University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Archives Department.

Students for Peace and Justice in the Middle East (Milwaukee, Wis.).

Records, 1969-1973.

UWM Manuscript Collection 4

1.8 cubic ft. (4 boxes)

ABSTRACT: Most of the collection is background materials, especially published literature, concerning Israel and Palestine, compiled by Joseph McCarty, a former officer of the SPJME, a UWM student organization. The only material dealing exclusively with the organization is a scrapbook containing a constitution, correspondence, flyers, letters, and memorabilia. The collection also contains audio reel recordings of a December 6, 1970 edition of a Milwaukee radio talk show, Milwaukee Talkie, hosted by Bob Schuster with guest Uri Davis, an Israeli pacifist and war resister.

ACCESS RESTRICTION: There are no access restrictions on the materials, and the collection is open to all members of the public in accordance with state law. However, the researcher assumes full responsibility for conforming with the laws of libel, privacy, and copyright which may be involved in the use of this collection (Wisconsin Statutes 19.21-19.39).

SCOPE AND CONTENT: Most of the collection is background materials, especially published literature, concerning Israel and Palestine, compiled by Joseph McCarty, a former officer of the SPJME on the UWM campus. The background materials consists of journals, newsclippings, newspapers, and pamphlets.

The collection includes Action, a newspaper dedicated to the liberation of Palestine (1970-1971). Pamphlets from the Jewish Alternative to Zionism include Problems of American Policy Makers in the Middle East and Peace in the Middle East. The reports of the American Jewish Alternatives to Zionism (1969-71) consist of articles, editorials, and organization news. Discussion guides put out by the American Zionist Youth Foundation provided background for the issues involved. The eight issues of the Arab Women's Information Committee's The Facts (1969-1971) examined the problems in Palestine. The stated purpose of The Facts was to be a factual sheet, to present facts with no analysis or description. There are three issues of the Fifth of June Society (1969-1970) which discussed peace in Palestine; and two issues of Interplay (1970-1971), a magazine of international affairs. Two issues of Israel and Palestine (1972) described the Arab point of view. Two issues of Lillit (1971) discussed Israeli society, politics, and current affairs. The are seven issues of Middle East News Review (1972-1973) which provided news about the Middle East; and four issues of the newspaper News and Letters (1971-1972) discussed events from around the world. Twelve issues of the newspaper Socialist Tribune (1970, 1972) examined socialist issues.

Three papers from the Jewish Liberation Project (1970-1971) described the meaning behind their movement. The Jewish Peace Fellowship provided information on being a conscientious objector and how to achieve peace in the Middle East. There is one folder of photographs of Palestinian refugees.

The collection also includes a file on the Arab Youth Club (1971-1972) which includes membership lists and the club's newsletters containing poems, songs, and news of future events.

A scrapbook of the Students for Peace and Justice in the Middle East contains the constitution of the SPJME, a manuscript history written by McCarty, letters written to and by the SPJME, copies of flyers advertising events, and memorabilia.

There are four audio reel tapes of a December 6, 1970 radio broadcast from WOKY's Milwaukee Talkie, hosted by Bob Schuster, with guest Uri Davis. Davis was an Israeli pacifist who launched the Deir al-Asad campaign which protested the appropriation of 1,600 acres of land from Arab villages. He helped organize demonstrations in Israel on behalf of Arab civil and national rights, and was a member of the Israeli branch of War Resisters International.

ADMINISTRATIVE HISTORY: Joseph McCarty and Martha (Marta) Abraham founded the SPJME in the summer of 1970. The SPJME's constitution stated:

We, the Students for Peace and Justice in the Middle East, affirming the principles found in the International Declaration of Human Rights and the ideals of peaceful negotiation, international conciliation, the imperative need for eliminating militarism and war, and the establishment of international order based upon justice and equity among peoples, form ourselves as an organization in order to apply the above principles to the social and political problems of the Middle East, believing them to be of grave consequences to the international community as well as the peoples of the Middle East.

The organization never received much support, and ceased operations in 1973.

COLLECTION CITATION: This collection should be cited as:

Students for Peace and Justice in the Middle East (Milwaukee, Wis.). Records, 1969-1973. UWM Manuscript Collection 4. University Archives. Golda Meir Library. University of Wisconsin--Milwaukee.

ACQUISITION: Joseph McCarty, a former officer of the organization, donated the collection to the Golda Meir Library in 1978.

PROCESSING: Shawn Carlson processed the collection in February 1992 at the Milwaukee Urban Archives. The published literature, which makes up the bulk of the collection, was retained because of its rarity.

MARC RECORD SEARCH TERMS: The following terms were used in the online bibliographic MARC record to this collection:

College students--Wisconsin--Milwaukee--Attitudes.
Jewish-Arab relations--1967-1973--Public opinion.
Public opinion--Wisconsin--Milwaukee.
Universities and colleges--Wisconsin--Milwaukee--Societies, etc.
University of Wisconsin--Milwaukee--History--Sources.

UWM MANUSCRIPT COLLECTION 4	BOX	FOLDER
Action, 1970-1971	1	1
American-Jewish Alternatives to Zionism, 1968-1971	1	2
American-Jewish Alternatives to Zionism, Reports, 1969-1971	1	3
American Zionist Youth Foundation, Pro & Con, 1968-1970	1	4
American Zionist Youth Foundation, Zionism, 1968	1	5
Arab Literature, General, 1969	1	6
Arab World, 1970	1	7
Arab Youth Club, 1971-1972	1	8
Davis, Uri, Milwaukee Talkie, 1970 [Audio reels (ź in.) 1-4]	3
The Facts, 1969-1971	1	9
Fifth of June Society, 1969-1970	1	10
Interplay, 1970-1971	1	11
Israel and Palestine, 1972	2	1
Israeli Publications, General, 1970	2	2
Jewish Liberation Project, 1970-1971	2	3
Jewish Literature, General, 1971-1972	2	4
Jewish Peace Fellowship, Reprints, 1970-1971	2	5
Lillit, 1971	2	6
Middle East, Literature, General, 1967-1971	2	7
The Middle East News Review, 1972-1973	2	8
Miscellaneous Newspaper Clippings, 1969-1972	2	9
News and Letters, 1971-1972	2	10
Palestine Refugees, Photographs, 1968	2	11
Scrapbook, 1969-1973 [volume 1]	4
Socialist Tribune, 1970-1972	2	12