	The B'nai Brith Canada Institute for International Affairs has a mandate to protest the abuse of human rights throughout the world and advocate on behalf of worldwide Jewish communities in distress. The Institute has a special focus on pro-Israel advocacy and education.
Rochelle Wilner President	Frank Dimant Chief Executive Officer	Amos Sochaczevski National Chair	Ruth Klein National Director

Support for Israel Rally - Toronto, October 11, 2000

By Rochelle Wilner

Kvod Harabbanim, Consul-General of Israel, Distinguished Leaders of the Jewish Community, Government Representatives and Fellow Jews:

Tonight we stand alone - the Jewish people and G-d Almighty. Our friends in the Security Council have once again shown their true colours. Tonight we come together as a community united in our desire to tell the people of Israel WE ARE ONE.

Tonight we are here as supporters of Labour, Likud, Mizrachi, of Shas, Meretz and Agudot Yisrael. Tonight we are all here - Orthodox, Conservative, Reform and Reconstructionists.

Tonight, we stand as one, Hadassah, Na’amat, Heirut women and Emunah women. Tonight there is no difference between B’nai Akiva, Betar, Hashomer Hatzair, Habonim, BBYO or Young Judea. Our hearts are all united.

For 2000 years as we wandered the face of the earth we faithfully faced Jerusalem as we prayed to the Almighty to return us to our homeland.

Today as we face the threats, not just of stones, but of machine guns, Molotov cocktails and an unrelenting hatred, we stand shoulder to shoulder as one people in declaring our unwavering support for our heritage and our people.

Just a few short days ago, an eerie chill went through my body when I read the High Holy Day prayers, Unesaneh Tokef: Who will live and who will die - who by the stone and who by the sword? I thought of the young soldiers confronting wild mobs hurling stones, waiting for the stones to land, and for their fate to be decided.

Jews now travelling in cars are apprehensive for the safety of their families, knowing full well a stone, rock or boulder may shatter the windshield and indeed cause death, as it did to a driver, this past weekend, between Tel Aviv and Haifa.

Who by the sword? I thought of the young soldier bleeding to death in Joseph’s Tomb as Palestinian authorities watched and refused to allow his comrades to evacuate him.

I watched as Joseph’s Tomb was devastated by angry mobs and thought of the synagogues that were destroyed in Jerusalem in 1948. I watched as the remains of Joseph’s tomb was painted green and I watched, this afternoon, as Palestinians prayed at their newest mosque.

I was devastated when I watched a 12 year old boy shot in the arms of his father and I was reminded of Golda Meir’s prophetic statement, “We cannot forgive them for forcing us to kill their children”.

We pray for peace but a peace that will lead to security for both Jew and Arab. A peace where Arab members of The Knesset do not incite Arab citizens to cause riots and to attack fellow Israelis.

We pray for a time when there is indeed mutual respect. I have walked and prayed in Hevron. I have touched the Kotel, I have seen Beth El and visited Ariel. I have been to the Lebanese border and have walked the streets of Diesengoff. I pray with all Jews for tranquility and peace.

The Jewish people have yearned for the return to Zion to have the opportunity to fulfil their religious and cultural potential, free from threats and attacks that undermine their legitimacy and their very lives.

We salute you, the brave inhabitants of the State of Israel. We declare you are not alone. Our hands and hearts go out to you.

How quickly world opinion changes. In short shrift support turns to scorn. It was but a short time ago that Prime Minister Barak was seen as a true seeker of peace. Even his own colleagues and Israeli citizens were shocked at the seemingly generous offer he put forward at Camp David. Going far beyond what any other Israeli leader had ever dared offer, Prime Minister Barak, showed leadership and determination to try to put an end to over 50 years of struggle and conflict in the Middle East. It was almost incomprehensible that even a part of Jerusalem would be offered at the negotiating table - but there it was - all for Arafat's taking. But this was not to be. Arafat had a different plan. And has had a different plan all along.

