Rabbi Arnold Saltzman
Jewish Community Relations Council, Board Member
Rabbi, Sha’are Shalom, Waldorf, Maryland
We want to thank our neighbors and friends who have been joining us in this vigil for Alan Gross, and take the opportunity of wishing them a joyous holiday season, especially the Rev. Dr. E. Gail Anderson Holness who has been with us here all year.
If you have attended every Vigil you have demonstrated about 50 hours in front of the Cuban Interests Section at the Embassy of Switzerland. If you include travel it might have been as much as 100 or 150 hours. Contrast this with 26,500 hours of incarceration for Alan Gross for a minor infraction of Cuban law. Alan Gross has been sentenced to 125,000 hours in prison, fifteen years of his life for something which harmed no one and certainly did not harm the Cuban Government or the Cuban People.
Recently the United Nations ‘Committee on Illegal Detentions’ ruled that Alan Gross is being held against the rules of international law, and that Cuba violated his ‘human rights.’
The United States Senate has demanded his immediate release.
Cuba reacted angrily to the UN’s decision.
Many news organizations reported increased support for the freeing of Alan Gross who has been a prisoner in Cuba for three years.
We are not just asking for Cuba to release him on humanitarian grounds. We are here to demand that he be released immediately since he has been arrested, detained, and tried in Cuba for what the United Nations committee termed an arbitrary detention. Cuba needs to release Alan Gross immediately.
Alan Gross’ arrest, detention, and trial were against the norms of international law.
In arrest Alan Gross, Cuba has done something which has benefited no one. It has violated Alan’s rights and sent the message that anyone can be arrested in Cuba arbitrarily. This hurts Cuba, and the prospects of improved relations with the United States and other countries. Who will send visitors to Cuba? Who will send businessmen, extended family, or tourists, if Cuba can arrest them arbitrarily?
Furthermore, Cuba has been wrong in trying to equate the arrest of an American with Cubans convicted in the United States. This is a separate issue.
The family of Alan Gross, is trying to cope with a terrible ordeal and we are here to tell them not to give up. Each holiday of brings pain and worry for Alan’s well-being, for the future, for his health. We bring our prayer that Alan be released and returned home, soon.
It is a terrible nightmare when the world stops to appreciate the goodness of life at this time of the holidays, and to know that a loved one is being held in a Cuban Prison Hospital. Alan Gross cannot spend any holiday with his family and friends, and the joy of the moment eludes those who seek Alan’s release. Yet, we remain hopeful.
The Cuban government believes that Alan was a threat to Cuba, while Alan and those who know him think this is a laughable accusation. Alan’s arrest is a world issue for illegal detentions.
Alan Gross harmed no one by his actions nor would he. His intention was to improve connection to the internet for the Jewish Community.
There are good reasons people need the best communication, yet, the Castro government sees this as a threat to its control, even though no threat was made or proven.
Alan Gross needs our support and help. If he had a choice for the medical care of the Mayo Clinic would he have flown to Cuba for Medical treatments?
Alan is in our prayers, along with his wife Judy, sister-in-law Gwen Zuares, his mother and his daughters. We pray for his safety and for his safe return.
Cuba has never recognized Israel, Cuba has always voted against Israel in the United Nations. We believe that his being Jewish is an issue for Cuba, otherwise why did they not release him along with 2900 other prisoners last year when the Pope visited Cuba? Why hold the Jewish prisoner when so many others were freed?
Alan has been made a scapegoat for all that is wrong the the Cuban-US equation. Freeing Alan Gross would open the gateway to a better future, to talks, and to changing the hostile relationship of the past 50 years.
Cuba is known for the image of crumbling buildings in Havana. Neglect of decades affecting the image of Cuba can only be changed by beginning with the release of Alan Gross, a good man, who has been made to suffer, for a minor infraction of Cuban Law.
We ask for his release, and return to his family, and to begin a new day in US -Cuban relations.
We ask for a new light in these days of brief winter light, the light represented by the release of Alan Gross, a Jewish man who we will not forget or let go of, an American, a humanitarian, and a great example of a mensch, a good person, helping the Jewish people of Cuba, helping Cubans, helping people around the globe.
Holding him is a bad strategy. Cuba made a mistake in arresting Alan Gross and now refuses to admit it. The beginning of a new day in Cuban American relations begins when Alan Gross is set free. Cuba should recognize that the world is watching and that it cannot detain or arrest people without a genuine violation of law. Alan went to Cuba to help Cubans. Putting him in prison is no way to thank him!
The United Nations has given Cuba what it needs to let him go. They made a mistake, and even by Cuban law 3 years for bringing in cell phone equipment is a harsh punishment and fifteen years is devastating! All of this is illegal according the the United Nations.
We ask the Cuban government to approach our government and to begin the resolution of this matter. Free Alan Gross!