On the upcoming Jewish National Fund Conference in Denver, November 30, 2023. Remarks of Nancy Fey, Retired Nurse and Rob Prince, Retired Teacher. October 9, 2023

Source: Drawing The Kafr Qasem Massacre by Samia Halaby

(Note: The Denver City Council gives citizens the right to make a three minute commentary. I was able to present my remarks on October 9 in person. Nancy also spoke but on Zoom at the same hearing.)

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Remarks of Nancy Fey, Denver resident, retired nurse. October 9, 2023

Greetings, Denver City Council Members and others,

My name is Nancy Fey. I am a retired registered nurse and have lived in northwest Denver
more than forty years.

I am speaking about the decision to invite the Jewish National Fund to hold an annual meeting
here in Denver at the end of November, at the Denver Convention Center, a city-owned
building. Did no one look into what the values of this organization are? Or was the JNF’s
propaganda description of themselves taken at face value?

This is an organization which raises money to fund expropriation of Palestinian land and build
illegal settlements of Zionists in the West Bank of Palestine. The United States even
acknowledges that these settlements are illegal though turns a blind eye, having a different set
of standards when it comes to our militarist and inhumane-to-Palestinians ally, Israel.

By the way, to criticize Israel is not anti-semitic. There are those who try to pin an anti-semitic label on anyone who disagrees with Israeli policy and actions towards Palestinians; it does silence many, which is its intention, but it’s a semantic trick.

Nancy Fey – Mora New Mexico – 2013

My husband tells of giving money for planting trees in Israel to this organization when he was a child. He felt betrayed when he learned his little contributions went for few trees but rather to support aggressively growing Israel at Palestinian expense. As this weekend’s war there indicates, this continues to be a huge, unresolved issue.

I and many others object to our tax money going to support such a racist organization. By the way, to criticize Israel is not anti-semitic. There are those who try to pin an anti-semitic label on anyone who disagrees with Israeli policy and actions towards Palestinians; it does silence many, which is its intention, but it’s a semantic trick.

This Israel-Palestine issue has been around for a long time and people who are elected officials should become educated about it. Many in this position of trust have been offered and taken free trips to Israel. I urge you not to be so naive as to succumb.

It is a travesty for Denver to host, facilitate, or provide any resources to the Jewish National Fund convention.

Thank you for listening and taking into consideration this less lobbied point of view.

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Remarks of Rob Prince, Retired Senior Lecturer of International Studies, University of Denver, Korbel School of International Studies. October 2, 2023

On the upcoming Jewish National Fund Conference in Denver, November 30, 2023

Greetings,

My name is Rob Prince, I am a retired teacher, having taught in higher education in Colorado over the course of 50 years, the last 25 of which I was a Senior Lecturer of International Studies at the University of Denver’s Korbel School of International Studies from where I retired in 2015.

I have lived in Colorado since 1969, in Denver since 1971, at 3187 W. 40th Ave in Northwest Denver, since 1976 in Amanda Sandoval’s district.

For the entire time I have lived in Colorado I have actively supported and worked for a just Middle East peace, one that takes into consideration the interests of both Israeli Jews and Palestinians, that recognizes the travesty that Israeli policy has inflicted on the Palestinian people, that they can find a formula, a solution so that they can live in peace, a peace that would do much not just for the region, but given the strategic importance of the Middle East, a peace that would reduce global tensions.

Key to any overall solution – often omitted in the public discussion – is an end to the Israeli Occupation of Palestinian territories, a lifting of the blockade of Gaza which has become little more than a open air concentration camp, and what I refer to as the need to de-Zionize Israel.

That the City Council consider a sister city relationship with a Palestinian city – Gaza City or Jenin come to mind, but frankly any Palestinian city in the West Bank or Gaza would work. Keep in mind two points – first that Denver already has a sister city relationship with Ramat HaNegev, Israel, but at least at present, to my knowledge, there is no Palestinian sister city. Secondly, in the past few years the city of Boulder has formally adopted Nablus in the West Bank as its sister city, a relationship which has blossomed into a rich relationship for both

Concerning the upcoming conference of the Jewish National Fund here in Denver – let me say that a number of speakers at the Council have already made critical remarks, have outlined the organization’s one-sided, biased record where it comes to the Palestinians. In the time allotted me, I don’t need to repeat what has already been said at previous Council meetings (by local members of the Palestinian Community as well as concerned Christian groups – Friends of Sabeel – and Jewish humanitarians associated with Jewish Voice for Peace).

I share their critique of the Jewish National Fund and their concerns. (Nor do I intend, in three minutes, to review the history of the conflict).

This conference could be for both the City Council and the city of Denver “an educational moment”. (This next period is an opportunity for the Council to educate yourselves on the Palestinian perspective, without the active participation of which, there will be no peace. And it is in such a spirit – of educating the Council – that I speak before you today.)

I was thinking of how the Council – and the city as a whole – could made more aware of the plight of the Palestinians and their aspirations, ie, what concrete steps might be taken. Here are my suggestions.

November 2011 in front of L’Institut Bourguiba des Langues Vivantes, Ave. de la Liberte, Tunis, where Prince served as a Peace Corps Volunteer and staff Member – June, 1966 – October 1968

1. That the City Council consider a sister city relationship with a Palestinian city – Gaza City or Jenin come to mind, but frankly any Palestinian city in the West Bank or Gaza would work. Keep in mind two points – first that Denver already has a sister city relationship with Ramat HaNegev, Israel, but at least at present, to my knowledge, there is no Palestinian sister city. Secondly, in the past few years the city of Boulder has formally adopted Nablus in the West Bank as its sister city, a relationship which has blossomed into a rich relationship for both

2. That the Council members, either as a group, or individually, develop on going relationships with representatives of the Palestinian Community of Colorado and with the growing number of peace organizations who have worked on this issue for decades. Perhaps this could be done in conjunction with the state’s first Palestinian member of the legislature, Iman Joudah, whose father Mohammed Joudeh, was a pioneer in improving Palestinian-Jewish relations here in Denver.

In the same way that the Council has worked for civil rights, I hope that the Council would consider using this opportunity, here in Denver, to be a more active social force in working for Middle East peace, a peace with justice.

Thank you
Robert “Rob” Prince,
Retired Senior Lecturer of International Studies
University of Denver Korbel School of International Studies

robertjprince@gmail.com

PS. Over the past six years Prince has participated in an informal sister city project between Denver and the Palestinian town of Beit Ummar. The name of the organization is the Center for Freedom and Justice, Colorado. It is named after a civic organization, the Center for Freedom and Justice in the West Bank, Palestine. This organization, which is committed to non-violent efforts at social justice has spearheaded a number of projects in Beit Ummar among them: the first organic farm in the West Bank, a women’s market (which sells craft and food projects created by women). One of our members has visited Beit Ummar and a Palestinian from Beit Ummar has visited Denver. The Center for Freedom and Justice – Colorado is an active participant in the Colorado Palestine Coalition.