The
United States is currently supporting the state of Israel to the tune
of over $3 billion per year, in addition to other loans, emergency
funding, and weapons sales. At a time when the entire world is grieving
over the more than 2,000 civilian deaths in Gaza, 500 children, injured
thousands, arrested thousands of political prisoners, horrifying
demolitions of Palestinian homes/hospitals/schools, and brand new
Israeli settlement units being littered across occupied Palestinian
territory. Many Americans are disgusted to find that the United States
could support such atrocities, but the recent massacres do not tell
enough of the daily injustice and humiliation that Palestinians feel due
to the 60+ year occupation of their homeland. Also important to mention
that America has its own sizable amount of issues that need attention,
long term commitment and funding from our elected leadership.
In
annual reports published by the United States Department of State, our
officials have repeatedly described a system which openly discriminates
against its Arab population in every facet of life for its society.
These are native Muslims and Christians who are not given a fair share
of life because of their ethnicity, and it is fully documented. Most
recently, Tariq Khdeir, a Palestinian American high school student was
attending the funeral of his recently murdered cousin Mohammed Khdeir,
when he was arrested, and brutally beaten by the Israeli police.
Mohammed just days earlier was burned to death by Israeli extremists,
but Tariq had two saving graces, first his beating was caught on camera,
secondly and perhaps more importantly, Tariq holds American
citizenship. It is unacceptable, the fact that America's biggest ally
can easily escape these atrocities, we are not only failing to condone
the behavior, but the US has reinforced it. The time has come for the US
to make its actions louder than its words, millions and millions of
Palestinian people have been suffering for far too long. Real US
leadership and commitment to justice will allow the Palestinian and
Israeli people to finally live together as equal human beings.
The
United States must: cease funding the state of Israel until it agrees
to a final peaceful and just settlement with the Palestinians; cease
providing weaponry of any kind until Israel's military assaults on
Palestinian populations are a thing of the distant past; cease providing
blind diplomatic cover at the United Nations and other bodies for the
state of Israel, and perhaps just as meaningful, the United states
should also commit to being a real partner in the solution for peace.
The US has never been a fair and objective partner in the "peace
process", it is time that real solutions are brought to the table that
genuinely regard Palestinians as human beings and partners entitled to
self determination, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Best,
Legal & Policy Director
Dream Defenders Inc.
(202) 812-3073
