CFL ALERT: WARN YOUR REPRESENTATIVES ABOUT THE IMPENDING HUMANITARIAN
DISASTER IN THE PALESTINIAN OCCUPIED TERRITORIES
* In addition to the recent anti-Palestinian legislation in Congress, the Bush administration is now demanding that Palestinians return $50 Million in aid given to the Palestinian Authority last year. Take a moment to tell your representatives that cuts in aid to Palestinians will not punish Hamas, but instead only punish the Palestinian people, many of whom are young children.
Remind your representatives that last year the United Nations issued a report stating that Palestinians living in the occupied territories were facing a humanitarian catastrophe because of lack of food and the inability of the U.N. to travel freely within the territories and deliver food to families. The report also stated that 9 percent of Palestinian children under age 5 suffer from brain defects caused by malnutrition. Now, the U.S. wants to try to prevent the U.N. from delivering all food to Palestinians.
In response to the impending starvation of the Palestinian nation, the Israeli press reported today that the prime minister's advisor Dov Weissglas, who is also a frequent guest at the White House joked that the economic siege against Palestinians is like "…an appointment with a dietician. The Palestinians will get a lot thinner, but won't die." Israeli newspapers report that high level Israeli government and military officials who were in the room were "rolling with laughter."
Tell your representatives that you are outraged by the callous sanctions this administration wants to place against Palestinians and that you do not find starvation of innocent civilians to be a joking matter.
*Tell your representatives that you think the current hard line position that the U.S. is taking against Palestinians is counter productive, does absolutely nothing to promote democracy or freedom in the Middle East and will not bring about peace between Israelis and Palestinians. Tell your representatives that you think it is hypocritical for the U.S. to plan on spending millions of dollars to support "freedom" in Syria and Iran if the peoples of those countries need only look to the impending starvation of the Palestinian people by the U.S. as a result of their democratic elections.
Recently, senior State Department official Elizabeth Cheney said, "The United States stands firmly with courageous men and women struggling for their freedom across the Middle East, including in Syria ." Comments such as those are a slap in the face to the Palestinians who did heed the call for democracy by holding elections and are now paying a dear price for doing so.
*Tell your representatives that if they really want to prove to the Arab world that Americans are sincere about supporting freedom and human rights for the Arab world that they should begin by continuing aid to Palestinians to that children can continue to eat and go to school; and to pressure their closest allies in the region to end their barbaric occupation of Palestinian land.
EMAIL AND OR CALL THE WHITE HOUSE
WHITE HOUSE COMMENTS LINE: (1) 202-456-1111
WHITE HOUSE SWITCHBOARD: (1) 202-456-1414
WHITE HOUSE FAX: (1) 202-456-2461
Citizens for Fair Legislation: http://www.cflweb.org
Please also see:
'Palestinians Will Get a Lot Thinner'
http://www.palestinechronicle.com/story.php?sid=02200602748
UNRWA (the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East): http://www.un.org/unrwa
B’TSELEM: The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories; http://www.btselem.org
Physicians for Human Rights: http://www.phr.org.il/phr
Jewish Voice for Peace: http://www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org
International Solidarity Movement: http://www.palsolidarity.org
DISASTER IN THE PALESTINIAN OCCUPIED TERRITORIES
* In addition to the recent anti-Palestinian legislation in Congress, the Bush administration is now demanding that Palestinians return $50 Million in aid given to the Palestinian Authority last year. Take a moment to tell your representatives that cuts in aid to Palestinians will not punish Hamas, but instead only punish the Palestinian people, many of whom are young children.
Remind your representatives that last year the United Nations issued a report stating that Palestinians living in the occupied territories were facing a humanitarian catastrophe because of lack of food and the inability of the U.N. to travel freely within the territories and deliver food to families. The report also stated that 9 percent of Palestinian children under age 5 suffer from brain defects caused by malnutrition. Now, the U.S. wants to try to prevent the U.N. from delivering all food to Palestinians.
In response to the impending starvation of the Palestinian nation, the Israeli press reported today that the prime minister's advisor Dov Weissglas, who is also a frequent guest at the White House joked that the economic siege against Palestinians is like "…an appointment with a dietician. The Palestinians will get a lot thinner, but won't die." Israeli newspapers report that high level Israeli government and military officials who were in the room were "rolling with laughter."
Tell your representatives that you are outraged by the callous sanctions this administration wants to place against Palestinians and that you do not find starvation of innocent civilians to be a joking matter.
*Tell your representatives that you think the current hard line position that the U.S. is taking against Palestinians is counter productive, does absolutely nothing to promote democracy or freedom in the Middle East and will not bring about peace between Israelis and Palestinians. Tell your representatives that you think it is hypocritical for the U.S. to plan on spending millions of dollars to support "freedom" in Syria and Iran if the peoples of those countries need only look to the impending starvation of the Palestinian people by the U.S. as a result of their democratic elections.
Recently, senior State Department official Elizabeth Cheney said, "The United States stands firmly with courageous men and women struggling for their freedom across the Middle East, including in Syria ." Comments such as those are a slap in the face to the Palestinians who did heed the call for democracy by holding elections and are now paying a dear price for doing so.
*Tell your representatives that if they really want to prove to the Arab world that Americans are sincere about supporting freedom and human rights for the Arab world that they should begin by continuing aid to Palestinians to that children can continue to eat and go to school; and to pressure their closest allies in the region to end their barbaric occupation of Palestinian land.
EMAIL AND OR CALL THE WHITE HOUSE
WHITE HOUSE COMMENTS LINE: (1) 202-456-1111
WHITE HOUSE SWITCHBOARD: (1) 202-456-1414
WHITE HOUSE FAX: (1) 202-456-2461
Citizens for Fair Legislation: http://www.cflweb.org
Please also see:
'Palestinians Will Get a Lot Thinner'
http://www.palestinechronicle.com/story.php?sid=02200602748
UNRWA (the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East): http://www.un.org/unrwa
B’TSELEM: The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories; http://www.btselem.org
Physicians for Human Rights: http://www.phr.org.il/phr
Jewish Voice for Peace: http://www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org
International Solidarity Movement: http://www.palsolidarity.org