What is it about the current conflict and escalating violence that has caught the attention of the media? What is it that has so inflamed passions across the globe? The tragic image of a 12-year old boy, supposedly out on an innocuous fall shopping trip, caught in a crossfire and killed.

And so, in the words of political analyst Charles Krauthammer, “another under age martyr has been minted” to fuel still more tragedy and perpetuate a cycle of rage and heartache that can only crush budding hopes for peace in the region.

How could this happen? We have heard an analysis of the political side of the equation but what about the emotional side, the human face of confrontation?

Analysts will argue back and forth about the causes of the riots. Was it the visit of Sharon to a site holy to both Jew abd Muslim, as one side will argue? But this visit was planned a week before with the full knowledge of the Palestinian authorities. And, it is chilling to note, schools were closed well in advance of the visit.

Why this sudden school closure? Why did the Palestinian authorities suddenly want their children on the streets? After all, it was just days before the start of Rosh Hashanna, one of the holiest days of the Jewish year, not te run-up to Ramadam.

Immediately after the peace talks broke down in July, 2000, Arafat began a campaign of violence. The campaign was officially announced in August, by the Palestinian Authority's Justice Minister, who stated: “Violence is near and the Palestinian people are willing to sacrifice even 5,000 casualties.” Let me repeat so that we, in this room are very clear, from the mouths of the Palestinian leadership, “We are willing to sacrifice even 5,000 casualties.” The Palestinian Authority's Minister of Planning said, in a taped interview: “We decided to begin liberating our homeland step after step. We honour the peace treaties so long as the agreements are fulfilled step by step. If and when Israel says, ‘Enough,’ namely, ‘We will not discuss Jerusalem,’ we will return to violence. But this time it will be 30,000 armed Palestinian soldiers.” Let me repeat so that we all understand that these are the words of the Palestinian leadership “If and when Israel says, ‘We will not discuss Jerusalem,’ we will return to violence. But this time it will be 30,000 armed Palestinian soldiers.”

Palestinian incitement preceded the wave of violence. Anyone following the Palestinian media should not have been surprised. “Scenes of violence are constantly screened on Palestinian television in between movies and shows. They show a few seconds of intifadah violence, together with narrated incitement. This is how the Palestinian Authority inculcates its residents.”

Children are prime targets of lessons in hate. Very young children are exposed to television programs - similar to what Romper Room used to be here. Real children participating in a nursery school type of class. But, instead of nursery rhymes they are taught to march to snappy little tunes whose words resound with hate for the Jews and calls for the annihilation of the State of Israel. Roughly translated they sing, “I dream to grow up to be a suicide bomber and kill the evil Jews so we can reclaim the land that is rightfully ours.” I repeat - “I dream to grow up to be a suicide bomber and kill the evil Jews so we can reclaim the land that is rightfully ours.” Three and four year olds learning to hate!

Mr. Arafat, as you recall, did agree to cease from inciting or promoting hate.

New textbooks have been written for use in the Palestinian Authority school system. The new books for grades one and six contain numerous passages that call on the students to liberate all of Jerusalem and all of Palestine. These books feature maps which do not show Israel, but portray all of "Palestine" instead. Fifteen of these newly-printed Palestinian textbooks still define Israel as a "conquering state," and one a sixth grade book originally published in 1965, which has been printed again and again since then with barely any changes even states, “There is no alternative other than to destroy Israel.”

This is after Mr. Arafat agreed to cease from inciting or promoting hate.

But where is world outrage?

Palestinian television promotes antisemitism. On July 28, 2000, PA Official Television broadcast a speech by the Islamic preacher Dr. Ahmed Yusuf Abu Halbiah, in which he proclaimed: “Kill the Jews. The resurrection of the dead will not occur, until you battle with the Jews and kill them.”

“War against the Jews”. On August 11, 2000, PA Television broadcast a speech again by Dr. Ahmed Yusuf Abu Halbiah, in which he announced: “O, our Arab brothers, O our Muslim brothers, don't leave the Palestinians alone in their war against the Jews!”

