Relentless at Town Hall

LORNE BALSHINE SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH BULLETIN

Town Hall Meeting VIII was held on Sept. 22 at the Norman Rothstein Theatre. The event was a big success, with more than 300 people in attendance to see the screening of the Relentless: The Struggle For Peace in Israel, which was produced by HonestReporting.com.

The film stated that Israel accepted the Oslo Accords to take concrete steps towards increasing the good will between Israelis and Palestinians with the goal of a two-state solution; and went on to say that the Palestinian Authority and Yasser Arafat have continued their commitment to terror instead of peace.

According to the movie, the Palestinian Liberation Organization's charter still states that "It is the Arab's duty to liquidate the Zionist presence"; Israel's right to exist is still not recognized; peace with Israel is not cited in any of the school textbooks; peace activists are not allowed to express themselves; and the Palestinians have rejected the Oslo Accords and want the elimination of the Jewish people.

One of the messages in the film is that you have to fight terror, citing John F. Kennedy's quote, "Peace does not lie in charters and covenants alone. It lies in the hearts and minds of the people."

Following the screening, there was a lively panel discussion with panelists Andre Gerolmatos, chair of Hellenic studies at Simon Fraser University; Noemi Gal-Or, from the department of political science, Kwantlen University College; and lawyer Bernard Pinsky.

Gerolmatos's outlook was bleak. Confirming the hopelessness of a peace process without a desire for peace on the part of the Palestinians, he said that there will be continued violence on the part of the Palestinians for the next 15 years. In answer to the question of what will it take for peace, he answered that the United States and Europe would have to pressure the Arab nations to teach peace.

According to Pinsky, "The Jewish people should be declared an endangered species and Israel a world heritage site."

Gal-Or proved to be the most controversial of the panelists as she indicated that the Oslo Accords were not dead. She suggested, to a steady booing from the pro-Israel crowd, that if Germany and France can work together, so can Israelis and Palestinians.

Many people had a chance to ask questions and the evening was very informative. The Israel Action Committee sold copies of the film Relentless at cost, inviting people to show the video and help educate people about issues of the Middle East.

Lorne Balshine is a member of the Israel Action Committee.

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