Candlelight Vigil at the Federal Court House
Albuquerque New Mexico 30 December 2009
Recorded by Doug Harton - Edited by KL - Produced by Susan Schuurman
Statement Made by Micha Kurz at the Vigil
In My Nameby Micha Kurz
grassrootsJerusalem.org
My name is Micha Kurz. I am a Jewish Israeli from Jerusalem and an ex-Israeli Defense Forces combat soldier. I am deeply ashamed of what is happening in my name to the people living and dying in Gaza today.
In my name, the Israeli government claims the voice of millions of Jews who are silent all over the world.
In my name, Israeli leaders force young soldiers to commit war crimes against humanity for which we will one day be held accountable.
I call out to my friends serving in the IDF today. As soldiers, we are taught and trained that war is between two armies. Let us be clear, the bombing of innocent civilians in Gaza is NOT a war. It is a MASSACRE. It is a crime against Palestinians, against myself and against all of humanity. This absurdity does nothing to advance the health, welfare or safety of Jews.
I was taught in school that Palestine was “a land without a people, for a people without a land.” Today’s mainstream media presents the Hamas rocket firings as anti-Semitic attacks against innocent Israelis. This does not take into account forty-two years of a brutal occupation, which I witnessed, and over sixty years of displacement for millions of Palestinian refugees. Many of us do not have the full picture of what is happening on the ground in the West Bank and Gaza until it is too late. It has been too late for too long.
Jewish history lessons have taught us never to blindly follow orders. This is the time for brave Israeli soldiers to refuse those orders. Do not allow scared old men to dictate our reality!
In cities around the world, people are coming together today to protest American funded Israeli aggression. Today Jews are gathering to reclaim our voice and Israelis must gather to reclaim their conscience. Everyone has the right to a home, food and safety. All human life is sacred; no one people deserves to live more than another.
I would like to thank organizers across the country for today’s demonstrations. I’m here to ask for your support for Palestinian, Israeli and international grassroots organizations working on the ground who provide medical supplies, food and humanitarian aid. These organizers transcend political and religious differences and address our urgent common concerns.
I am reassured and proud to add my voice to the thousands of protesters around the world. Christians, Muslims and Jews are united in this call for the cessation of senseless violence in the Middle East. There is a force in the world that is greater than fear.