On Monday July 17th, Bay Area Jewish activists protested in front of the Israeli consulate against Israel's attacks on Gaza and Lebanon. NAM story. Seventeen people engaging in a civil disobedience action blocked the street in front of the consulate and were arrested. Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 Videos 1 | 2 | 3

Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), one of the nation’s largest grassroots Jewish peace groups, is organizing public actions in major cities across the country to help bring an end to the current conflict. Many members have friends and family in Gaza, Lebanon and Israel. JVP believes that all parties in this horrifying escalation of violence must be held accountable to international law. However, Israel’s refusal to negotiate and its decision to act with overwhelming force—using weapons supplied by the United States-- have escalated this situation to war. Far from bringing peace, Israel’s actions only empower extremists.

Israel has responded to attacks on military targets by taking aim at civilian, not military infrastructure in Gaza and Lebanon. A JVP press release pointed out, "As a result, Gaza –where 64 elected members of Parliament were arrested by the IDF and where Palestinians now lack proper access to electricity, water, fuel, hospital care and essential foodstuffs--is on the verge of a humanitarian crisis. Lebanon is being devastated. Now Israeli citizens have become targets."

JVP says, "It is essential to understand that this entire sequence of events did not begin with recent Hamas and Hezbollah attacks on Israeli targets. It must be traced to Israel's continuing 39-year illegal, immoral and unjustified occupation of the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem. Israel can never know peace as long as they occupy another people."

JVP Media Statement | More Coverage Of The Assault On Lebanon