OPM_72-73.qxp_Other Peoples Mail 5/19/22 11:01 AM Page 72
Other People’s Mail
TELL YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS WHAT YOU THINK PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS 1600 PENNSYLVANIA AVE. NW WASHINGTON, DC 20500 COMMENT LINE: (202) 456-1111 WWW.WHITEHOUSE.GOV/CONTACT
Compiled by Dale Sprusansky
ANOTHER REASON TO QUESTION U.S. AID TO ISRAEL To The Mercury News, May 18, 2022 Veteran Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was assassinated while covering a recent Israeli raid on the refugee camp of Jenin. She was wearing body armor and a helmet clearly marked “press.” People on the scene blamed an Israeli sniper for her death. Reporters are unwelcomed at these “skirmishes” because they expose the systematic brutality unleashed on the Palestinians who are struggling for their freedom. Albert Einstein warned us about this in his Dec. 4, 1948, letter to the New York Times. We have ignored his warnings and instead financially support Israel as it violates Palestinian human rights and thumbs its nose at international law. U.S. taxpayers give Israel over $10 million a day. It is high time we evaluate our special relationship with Israel. After all, the Palestinians are fighting for their sovereignty just like the Ukrainians. Forrest Cioppa, Walnut Creek, CA
BLINKEN’S HOLLOW WORDS To The Gainesville Sun, April 13, 2022 On April 8, Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated, “Americans are, once again, grieving with the Israeli people in the wake of another deadly terrorist attack.” The U.S. is closely following developments, he continued, and is in contact “with our Israeli partners, with whom we stand resolutely in the face of senseless terrorism and violence.” The U.S. ambassador to Israel stated that he was, “horrified to see another cowardly terror attack on innocent civilians.” Senseless terrorism and violence? Cow72
ANY MEMBER: U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES WASHINGTON, DC 20515 (202) 225-3121
ardly terrorist attacks? Deaths of innocent lives? Since Sept. 29, 2000, thousands of Palestinian children have been killed by Israelis and 139 Israeli children have been killed by Palestinians, and more than 10,000 adult Palestinians have been killed by Israel compared to a little over 1,000 Israeli adults killed by Palestinians. Israel is stealing Palestinian land by continuing to build illegal (per the U.N. and international community) settlements in the West Bank. Israel continues to force Palestinians living in Jerusalem out of the homes they’ve had for generations. And the U.S. gives Israel over $10 million a day for their military, and Palestine has no military. Secretary Blinken, where’s the outrage and horror over Palestinian lives and their loss of sovereignty? Oh, but then again Palestine isn’t our “partner.” Pam Meyers, Cedar Key, FL
FUNDING ISRAEL WHILE SANCTIONING RUSSIA To The Salt Lake Tribune, March 20, 2022 As we watch, horrified by the violence in Ukraine, I hope we realize that what Ukrainians are suffering today, Palestinians have been suffering for 74 years. Unlike Ukrainians, Palestinians do not have the luxury of taking refuge. Palestinians living in Gaza are sealed in—Israel will not let them out. And in the State of Israel, in occupied East Jerusalem and in the occupied West Bank, Israel has a history of sealing out Palestinians who have fled to avoid war and violence. They are not allowed to return to their homes! Yet, recently our Congress approved billions in military aid to Ukraine and in the same bill quietly slipped another $4.8 billion in military aid to Israel. I suggest those readers who care watch and share
WASHINGTON REPORT ON MIDDLE EAST AFFAIRS
SECRETARY OF STATE ANTONY BLINKEN U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE 2201 C ST. NW WASHINGTON, DC 20520 PHONE: (202) 647-6575 VISIT WWW.STATE.GOV TO E-MAIL ANY SENATOR: U.S. SENATE WASHINGTON, DC 20510 (202) 224-3121
Amnesty International’s new 14-minute YouTube tutorial on Israel’s system of apartheid. Amnesty’s study finding Israel guilty of apartheid is not the first legal study to draw that conclusion. The first was completed by the Human Sciences Research Council of South Africa in 2009. Nor is it the second. The second was the Russell War Crimes Tribunal Hearings on Palestine held in South Africa, 2010. The third was completed by a United Nations committee. (Our country demanded it be withdrawn.) B’Tselem, an Israeli human rights organization, Human Rights Watch and Adalah came to the same conclusion. And now we have another study, this time from Amnesty International, the largest and most well recognized human rights organization in the world! Will we listen and stop funding these crimes? Isn’t there something a bit ludicrous about fussing when Russia does it and funding when Israel does it? Frances ReMillard, Kamas, UT
UKRAINE SHOULD BE A GLOBAL CALL FOR JUSTICE To the Midland Daily News, April 1, 2022 I traveled on a delegation to Palestine/Israel in 2017 with Eyewitness Palestine. Israel is illegally occupying Palestine, causing the biggest refugee crisis in the world, yet the United States does not sanction Israel. On the contrary, the United States sends military aid to Israel. How would Americans feel if, instead of sanctioning Russia for its actions in Ukraine, the U.S. were to offer military aid to Russia? Americans would be rightly outraged. Americans who uphold democracy around the world should be outraged at what Russia is doing in Ukraine. But it is JUNE/JULY 2022
