Israeli Refuser to Speak in Indy

(Please PM me for specific information about the points of contact for this event, IG)

E-mail alert:

Dear Friends:

We are writing to you as a supporter of Brit Tzedek v'Shalom/ the Jewish
Alliance for Justice and Peace (BTVS), to let you know about an opportunity
to meet with like-minded people who care about Israel and are looking for a
peaceful solution to the ongoing conflict.

Yonatan Shapira, a former senior officer in Israel's elite Black Hawk
helicopter squadron, will be speaking at the home of (redacted by poster)
North Delaware Street on the north side of Indianapolis on
Sunday, March 6, from 2:30-4:00 p.m. The afternoon is part of a 12-city
national tour coordinated by BTVS and the Refuser Solidarity Network.

When is it appropriate for a soldier or citizen to refuse orders? What role
should conscience and principles play in that decision? Shapira will
discuss the personal and political considerations that led him to write the
"Pilot's Letter" now at the core of a heated debate in Israel about what
it means to serve one's country. The letter - signed by 26 other pilots in
late 2003 declares their refusal to participate in aerial attacks on
populated areas within Palestinian territory.

Shapira joined the IDF in 1991 and served as a regular in the Air Force
until 1999, where he primarily flew as a rescue and assault helicopter
pilot, completing well over 100 missions, including missions in Lebanon. In
2001, while a civilian pilot and member of the Reserves, he was called back
to service to as a founding member of the Israel Air Force's new Black Hawk
squadron, where he served as a pilot, operations leader and instructor. He
now lives in Tel Aviv and, in addition to his work as a pilot, volunteers
for "SELA," the Israeli Crisis Management Center, an organization dedicated
to aiding new immigrants and victims of terror.

If you are interested in participating please contact Rabbi Lew Weiss at (Redacted by poster)

(Please PM me for specific information about the points of contact for this event, IG)

Sincerely,
Charlie & Lew


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FYI-
Three other opportunities to learn more about the Middle East in the near
future are:

1. A presentation by Yosi Alpher, Israel and Palestine: What's Next?,
Marian College on February 24 at 7:30 pm,
http://www.marian.edu/fcgs/speakerseries.shtml

2. An Arab-American Awareness Forum at WellPoint Corporate Headquarters,
March 3,
http://www.cicf.org/CommunityInitiatives/Forums.cfm

3. On Saturday March 5 at 12:45 Rabbi Zvi Leshman will be speaking at B'Nai
Torah Synagogue, 6510 North Hoover Rd. The title of his presentation is
"Civil Disobedience and Refusing Orders in the Israeli Army". He resides in
Efrat, in the West Bank with his family and serves there as the Spiritual
Leader of Congregation Shirat Shlomo.