NEW YORK, July 20 (JTA) Some Jewish activists are bringing a bit of summer camp and optimism to Camp David.
Banners line the sides of the World Labour Zionist Movement’s “sukkat shalom,” which they hope will convey their support to Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak for a peace agreement at the tense Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.
The sukkah, supported by four poles staked in the ground, stands an estimated 10 feet high, and holds 30 to 40 people, said Michael Landsberg, secretary-general of the organization. A blue tarp rests over the top.
One banner asks Barak to bring peace for future generations.
“We want to carry a message,” Landsberg said, “that Barak is not alone, and also carry to Barak a message that people are willing to put time and money, to stop working, to come here to support what he’s trying to do.” A stream of curious bystanders have come to inspect the structure, said Landsberg, including a group of drummers.
Participants, including representatives from the movement’s youth division, Habonim-Dror, “sang songs of peace” in the Maryland woods.
It is a scene that evokes summer campfires, but at Camp David a lot more is at stake.
