The Video Petition Project is a visual testimony of North Americans voicing their opposition to the Israeli Occupation. Despite their large and growing numbers, these voices are significantly underrepresented by the mainstream North American media. They are comprised of Jews and non-Jews alike whose sincere, thoughtful, and eloquent speech cannot be dismissed as self-loathing or anti-Semitic simply due to their criticism of the Israeli government and its policies. Some participants present their own statements and others use one or another among a variety of statements prepared by AER and imbue these with their own sincerity. Our ultimate goal is to present the project at schools, community organizations, art venues, museums, public access television, radio, and internet sites, and also to public officials and leaders, thus helping to further aid the acknowledgement and rightful consideration of this growing movement. The 80-min video premiered in September 2002 at the Piece Process exhibit at Chicago's ARC gallery and was recently (April/May 2003) on display at the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art as part of the exhibit War (What Is It Good For?).

       Artist Emergency Response (AER) is a Chicago-based collective of artists and activists - including many Jews and Palestinians - working for a peaceful solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We seek a just and lasting peace through the minimal, general framework of the implementation of the Palestinian people's right to self-determination, an end to the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, a just solution to the status of Jerusalem, and a just solution to the Palestinian refugee crisis. We strongly condemn the escalating violence against civilians on both sides of the conflict and demand that the United States end its economic, military, and political support of Israel until the illegal occupation ends. We are dedicated to fostering dialogue between communities and combating anti-Arab, anti-Muslim, anti-Palestinian, and anti-Jewish rhetoric and violence.
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