 | ||
A Special Message from Anat SaragustiDear Friends, As many of you know, in October, I moved to the United States to serve as the director of B'Tselem USA. In Israel, I was – and still am – a well-known journalist and social activist, intimately involved with the struggle for gender equality and rights for Palestinian citizens of Israel. In the US, very few people are familiar with my career, and I find myself repeatedly answering the question of why I would leave Israel to direct B'Tselem USA. My professional life as a journalist in Israel intersected often with the question of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, and I have always been connected with organizations seeking to influence the grim reality created by the occupation. But the more I consider these connections between my prior work and my new position, the more I realize that my motivations are much deeper and more important. The occupation is the most significant phenomenon in Israeli society and politics today. It influences Jews all over the world. It has a profound effect on our national identity and our existence as a people, a nation and a state. Most social and political cleavages in Israel stem from or can be linked to the prolonged occupation. Let me be clear: not only will the occupation determine our future but it affects our present as can be seen today in everything from Israel's growing international isolation to the rising cost of living. Unfortunately, most Jewish Israelis and most Diaspora Jews do not see the occupation and its far-reaching impact on our identity and our future, be it from fear or because it is taboo. The fact that today in Israel the occupation feels too many "out of sight and out of mind" does not mean the occupation is over. It continues apace, and we have an obligation to know the occupation and understand its toll. B'Tselem works diligently to document the occupation's knot of legal rulings and military orders that dictate restrictions on mobility, infrastructure and water and obscure our understanding of what exactly is wrong. B'Tselem's work provides a greater picture and strengthens our comprehension. That is why I joined B'Tselem as the US Director. I want to make sure that my fellow Israelis and our international allies and friends understand the facts on the ground and their effect on the lives of millions. Please do not be afraid to look at these facts and to understand their consequences. They are startling and painful, however, they are no less deserving of our attention than Israel's many great achievements. I am an Israeli. My ancestors came to the Galilee from Spain more than five hundred years ago and our family has stayed ever since. The health of our democracy is very important to me, and I am proud of the strength and vigor of our public debate in Israel. It is time to inject the occupation and its implications into that debate. Though my work in the United States is just beginning I am honored and ready to inspire similar conversations here for the sake of my country not in spite of it. Thank you for your continued support of B'Tselem. I look forward to working with you this year and beyond. Best wishes, |  | |
| "We have an obligation to know the occupation and understand its toll." | ||
 | ||
