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Departments International Issues Speak up on the Palestine/Israel conflict by Bill Buckel in Journal issue January 16, 2002 News media editorials frequently call for an end to the violence in the Middle East and a return to the peace process by the Palestinians and Israelis. (The Palestinians call it the “piece” process—While the negotiators talk, the Israelis grab a piece of land here, a piece of land there, etc.) I think it is time the third player in this violent conflict, the U.S. Government, started acting responsibly. And, I believe that is not going to happen until individual American taxpayers begin to periodically—once every three months—write or call their elected officials in Washington. Anything less is a passive endorsement of the status quo. Following is my sample letter to the President, representative, and both senators: Dear...... Since 1967, the Israeli Army has been illegally occupying modern-day Palestine (Gaza Strip and West Bank, including East Jerusalem) and seizing Palestinians’ land-area at the rate of about three (3) square miles per month. This stolen land has been used to build Jewish settlements and a network of roads. The continuing confiscation of private property (homes, businesses, and farms) by the Government of Israel motivates the Palestinians to retaliate with violence. What else can they do? Land stealing is the driving force behind the present killing of hundreds and injuring of thousands of Palestinians and Israelis. Because the U.S. Government has, in effect, been rewarding Israel for its “ethnic cleansing” with a gift of over 3 billion dollars per year in economic aid, it is clear to me that U.S. aid to Israel is now doing much more harm than good. Accordingly, this taxpayer recommends the following steps toward a long-range solution. Step (1) Stop all economic aid to Israel until it has completely evacuated modern-day (1967) Palestine in compliance with United Nations Resolution 242. [As I have explained on my web site www.billbuckel.com, the Palestinians are powerless to negotiate a fair deal with the American-armed Israelis. Expecting the Palestinians to do so is no more rational than blaming the repressed Jews for the violence in the September 1943 Warsaw ghetto uprising because they did not negotiate a fair deal with the German Army.] Step (2) Explain to the people of Israel that we will be stopping all economic aid until their government has completely evacuated modern-day Palestine. And, make it clear that resumption of aid will be considered after Israel has worked out an agreement for reimbursing the individual Palestinians and the Government of Palestine for the damage it has caused in modern-day Palestine. Step (3) As the Israelis are repaying for the damage to modern-day Palestine, start helping the Palestinians establish an economically viable nation and a democratically controlled government. In closing—if you have a better idea, please let me know. Sincerely, Bill Buckel Ph. 614—488-8963 P.S. Two key documents on the internet are: http://www.meridian.org/sheikh.htm - The Sharm el-Sheikh Fact-Finding Committee (George Mitchell) report, April 30, 2001. http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2001/index.cfm?docid=6219 -Secretary of State Colin Powell’s speech titled “United States Position on Terrorists and Peace in the Middle East”, November 19, 2001. Email this article to a friend |
Don't forget to check out articles from 2007 and 2008
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"Argentina cries out for justice"
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"Speak up on the Palestine/Israel conflict "
January 16, 2002
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