The news that Israel's ruling conservative Likud party voted on May 12th to reject the creation of a Palestinian state, over the objections of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, was seen as another major obstacle to restarting Middle East peace negotiations and a slap in the face of President Bush, who has explicitly supported the establishment of such a state. Although the vote by Likud's small central committee was part of the domestic political struggle between Sharon and his rival Benjamin Netanyahu - the vote is likely to fuel support for militant Palestinian groups who advocate continued armed struggle.

While escalating Middle East violence has dampened hope for peace, groups here in the U.S. and around the world are engaging in new and creative actions advocating for a just settlement to the conflict. In early April, a Jewish woman living in Connecticut, horrified by the war Israel was waging in the Palestinian territories, helped organize a group of activists who walked from New Haven to New York City in a personal appeal for peace with justice in the region. Debbie Elkin and half a dozen others, mostly Jews, began their walk at the Holocaust Memorial in New Haven by saying Kaddish, the Jewish prayer for the dead, and singing a peace song in Hebrew. Over five days, they walked the 77 miles to Manhattan, ending with visits to the United Nations and the Israeli consulate.

Between The Lines' Melinda Tuhus spoke with Elkin about her experiences on the "Walk to End the Occupation," how her group was received in New York and the actions she and others hope to take in support of a just settlement of the decades old Middle East conflict.

The Jewish Alliance for Justice and Peace can be contacted by calling (510) 848-8796 or visit their Web site at: www.brittzedek.org