Open letter to the Jewish workers at Rainbow Grocery from some Jewish customers

Open letter to the Jewish workers at Rainbow Grocery from some Jewish customers

We are Jewish customers of Rainbow who shop there not only because we like the products but mostly because we have great respect for the concept of a worker cooperative. Many of us started shopping at Rainbow from the very beginning when it was a little store next to the Roxie on 16th Street. We are sending this letter to you because we believe the time is ripe for a Rainbow boycott of Israeli products.

The war against Lebanon showed the true nature of what the Israeli government represents and what its intentions are. It is time to spell out that, unfortunately, its policies are deeply connected with Bush’s murderous policies in the Middle East. The philosophy of the Israeli military leaders appears to be that “the only good Arab is a dead Arab.” We reject that mentality and hope that you do so as well.

As Jews we consider ourselves part of a long Jewish tradition of the struggle for social justice and concern for the safety and survival of Jews everywhere. Israeli policies which dehumanize others are antithetical to this proud tradition. We therefore deny any connection with those who claim to represent us while unquestioningly supporting Israeli policy which results in dehumanization of Palestinians and the destruction of their social order. Furthermore, we believe the militaristic perspective of those in charge in Israel has neither been good for the Jews of Israel nor for those in the diaspora.

We also reject Bush’s murderous policies in the Middle East. Does this make us ‘self-hating’ citizens? We care about the U.S. soldiers, their lives and their physical and mental sanity. We want them to survive and not commit crimes against humanity. We are just as appalled at the slaughter of so many thousands of Iraqis in the illegal war the U.S. is now waging in Iraq. We
need to say very clearly that the U.S. government does not represent our interest to be there to be a genocidal policeman of the Middle East or to invade countries there.

In the same vein, we do not consider ourselves ‘self-hating’ Jews who suffer from ‘internalized anti-semitism’ when we want to protect the reputation of all Jews as a compassionate people who certainly know what it’s like to suffer discrimination and genocide. Therefore, anyone who discriminates against or humiliates, harasses, persecutes, tortures, kills, destroys the livelihood of or demolishes housing of, treats as second-class or has a national policy of dehumanizing another ethnic group is our enemy, espcially because we are Jews.

For years now, many Israelis, including several women¹s groups, have actively opposed Israeli government policies against the Palestinian people in the West Bank and Gaza, and more and more Jews in the U.S. as well as in many other countries are refusing to identify with these policies. And many others have been trying to protect the Palestinians who are being persecuted and even killed by the soldiers of the Israeli Defense Force who often face no charges for this murder. We certainly do identify, however, with those courageous ‘refuseniks’ who heroically risk their own reputations by refusing to carry out Israeli policies, much like our own conscientious objectors in the U.S. military who refuse to go or return to Iraq and pay a heavy price for their actions. We need to say ‘NO, not in our name! As Jews, not in our name! As human beings, not in our name!’

Boycott, sanctions and divestment were effective in defeating apartheid in South Africa. A Rainbow boycott of Israeli goods is one small way we can make a very clear statement that can inform customers and others about Israeli policies regarding Palestine while advancing the boycott movement in the United States. And because of what Rainbow stands for, a socially accountable business, it reinforces the moral and political position of opposition to the militarist and oppressive Israeli state.

This movement is growing and Jewish people are no longer afraid to speak out, making the distinction between doing the right thing and fearing being labeled anti-semitic, incorrectly, of course, and, as a matter of fact, with quite malicious intent. In the name of our dead, our persecuted, our annihilated ancestors, let us oppose the murderous Israeli policies with
all our might, with our pocket books, our words, in the Jewish tradition of Tikkun Olam, ‘repairing the world’ and of fighting along with the oppressed for the rights of all oppressed.

Please support the boycott of Israeli goods at Rainbow.

Your loyal Jewish customers,

Maggie Leigh Michael Gast Janice Rothstein
Jean Pauline Stefan Lynch Elliot Helman
Sonia Siegel Dolores HelmanAri Lev Fornari Gene Herman