Barbara Lee No More Aid for Israeli Occupation

We are grateful for your leadership Barbara Lee, as you oppose US militarism, and your dedicated opposition to US empire-building that comes at the expense of peacemaking. You alone in the House of Representatives spoke for sanity when others were willing to cede all war-making powers to President Bush. You have spoken for restoring democracy for Haiti when few were willing to do so. You have never wavered in your opposition to the US war and occupation of Iraq.

We are proud to support you in this work. We now are asking you to do more, because the times we live in require that we all do more. We ask you to take leadership in opposing US funding of Israel's illegal, immoral occupation of Palestine. We believe you are up to the challenge.

Just this week we heard you speak (See Video) directly with Secretary of State Rice on the State Department's role in ensuring that Israel allows the passage of humanitarian goods into the Gaza Strip during the hearing of the House Appropriations Subcommittee. Humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip are deplorable and no human being should have to live under such deprivation. Your ongoing advocacy for the improvement of humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip is much appreciated.

Now we need you to take the next logical step. Israel's ongoing military occupation of the Gaza Strip and the illegal acts of collective punishment and deadly attacks to which it subjects the civilians of the Gaza Strip are sustained by US military aid. Israel is committing these human rights abuses with US weapons in direct violation of the US Arms Export Control and Foreign Assistance Acts.

President Bush has requested $2.55 billion in military aid for Israel for the next year, a proposed 9% increase in actual spending from 2007. This is the first proposed installment of a ten-year plan to increase US military aid to Israel by 25%, totaling $30 billion over the next decade.

Enough!

Will you instead commit to ending US support for Israel%u2019s illegal occupation, and support the cut-off of military aid to Israel as it continues its flagrant human rights abuses?

We know that US taxpayer's money would be better spent building homes in West Oakland, not sent to the Israeli military that destroys homes of Palestinians in the West Bank.  (Over 18,000 Palestinian homes have been destroyed by Israel since 1967).  We know these funds would be better used planting hope around the world, not uprooting Olive Trees in Palestine. (Over one million olive trees have been uprooted and destroyed by Israel since its creation in 1948, almost half of those trees during the past 7 years.)  We know that these funds would be better used helping people keep their homes here, not used to build illegal Israeli settlements that make the prospect of peace all the more remote, increasing the deadly and tragic spiral of violence. 

Congresswoman Lee, Speak for Us.  No More Aid for Occupation.