And on August 6, 2000 the same PA Television broadcast a speech by the Secretary-General of the Movement for the Islamic Struggle, in which he declared: “The end of the Zionist entity is a Koranic necessity, there is no place for Israel no matter how long it takes.”

The Tenzim which means "organization" in Arabic is Fatah's field activity wing. It is a kind of quasi-military militia, whose members see themselves as being in the vanguard, mainly in initiating and organizing demonstrations and confrontations against Israel. A primary goal is to organize young people in nationalistic frameworks and prime their hearts for nationalistic activities in the framework of the Fatah organization. The Tenzim have tens of thousands of members and the leaders are former intifada commanders. They also have tens of thousands of weapons of all kinds and are awaiting the day a Palestinian State is established so they can become a powerful political party. The Tenzim has branches in every neighbourhood, village, refugee camp and high school. The organizations strongest branches operate within the universities. Importantly, during summer holidays, the organization operates summer camps, which include weaponry instruction and military training. Teaching to hate. Training for war.

Mr. Arafat did agree to cease from inciting or promoting hate.

Teaching children to hate. Teaching children to kill. Teaching children to aspire to martyrdom. Glorifying suicide bombings. “Become a Prince of your people. You will forever be enshrined as a martyr and saviour of your people and your families will live in comfort and wealth for all time.” When life has no value - when suicide bombing is seen as a holy mission - when children are encouraged to participate in clashes with the Israeli Defense Forces by offering their families $300 per injury and $2,000 per child killed, inevitably they become the casualties on the front lines and public opinion quickly reverses and criticism and condemnation of Israel becomes the focus of the media. Instead of international outrage directed at the seemingly brutal shooting of Palestinian children there should be international outrage directed at the Palestinians for putting their children in the direct lines of fire or crossfire. (Pause) What civilized society puts a price tag on the value of their children? But the world is silent.

It is time to set the record straight. The United Nations vote on Security Council Resolution 1322 was overwhelmingly one-sided and anti-Israel. It is time to set the record straight. The one-sided biased reporting by the Toronto Star (hold up) is unconscionable. This propaganda sheet no longer reports but editorializes against Israel. We expect that a free press will honestly report withou its biases and prejudices clouding the truth. Israel, in defending herself against unwarranted and hostile attacks has become the so-called aggressor in the important realm of public opinion.

So while the Palestinian Authority has signed peace accords that proscribe violence and are meant to guarantee genuine attempts at mutual tolerance and reconciliation, the Palestinian authorities have, in effect, undermined these commitments, concentrating instead on perpetuating hatred ad mistrust. And these twisted roots have indeed borne bitter fruit, as we have seen in the past tragic days.

The time has come to make the choice, the time is now here. Israel has put out its hand. We call on the Palestinians today to take their children by the hand and lead them away from conflict, and towards peace. The will is there. It is the natural inclination of every mother and father in the region, both Arab and Israeli, who yearn for peace. Our plea is this: do not stifle this search for peace before it even has a chance to grow.

We stand here tonight to speak out in support of the State of Israel. We stand here tonight to show our solidarity with the State of Israel in these most troubling times. We stand here tonight to demand that countries worldwide, including our own, show the moral integrity to speak out against the wrongs that are being committed against Israel both at the United Nations and "in the streets". When I stood with my colleagues on the streets of Toronto just one week ago at a Palestinan demonstration, I was horrified at the overt expressions of hate directed to us. Spitting and uttering death threats with a venom I have never before seen was, to say the least, as unnerving and horrifying experience. When hate is palpable on the sidewalks of Toronto, let alone on the sidewalks of Jerusalem, how can a process to create peace proceed? How can trust be re-established? How can we ensure that children, all of our children are taught to live in peace with their neighbours, with all of their neighbours? It is our collective responsibility to stand together, united in our concern for the safety and survival of the State of Israel.

NOW WE ARE ONE!