II. Seeking Peace Bulletin Issue #6 NOVEMBER 2001 FINDINGS OF AMERICAN JEWISH POLL: SUPPORT OF PALESTINIAN STATE, U.S. GOVERNMENT TO GET INVOLVED A poll of American Jews released earlier this week had some interesting findings. 85% believe that the U.S. government should take an active role in ending the violence between Israel and the Palestinians. The survey also found that a majority of American Jews supports the creation of a Palestinian state. Sponsors of the poll included Israel Policy Forum, the New York Jewish Week, and the Wilstein Institute of Jewish Policy Studies. The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points. A total of 602 Jews were surveyed. MILITARY CHECKPOINTS DON’T WORK SAYS THE IDF An internal report issued this month by the Israel Defense Forces found that military checkpoints, which are set up to prevent terrorists from entering Israel, do not work. The report also states that instead, more tension is caused between the soldiers and the Palestinian population. Four senior officers of the IDF were responsible for compiling the report, under instructions from the Operations Department of the IDF. As reported in Ha’aretz, the report states, “There are roadblocks that are not secured, or only partially secured, along with well-secured checkpoints. . . Most of the permanent checkpoints are not organized to stop hostile elements and the checking of cars is done randomly.” The document also reports that orders made by the chief-of-staff to have an Arabic-speaking solider at each checkpoint have not been fulfilled. PA LEADERSHIP RECOGNIZING THE FAILURE OF THE INTIFADA? The Israeli Foreign Ministry issued an internal document, which stipulates that many of the top leadership in the Palestinian Authority believe the Intifada is failing in its goals and support a return to negotiations. The story was first leaked to the Israeli newspaper Ma’ariv. EUROPEAN UNION REFUSES TO FUND ANTI-SEMITIC TEXTBOOKS IN PALESTINE Earlier this month, the European Union (EU) attached an amendment to its budget, stipulating that no EU money will be used on Palestinian textbooks if they contain anti-Semitic and/or hateful material. The budget currently allocates 45 million euros for programs that help promote the peace process. Part of the amendment reads, as recorded in the Jerusalem Post, “this money is to be used only for projects that support peace, understanding reconciliation, and a decrease of hate.” Israeli authorities were pleased with the moves of the EU.