Madison Rafah Journal

Dear friends,

These photos of our lovely child Waleed Abu Qamar and his family

Good bye, Waleed, we miss you terribly

Mini Palestinian Parliament

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TWO SIDES MEET, AGREE TO CONTINUE DISCUSSIONS

Judith Davidoff, The Capital Times, May 26, 2004

Is compromise possible on the contentious proposal for Madison to form a sister city relationship with the Palestinian city of Rafah?

Potentially.

After about two hours of spirited and head-spinning discussion on the proposed sister city project and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, representatives on both sides of the debate agreed Tuesday night to meet again to see if middle ground can be found.

The Madison Jewish Community Council, which opposes the Rafah sister city proposal, agreed to consider whether there was any way it could support the project. And the Madison-Rafah Sister City Project agreed to entertain the Jewish council's notion that Madison could partner with another Palestinian city in the West Bank or Gaza Strip instead of Rafah.

Ald. Ken Golden, District 10, who attended the meeting organized by City Council President Brenda Konkel, warned both groups that a lack of community consensus on the proposal made it an unpredictable bet before the council.

On the other hand, Golden said, "If you come up collectively with something Madison and all you folks can be proud of, the issue of the council will be a technicality at that point."

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The Wisconsin State Journal, May 23, 2004

PROJECT FITS PROGRESSIVE TRADITION

After the recent carnage in Rafah, I feel compelled to express my support for the Madison-Rafah Sister City Project. In spite of what its opponents claim, I see no empirical evidence that this is a "thinly veiled mechanism to bash the state of Israel." Furthermore, I think this sister city project is an important endeavor that is consistent with Madison's progressive tradition.

Madison already has established controversial relationships with other towns that in earlier days were considered by many to be inimical to the United States. For example, Arcatao is in a region of El Salvador that was largely controlled by the Marxist FMLN in the 1980s. Also, Managua was the seat of power for another Marxist movement, the Sandanistas. Although our erstwhile presidents shunned the FMLN and the Sandanistas, and many Americans were suspicious of such leftist movements, Madison residents bravely and presciently stepped forward to forge productive, enriching and peaceful partnerships with Arcatao and Managua.

I hope the mayor and City Council will take advantage of this opportunity to renew Madison's leadership in forging positive relationships with other people around the world.

– Dwight Haase, Madison

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Nathan Leaf, Wisconsin State Journal, May 19, 2004

Debate over a plan to partner Madison with an embattled city in the Gaza Strip is heating up — dividing even those within Madison's Jewish community.

The plan, which was discussed before the City Council's organizational committee Friday, would make the Palestinian city of Rafah one of Madison's sister cities. It has come under fire from the Madison Jewish Community Council, which says the plan would tie Madison to people who want to kill Jews because Palestinian terrorists are deeply rooted in Rafah.

Lester Pines of the Madison Jewish Community Council told the committee and more than 30 people in the audience that the real issue is "virulent worldwide anti-Semitism."

While he stressed that he doesn't believe the organizers of the plan are anti-Semitic, he said Rafah city leaders are. He said they have ties to Fatah, an organization headed by Yasser Arafat that is linked to the militant al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, which Pines said has claimed responsibility for killing innocent Israeli women and children in terrorist attacks.

But Rabbi Laurie Zimmerman said Madison cannot ignore the "horrific violence" the people in Rafah have experienced. "It would be irresponsible of us to turn away from this suffering."

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Editorial, The Wisconsin State Journal, 5/19/04

It's time to orphan Madison's sister city projects. That's not to say these feel-good exercises to promote international friendship shouldn't exist – they just shouldn't be financially supported by the city or carry the official imprint of local government.

You'll see why soon. Madison's latest sister city proposal, to forge ties with Rafah in the Gaza Strip, has already devolved into a pointlessly bitter debate of Mideast politics. Claim: Rafah leaders are in league with terrorists who attack Israeli settlers! Counterclaim: No, they and their people are the targets of bulldozing Israelis!

Perhaps the wildest claim will be this one: Fostering ties with peaceable Madison will somehow help reduce violence in Rafah. That's right, Palestinians, put down those explosive-laden vests. And Ariel Sharon, put the brakes on your bulldozers. Madison is keeping an eye on you all.

Fantasies aside, this rancorous debate hardly makes a foundation for international goodwill. The sister city movement is meant to increase understanding and appreciation across cultures. This politically divisive proposal does not seem likely to accomplish that goal.

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Judith Davidoff, The Capital Times, May 19, 2004

As the battle between Israelis and Palestinians grew more intense today in Rafah, Madison's proposed sister city in the Gaza Strip, the City Council's executive committee put off a vote on the relationship for two weeks.

They said they hoped people on both sides of the issue would use the time to work out their differences.

"I'm concerned it's not ready for prime time," Ald. Mike Verveer said of the proposal at Tuesday night's meeting of the City Council's Organizational Committee. "I would like to have more time for those discussions to take place."

Steve Morrison, executive director of the Madison Jewish Community Council, which opposes the sister city proposal, said he was open to meeting with members of the Madison-Rafah Sister City Project.

He said he was receptive to establishing other sister cities in the Gaza Strip, but said there was no chance he would support a formal relationship with Rafah, which the Israeli government has called a staging area for terror attacks.

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