April 28, 2004
Here are some important new developments:
1) According to a member of Kavanah, the progressive Jewish group on campus
(I met with them today), City Councilman Mike Verveer has withdrawn his
support/co-sponsorship of MRSCP as a result of the MJCC letter & phone
calls. If this proves true it is doubly important that we write and talk to
all people directly concerned (mayor, alders, media, interested parties).
The mayor and alders received our letter and the refutation of our charges
earlier today.
2) Judy Davidoff of the Cap Times is doing an article on this controversy.
She read me Mayor Dave Cieslewicz’s comments over the phone today. He made
two points:
a: He does not support the MRSCP resolution because he feels the city of
Madison should not be fighting the Israel/Palestine conflict.
b: He thinks our (Rafah) project jeopardizes the entire Sister City
program in the city of Madison because of its controversial nature and
thinks all of the other sister cities stand to lose out if the program is
cut because of us.
Again, I cannot emphasize enough the need for all of you to write to the
Mayor and others to voice your support for our project. They have to know
— regardless of the outcome this June — that the charges against us are
untrue, and that there is a great deal of support for the Madison-Rafah
project.
Jennifer Loewenstein