Americans for a Safe Israel

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Americans for a Safe Israel (AFSI) is an American Jewish group that opposes all territorial withdrawals by Israel. It supports the Israeli settlement movement and campaigned against the Oslo Accords and the evacuation of settlers from Gaza.

The group publishes a monthly magazine entitled Outpost.

Contents

[edit] Leadership

  • Herbert Zweibon – Chairman
  • Barry Freedman – Executive Director
  • Rael Jean Isaac – Editor of Outpost

[edit] Quotations

The group's website defines its position as follows:

Americans For a Safe Israel was founded in 1971 by concerned Americans convinced a peaceful settlement of the Arab-Israel conflict would only occur when the Arabs realized once and for all that Israel could not be defeated militarily or in any other way... AFSI is unique in its proud and outspoken advocacy of Judea, Samaria [the West Bank], Gaza and the Golan as integral parts of Israel. AFSI believes that a strong Israel is essential to U.S. security and that the Jewish towns in these areas are the best guarantee against strategic vulnerability. Most importantly, the pioneering efforts of the residents in these areas have the potential of rejuvenating a dormant Zionism and igniting a second Zionist revolution. [1]

A 2003 article in the left-wing magazine Mother Jones included this account of events at the Interfaith Zionist Leadership Summit:

A group called Americans For A Safe Israel circulated its own "2 state solution" at the conference, calling for Palestinian refugees and the residents of territory occupied by Israel to be declared Jordanian citizens and relocated at international expense. If Palestinians refuse to resettle, the flier stated, they should be "declared citizens of Jordan with the appropriate legal steps taken so that they remain within Israel and loyal to Israel (sic) law." [2]

In 2007 the Philadelphia Chapter of AFSI was reorganized and has become very active. The chapter launched its own website at www.phillyafsi.com in 2008.

[edit] Links

[edit] References

  1. ^ AFSI: About us
  2. ^ Michael Scherer, Daniel Pipes, Peacemaker?, Mother Jones, May 26, 2003
Languages