all the more important when dealing with an international conflict involving Israel and those challenging its blockade on Gaza civilians. As the cliche goes, truth is the first casualty of war.

The Washington Post reporters did quote Free Gaza Movement leaders who challenged the Israeli claim of a security threat. Where the reporters made a serious error, however, was in uncritically assuming that Israeli officials actually believe this notion of a “security threat” themselves. Maybe they do, maybe they don’t.

In fact, there are good reasons to treat Israel’s claims with skepticism. After all, the simplest explanation for an action is usually the best one:

1. The Israeli government is maintaining a massive blockade of Gaza.
2. Israel clearly doesn’t want this blockade undermined, or they would end it themselves.
3. Therefore, they must intercept and stop all those who seek to publicly challenge their blockade.

With the death of at least nine Free Gaza Movement activists, this policy has now come at great cost to the Israeli government. But if people start believing that Israeli officials saw the humanitarian aid activists as a “security threat,” those same officials will seem slightly less callous in their decision to deploy military force.

Washington Post journalists Scott Wilson and Laura Blumenfeld should have kept this in mind as they wrote their piece. When journalists assume that they know what officials are thinking, they run the risk of being held captive to a government’s talking points.

Sanjeev Bery is the Executive Director of Freedom Forward.