In January, a group of Jewish Santa Fe residents started a grass-roots organization, Another Jewish Voice of Santa Fe, in order to protest what they call Israel's inhumane treatment of the Palestinians.

On Sunday, the group will continue its efforts to educate the public about the hostile relationship between Palestine and Israel with the third in a series of lectures and discussions.

The speaker is Jimmy Johnson, a researcher for the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions in Israel. He plans to discuss "The Role of Housing Demolitions in Sustaining the Occupation." According to its Web site, ICAHD tries to counter demolitions by taking both legal action and exercising civil disobedience.

Jeffrey Haas, one of the founders of AJVSF, said, "I think that housing demolition is one thing that is being used to expand Israeli territory. All of these are efforts to scare or intimidate the Palestinians to leave. It's one of the most dramatic examples of what is going on in Palestine."

Haas is enthusiastic about the lecture and the implications of getting local residents involved and more aware of the situation. Condemning the United States' militaristic support of Israel, he said, is crucial in finding a peaceful solution.

Johnson co-authored an upcoming book on the subject of demolitions. He works for ICAHD in Jerusalem, researching and documenting human-rights violations and the Israeli arms industry.

According to a news release, housing demolitions are widely misunderstood in the United States. The demolition of houses in Palestine is being used, essentially, as a weapon of the Israeli government to counter Palestinian expansion, the release said.

Having a local Jewish community and organization that recognize some of the faults of Israel when dealing with Palestine, Haas said, demonstrates the growing outrage over human-rights violations, occupation of the West Bank and the Gaza blockade. AJVSF has around 100 members.

The founding of AJVSF has increased efforts to promote education and action over Palestinian and Israeli relations, Haas said. The lecture on Sunday will provide insight into the tense relations, the international concerns, and what the group calls the varied oppressive actions of Israel in Palestine.

Contact Julia Leitner at 986-3050 or jleitner@sfnewmexican.com.

IF YOU GO

What: Lecture by Jimmy Johnson, "The Role of Housing Demolitions in Sustaining the Occupation"

When: 7 p.m. Sunday

Where: Unitarian Universalistic Congregation of Santa Fe, 107 W. Barcelona Road

Cost: $10 suggested donation