Dispute and debate are a Jewish tradition and should be encouraged. In Jerusalem on June 28, a group of settlers, joined by Knesset members, call for armed resistance against the Israeli army should the government decide to remove their settlements. At the New York Salute to Israel parade, Israeli Minister Shulamit Aloni, while on the speakers stand, is punched in the stomach by one of the parade's main organizers. Silence in the face of this accelerating breakdown in civil discourse is unacceptable. The security and welfare of Israel are too precious for us to countenance extremists who incite and commit violence against its democratically elected officials and their supporters.
Civil discourse is the lifeblood of democracy, inflammatory rhetoric is a life-threatening poison.
All Jews, whether supporters or opponents of the peace process, share a common and urgent need to preserve civil discourse in the Jewish community.