Jewish leaders discuss peace process future

Thursday, May 9, 1996

UCLA Hillel forum addresses Israeli future, encourages debateBy
John Digrado

Daily Bruin Staff

In an often heated and animated discussion, two powerful leaders
of the Los Angeles Jewish community verbally sparred over the
Mideast peace process Wednesday night.

Sponsored by UCLA’s Hillel, a Jewish student organization, the
discussion was the second of five forums on the issues currently
facing the Jewish community.

Discussing economic strife and the recent Israeli military
actions in Lebanon, Rabbis David Eliezrie and Chaim Seidler-Feller
took opposing stances on the peace process.

"The peace process is working," Seidler-Feller claimed, calling
the negotiations history in the making. "You can’t interpret
history in the making if all you do is impose your ideas on the
reality. When you do that, you are blinded by the reality."

Saying that assassinated Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin
made promises that have yet to be kept, Eliezrie remained skeptical
of the agreement’s provisions.

"I wish the promises of Yitzhak Rabin would have come true,"
Eliezrie said. "He told us that there was to be a new era in Israel
… We’re living in a very difficult time where we have entered a
deal that has not been fulfilled."

Both leaders called the peace process a positive step, but
differed on just how much change has been enacted since signing
agreements with the Palestinian Liberation Organization 2 1/2 years
ago.

Claiming that Israeli Jews’ security has worsened since the
signing of the peace accord with the Palestinians, Eliezrie cited
the rise of Jewish casualties in the occupied territories as
evidence of a "bad deal."

"A Jew cannot walk the streets of Tel Aviv without a sense of
security, and you call that peace?" Eliezrie asked, saying that
since the signing of the peace accord more than 200 Jews have been
killed by acts of terrorism. Prior to the agreement, the rate was
20 per year, he claimed.

Before the end of the Jewish occupation of the West Bank and the
Gaza Strip, Jews living in the occupied territories were relatively
safe, Eliezrie claimed.

"When you are in control of a physical area and you have
military ability in that area, you can prevent terrorism from
coming in and killing you," he added.

Some students, in contrast, did not blame the peace accord for
the rise in violence against Israeli Jews.

"I don’t think it’s the peace accord that’s causing (increased
violence)," said Jewish Student Union President Joe Levin. "It’s
the tension that exists because of the lack of peace that is
causing the increase in violence," he added.

Both Levin and Seidler-Feller said that the peace process is a
risk that must be taken for the long term security of Israel.

"For the gain of real security in a real way, it seems to me
that a (for a) long term acceptance, Israel was willing to risk
some short term incursion and some casualties," Seidler-Feller
said. "Any community that is suing for peace has to be willing to
set aside ideology for pragmatic gains."

But Eliezrie said that the recent actions of Israel toward the
Hezbollah, an opposition group based in Southern Lebanon, may
suggest wavering by Israel in ousting militant groups, as well as a
degree of division among Israelis.

"Lebanon was a massive military failure for the Israelis,
Eliezrie said. "They didn’t have forces on the ground," which may
have been a factor in the outcome of the conflict, he said.

"What is happening to Israeli society? Jews are sitting for 30
days in their shelters, and other Jews don’t care. Secular Zionism
has lost its sense of responsibility for the rest of its people,"
he continued.

However, Palestinians in the occupied territories have begun to
talk about peace for their posterity, Seidler-Feller said in
response, claiming that this is the first real glimmer of hope for
peace in the region.

"You have Palestinians talking in the most essential way
possible: We want our children to live in peace. Once you begin to
talk about the need for children to live in peace, you are
beginning to break the will" of the opposition, and peace can begin
to take hold, he said.

Despite the continued banter between the two leaders, panel
member and student commentator Jeffrey Jacobson of the UCLA School
of Law said the time for peace in the region has come despite the
differences raised by the two leaders.

"I think we have a wild ride ahead of us. No one really knows
what the future is going to hold . What I do know is that the peace
process must continue. It’s not going to be easy, but it has to
continue," Jacobson said.

FRED HE/Daily Bruin

Rabbi Chaim Seidler-Feller (left) discusses the current Israeli
political climate with Rabbi David Eliezrie (right). The panel also
consisted of UCLA Law Student Jeff Jacobson and moderator by
Jeffrey Kaye of PBS’ Lehrer News Hour (center).