Dear President Bush:

As American Jews, we are horrified by your apparent support for the
bombing and destruction of Lebanon, and your opposition to
international demands for an immediate ceasefire.

We condemn the violence by all sides, especially against civilians. But
we cannot accept your attempt to justify and abet the collective
punishment of the people of Lebanon -- including thousands of Americans
trapped there -- as part of "Israel's right to defend herself."

The vast majority of Lebanese now suffering the destruction of their
country, along with hundreds of civilian deaths from the Israeli
bombing campaign, had nothing to do with Hizbollah's attacks on Israeli
soldiers, nor subsequent rocket attacks on Israeli cities.

The same is true in Gaza, where the capture of Israeli Corporal Gilad
Shalit on June 25 -- the original alleged pretext for Israel's
incursions and detention of the territory's elected leaders -- was
preceded just the day before by the abduction of two Palestinian
civilians from their home by Israeli forces, as reported by Gideon Levy
in the Israeli daily Haaretz. Here, too, it is wrong to portray this
ever-widening conflict as a "war against terrorism." According to the
Israeli human rights organization B'tselem, more than 100 Palestinians
who were not engaged in hostile actions were killed by Israeli forces
since Israel withdrew from Gaza, and before the recent escalation of
violence.

The idea that the cycle of violence will come to an end by means of
more violence, and especially attacks on civilian areas, is wrong and
immoral.

We ask you to support an immediate cease-fire and a negotiated solution
to the conflict.

Sincerely,

Robert Weissman
Robert Naiman