Aswe approach the first anniversary of the International Jewish Anti-ZionistNetwork (IJAN), we remember the anniversary of Sabra and Shatila and over 61years of Palestinian struggle against ethnic cleansing. We are reminded that the latest siege andblockade of Gaza is part ofthis ongoing colonization of Palestine.Through our actions over this anniversary we intend to honor the secondintifada, which reignited the international solidarity movement from which ournetwork emerged.

Theanniversary also falls during the Jewish High Holidays. For some of us, RoshHashanah and Yom Kippur are a time for reflection and atonement for theindividual and collective injustices we have committed or that happen in ourname. Through taking collective responsibility we seek greater justice not onlyin Palestine,but throughout the world as well.

Muchhas changed since the release of the founding Charter of the InternationalJewish Anti-Zionist Network on 29 September 2008. The Palestinian call for boycottof, divestment from, and sanctions against Israel (BDS) is gaining in presenceand impact, both internationally and inside Israel. Israel'sbarbaric assault on Gaza has inspiredhumanitarian efforts to break the siege, calls for prosecuting Israeli warcriminals, and the breaking of diplomatic ties by Venezuela,Bolivia, and Mauritania.

InsideIsrael,an unapologetically racist government was elected into power. The statecontinues it assault on Palestinian identity by calling for "loyalty oaths" tothe Jewish state, replacing Arabic location names with Hebrew, and continuingits denial of the Nakba and Palestinian Right of Return. Dissentersinside Israel,both Palestinian and Jewish, are subjected to public demonization andrepression as never before. At the same time, Israelcontinues to confiscate land, demolish homes, and imprison political leaders inthe West Bank, including in East Jerusalem.

Againstthe backdrop of this increased oppression, we are witnessing efforts to resumea negotiated ‘peace' brokered by the United States. The alleged ‘peaceplan' picks up where the Oslo Accords left off. That project was successfully interrupted by second intifada, and itmust not be permitted to reemerge in the form of a series of separate and cagedPalestinian bantustans on 22 percent of historic Palestine.

Norshould we be silent while the U.S.and Israel exploit andexpand internal Palestinian divisions by supplying, training, and supervising PalestinianAuthority security forces to quell Palestinian resistance in the West Bank. As the US Palestinian Community Network notes,liberation struggles throughout the world have been subject to these sameimperialist tactics. And, like solidarity activists before us, our responsibilitylies in attempting stop history from repeating itself.

The work ahead is tohold our own governments accountable for their support and funding of Israeliapartheid and colonization, and to mobilize public opinion to achieve this goal. Tothis end, the increasingly successful BDS campaign is our most powerful tool.

Inour second year, IJAN hopes to continue its work with those committed to theliberation of the Palestinian people as part of the broader struggle againstracism, colonialism, and imperialism worldwide.

IJAN'sFirst Year of PalestineSolidarity Work

The InternationalJewish Anti-Zionist Network (IJAN) was founded to:

• Strengthen and broaden participation in the Palestine solidarity movement
• Shift the debate to address the colonial nature of the conflict and the discriminatory nature of the Israeli state
• De-center Zionism in Jewish histories, cultures, philosophies, spiritual practices, identities, political participation, and
• Participate in and support joint struggle against racism, xenophobia, class exploitation, colonialism and imperialism

After releasing itsfounding Charter on September 29, 2008, the International Jewish Anti-ZionistNetwork (IJAN) is now active in Argentina,Canada, England, France,Germany, Spain, Switzerland,and various cities in the UnitedStates. Over the last year IJAN has:

• participated in numerous local BDS efforts and supported the building of BDS campaigns in cities across Europe and the U.S. and in Canada
• participated in the shut downs of three Israeli consulates in North America
• participated in efforts to defend people and organizations falsely targeted as anti-Semitic for taking a stance on Palestine
• formed study groups and provided workshops that challenge and deconstruct people's relationships to Zionism
• had two petitions read in Canadian Parliament and one Early Day Motion introduced in the British Parliament
• co-sponsored the Israel Review Conference in Geneva, Switzerland-a conference reviewing demands from the 2001 Durban Conference against Racism for an end Israeli institutionalized racism and apartheid
• launched an international campaign against the Jewish National Fund (JNF) in partnership with the Palestinian BNC, Scottish Palestine Solidarity Committee, and Habitat International Coalition

Inthe year ahead we will continue to deepen our work in existing locations andour participation in BDS and the JNF campaign. We also hope to support thebuilding of chapters in new locations and to formalize partnerships with other Palestine solidarityorganizations and networks. IJAN will launch its student and labor organizingand continue to develop its study groups. In January, 2010, we will organize a"Never Again-For Anyone" tour across Europe and a US-Canada anti-Zionist Jewishconvening in conjunction with the US Social Forum taking place in June 2010.Over the course of the year we intend to partner on organizing a series offorums in Europe to contribute to the building of strong movements againstcurrent forms of xenophobia, racism and Islamophobia in solidarity with Palestine.