Yet another Guest Celebrity Vigiller has taken a stand against the continuing silence of the mainstream Jewish Community of Ann Arbor. Jerry Levin was Cable News Network (CNN) Middle East Bureau Chief based in Beirut Lebanon in 1984 when he was kidnapped by extremists and became the first of the so-called forgotten American hostages. He was able to escape eleven and a half months later due to the efforts of his wife Sis and Muslim, Jewish, and Christian friends at home and in the Middle East. Both Jerry and Sis were in Southeast Michigan this past week delivering their reports from the Christian Peacemakers Team in Hebron (Jerry), and from their home in Bethlehem (Sis).

It was certainly a pleasure meeting this couple, and quite a shot in the arm for Jewish Witnesses for Peace and Friends, to have Jerry recognize the efforts of our group with his presence. He and Sis are tireless workers, and have devoted their lives to bringing peace in Palestine. She teaches teachers how to teach Peace "Systemically", and Jerry confronts Israeli Settlers and Soldiers on a daily basis, as both heavily armed groups work relentlessly to "cleanse" the area of indigenous Palestinians. He paints a gloomy picture on the ground, but his heart is huge, and his spirit infectious. We have asked Jerry to put his thoughts together about his experience with us this weekend, and look forward to receiving his remarks, which we will publish at a later date.

Jerry was joined by newcomer Hamid D. from Detroit who overheard our invitation to Jerry at their Dearborn presentation Wednesday evening. Welcome! These two pushed Saturday's total to 14 activists, who are perceived as a minority, but in fact join the majority of the world in holding Israel accountable for its violations against the Palestinian people. Two new signs bear witness to last month's decisions by the International World Court (14-1) and the U.N. General Assembly (150-6) condemning Israel's construction of an apartheid Wall built entirely on Palestinian Land. JWP&F appear to be in good company.

Our intrepid Boycott Guru is between vacation stops, and provides us with this report from yesterday's protest outside Hiller's Market in Ann Arbor.

Work for Peace,

Henry Herskovitz

BIG BREAKTHROUGH AT HILLER'S

tODAY, sUNDAY, A big burly manager at Hiller's spoke to Henry and Blaine and offered our group $20,000 to call off our protest. The offer is under advisement. (1)

In one hour, 2310 vehicles passed the spot where some of us position ourselves, heading west on Washtenaw, at the 2 potholes, either continuing west or turning into Arborland.

If Ann Arbor has 100,000 persons and each has one vehicles, everyone in the city will see our signs in 43 Sundays. That assumes no vehicle travels past that spot more than once on Sundays from 2 to 3 pm, and that every vehicle will pass that spot once in 43 Sundays. The zeroth order approximation of the probability of this scenario is 0.0000000000041. Still we do reach quite a number of people.

Same place, same time next week. I'll be gone from Aug. 15 to 26 so, unfortunately, I'll miss the next 2 sundays.

(1) Just kidding about the offer