There was pushing and shoving, physical confrontations, and cruel epithets directed at
people like Yael Dayan, then a member of the Israeli Knesset and daughter of iconic Israeli
leader Moshe Dayan. Also verbally abused were author Irving Howe, feminist leader Betty
Friedan, and actor-activist Richard Dreyfus. The Los Angeles Times called it "a near riot."
This was twenty-five years ago, when a group of nasty extremists came to protest an
Americans for Peace Now rally at Los Angeles' Roxbury Park. Our fellow APN activists and
supporters, many hundreds strong, outnumbered the hecklers, but these right-wing extremists
were so aggressive that APN's speakers - Dayan, Friedan, Dreyfus and the others - had to
receive a police escort to safety.
The hecklers were a small group, but the hostility toward APN's message was widespread.
When APN publicized its event, a group of local Jews considered the violence and ugliness
they displayed at the rally to be a proper response - they called it "drowning out the
voice of Haman." Then, it was considered legitimate, perhaps even "mainstream," to liken
those who call for a secure, two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians - the same
solution for which we continue to call today - to the most famous anti-Semitic figure in
ancient history.
Today, most Americans, including American Jews, as well as most Israelis and people
worldwide, support a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians. They see -- just
as Americans for Peace Now envisioned then -- that an Israel at peace with its neighbors is
the best path to Israel's security and longevity as a Jewish state and a democracy,
fulfilling the Zionist dream that was so beautifully captured in Israel's Declaration of
Independence.
Twenty-five years ago, the National Co-Chair of Americans for Peace Now was Jerry Bubis.
Then, as now, Jerry ensured that the voice of reason would be heard above the rhetoric and
catcalls. By steadily helping create the sea-change in attitudes, Jerry has been a
significant inspiration to us and to so many others who support Israel through APN.
When Jerry stepped down from actively serving on APN's Board of Directors, we were honored
to join with our fellow board members in establishing the "Professor Gerald B. Bubis
Lecture" to be held annually. On Tuesday, December 17, Americans for Peace Now will hold
the 3rd Annual "Professor Gerald Bubis Lecture" event at Valley Beth Shalom in Encino, CA.
This coming December 17th will not be like Roxbury Park 25 years ago. On that day, we will
join with Jerry and hundreds of others to hear his personal choice for speaker, Professor
Mark Rosenblum, Middle East expert and founder of Americans for Peace Now.
APN's chair, Jim Klutznick, will be there to honor Jerry's work and to support this
program. We hope that you, too, will join, be it in person or in support of the event and
APN. We love Jerry and we love Ruby and it would be extremely meaningful to have you help
us honor them with a tax-deductible donation to Americans for Peace Now.
Thank you very much,
Elaine Hoffman and Luis Lainer
LUIS LAINER has served as National Chair of Americans
for Peace Now, and ELAINE HOFFMAN as National
Treasurer. They have been Co-Chairs for APN in Southern California, as has JERRY BUBIS. All three have been recipients of APN's Yitzhak Rabin
Peace Award.
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