Urgent call from Israel. Stop the war!

The Israeli peace organisation, Gush Shalom, in an urgent statement to 
the world says that "as we issue this call, Israel's state radio is 
broadcasting patriotic songs and inflammatory texts, in an effort to whip 
up popular support for all-out war — the war towards which Ariel Sharon 
has been inching ever since he took power". The statement continued: 

"But there already visible cracks in the 'national unity.' This afternoon, 
hundreds of peace activists picketed the Defence Ministry in Tel-Aviv, at 
the call of Peace Now, joined by Gush Shalom and others, in protest at the 
unfolding war. 

Four Israeli soldiers are right now in prison for refusal to take part; 
among them an officer, Reserve Captain Dan Tamir. Many others — 
conscripts, reservists and high school pupils facing conscription — 
declared their determination to follow that same course. 

Should Sharon persist in his march to all-out war, this protest movement 
will increase and mushroom as it did in 1982, the previous time when Sharon 
thought he had the people behind him in embroiling the country in 
unnecessary war. 

The United States Government should recognise the great share it bears in 
responsibility for the grave deterioration and ongoing escalation of the 
situation — especially the manifestly biased statements issued by 
President Bush.

The US should recognise that a forceful intervention by the international 
community and the deployment of an international force are needed on the 
confrontation lines between Israelis and Palestinians, at least as much as 
in Macedonia. 

The placing of an international force to stop the most immediate 
conflagration, should be the prelude to its deployment throughout the 
Occupied Territories.

Such a force should be charged both with enforcing a cease-fire and with 
monitoring a complete halt to all settlement activities — in accordance 
with the Mitchell Report, which recognised that the expansion of Israeli 
settlements at the expense of Palestinian land is the main root cause which 
led to the outbreak of the present uprising.

We ask everybody to use all possible ways in getting this message to those 
who can act upon it concluded". 

Write to 
President George Bush
E-mail: president@whitehouse.gov
Phone: (202) 456-1414
Fax: (202) 456-2461

Secretary of State Colin Powell"
E-mail: secretary@state.gov
Phone: (202) 647-4000 (202-647-5150) 

Bureau of Near East Affairs
Fax: (202) 261-8577

Israeli Foreign Minister, Shimon Peres"
Fax: +972-2-5303704
e-mail: sar@mofa.gov.il