To: The Omaha Jewish Community
From: Jan Goldstein, JFO Executive Director
 
 
It’s important for us as a Jewish community to know the facts and to be able to articulate those to others. If you are frustrated with the onslaught of opinions regarding this current situation, here’s what you can do:
 
From: Alan Potash, Regional Director Anti-Defamation League Plains Region
 
Given the great concern about what is happening in Israel and the response we are witnessing around the world I have a few suggestions of what we can do:
 
Be informed and be able to discuss the situation in a calm and rational way.
Write letters to the paper
Respond constructively to online comments
Contact our members of congress and let them know that you are following this situation closely and ask them:
                        To speak out on Israel’s right to self-defense
To maintain a strong US-Israel relationship
                        To oppose one-sided condemnations of Israel
            To encourage the US Administration to oppose one-sided condemnations of Israel in the United Nations and its Human Rights Council
 
            US Senator Ben Nelson            202-224-6551
            US Senator Mike Johanns        202-224-4224
            US Congressman Lee Terry      202-225-4155
                       
 
Points on writing letters to the media:
Letters to the Editor
 
Omaha World Herald      pulse@owh.com

 
Letters to the editor offer an effective vehicle for responding to news articles, op-eds and editorials in newspapers and magazines.  A few things to bear in mind:
       Letters must be timely.  Allowing a week, or even a few days to pass before responding to an article will greatly diminish the likelihood of your letter seeing print.
       Write in response to a particular news item, editorial or op-ed.  Newspapers and magazines are not interested in letters that do not address a story or issue discussed in their pages.  In your letter, make specific reference to the story’s headline and the date it appeared.
       Be brief and address a specific issue.  Newspapers generally will not publish lengthy diatribes that go into the entire history or background of an issue.  Many only accept letters of 250 words or less.  Be succinct, brief and as “to the point” as possible.  Review the publication’s instructions for submitting a letter to the editor.
       Be civil.  Do not personally attack the writer.  Your salutation should be addressed “To the Editor.”  If responding to an opinion column or op-ed, you may refer in your letter to the writer by name, indicate that you disagree with his or her point of view, and explain why.
       Be sure to include your name, address and a daytime telephone number.  Most newspapers will not accept anonymous letters; most will not publish a letter without first attempting to check the identity of the author.
       Send your letter by e-mail or fax.  When using e-mail, direct the letter to the appropriate address for letters.  Do not use multiple addresses, or copy others.  This will diminish your chances of being published.
 
These points can be used by people to write letters to the newspaper:
 
In Friday’s Omaha World Herald there was an op-ed by Naser Alsharif (click to access the op-ed). Please feel free to use the points below to respond to his piece or respond with your own points (remember to follow the suggestions above).
 
Israel was responding to a deliberate provocation by a flotilla of ships seeking to break the blockade of Hamas controlled Gaza.
This was a premeditated provocation by the leaders of the flotilla.  While proclaiming themselves to be motivated by humanitarian concerns, the Free Gaza Movement is comprised of long-time anti-Israel extremists who advocate using confrontational tactics against Israel.  Organizers of the flotilla embarked on a course that put in danger the lives of those aboard. 
This loss of life is greatly regrettable and could have been prevented had the activists refrained from violence.  The IDF forces had no choice but to defend themselves from the violent onslaught. 
 The Government of Israel and the IDF made repeated attempts to avoid confrontation with the flotilla.  The IDF repeatedly radioed the ships and appealed to the group's organizers to redirect the flotilla to an Israeli port, from where the goods and humanitarian aid onboard would be delivered to Gaza by established routes. The flotilla organizers, intent on sensationalist publicity and confrontation with Israeli officials, refused.
 The initial international reaction to the incident has the appearance of a biased rush to judgment against Israel.  Some in the international community, the media and anti-Israel groups have drawn knee-jerk conclusions and made unfounded allegations about Israeli culpability before all of the facts about the incident have been gathered or learned.
It is up to Israel itself to determine what type of investigation is required, and it has conducted extremely thorough and credible probes into previous military and political situations.  Based on prior experience with allegedly impartial international investigations, and certainly those organized under the auspices of the United Nations (the Goldstone investigation being only one of many), Israel has rightly rejected the calls for an international probe.  
 
 
BACKGROUND ON THE GAZA FLOTILLA click on this link to get up to date information
 
 
THE INCIDENT:
 
         The Government of Israel and the IDF made repeated attempts to avoid confrontation with the flotilla.  The IDF repeatedly radioed the ships and appealed to the group's organizers to redirect the flotilla to an Israeli port, from where the goods and humanitarian aid onboard would be delivered to Gaza by established routes. The flotilla organizers, intent on sensationalist publicity and confrontation with Israel, refused these entreaties.  Weeks prior to the launching of the flotilla, Israel repeatedly offered the Government of Turkey the opportunity to send humanitarian aid to Gaza via established overland routes.  Turkey refused, and continued to support the flotilla effort.
 
         People on the other five ships in the flotilla did not react with violence to Israeli naval personnel.  Their ships sailed to the  Israeli port city of Ashdod and all have been deported to their home countries.  Those on the Mavi Mamara, a ship registered in Turkey, whose passengers included members of the Turkish militant Islamist organization, the IHH, confronted the Israeli naval personnel with violence. In light of this violence, the IDF naval forces were forced to act defensively.
 
THE BLOCKADE OF GAZA:
 
         Israel imposed the blockade on Gaza following the Hamas takeover four years ago, and the ongoing barrage of rockets at Israeli civilian centers and the kidnapping of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.  The blockade is primarily a defensive measure by Israel aimed at preventing Hamas from rearming and threatening Israeli civilians.  In particular, the maritime blockade stops arms and other materiel from reaching Hamas by sea. The blockade further aims to encourage the people and leadership of Gaza to accept the international community’s demands of Hamas: to end the rocket attacks; renounce terrorism recognize Israel’s right to exist, and accept previously negotiated peace agreements.   It should be noted that Israel is not the only country blockading Gaza – Egypt has maintained a closed border to Gaza and generally does not permit the flow of goods. 
 
         Despite the blockade, Israel enables the flow of essential goods into Gaza each day. Given the ongoing threat from Hamas, Israel does restrict dual-use goods, such as some building supplies, which could be used for military purposes. At the same time,  Israel ensures that humanitarian needs are met and keeps food, medicines, fuel and electricity flowing into Gaza.
 
        According to Israeli international law expert Robby Sabel, in a situation of armed conflict, states may impose a blockade and carry out blockade activities in international waters, including detaining vessels trying to break the blockade.
 
 
 
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND RESOURCES:
 
ADL’s Israel page:                           http://www.adl.org/flotilla/JTA:                                                     www.jta.org
Jewish Federation’s update           http://www.jewishfederations.org/page.aspx?id=221602
Daily Alert:                                        www.dailyalert.org
 
Abe Foxman op-ed
Daniel Gordis’ piece in the New York Times
Michael Oren’s piece in the NYTimes
 
Video of ship passengers preparing to attack Israeli navy personnel 
 
Video of violence against Israeli naval personnel on the Mavi Mamara 
 
Video of weapons found on the Mavi Mamara
 
Eyewitness account by Israeli navy commando on what they encountered on the ship
 
First hand accounts of the Israeli naval operation by veteran Israeli journalist Ron Ben Ishai, calling it “a brutal ambush at sea.” 
 
Statistics on the flow of goods into Gaza from the Israel Foreign Ministry 
 
 
 
 
Alan Potash, Regional Director
Anti- Defamation League Plains Region
apotash@adl.org
Main line 402-333-1303
Direct 402-334-6574
www.adlplains.org
www.adl.org