End Israeli Aggression Against Lebanon and Palestine NOW
Israeli attacks and occupation continue!
Astoria, Queens, August 26, 2006
We, the members of the Ad-Hoc Coalition for Justice in the Middle East, a coalition of individuals and organizations of conscience, will not be silent. As witnesses to the continuing gross violations of human rights and international law perpetrated by our own military in Iraq and the U.S-backed Israeli aggression against the people of Palestine and Lebanon, we raise our voices in united opposition to these atrocities. We believe it is our obligation and the obligation of all Americans, endowed as we are with our freedoms, to demand change when our government flagrantly pursues unjust, racist, inhumane, oppressive, and destructive policies. To remain silent in the face of such injustices is complicit and immoral.
Therefore, be it known that we will not be silent as we witness:
· The Israeli war machine continue to commit what Amnesty International has termed "crimes against humanity" and "war crimes." These include "unlawful killings, torture, extensive and wanton destruction of property, obstruction of medical assistance and targeting of medical personnel." Over 1,181 innocent Lebanese civilians, including over 360 children under 12 years old were killed since the Israeli attacks on Lebanon on July 13, 2006 (1). Additionally, 4,171 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank and Gaza since September 2000 (2). Of this number, 763 Palestinian children have been killed (3), many by Israel sharp-shooters.
· Our government taxes us and grants Israel over $2.5 billion annually (4) providing it with the financial, political and material means to commit the above noted crimes against humanity.
· Israel, fully supported and protected by the United States' political might, continues its flagrant disregard and violation of over 70 UN Resolutions, the Fourth Geneva Convention and the International Court of Justice 2004 advisory ruling about the illegal Apartheid Wall.
The ethnic cleansing, apartheid segregation and expulsion of the Palestinian and Lebanese people from their homelands.· The detention of 9,400 political prisoners (5), including over a hundred women and 330 children(6), many without charges and without their right to due process, while Israel ravages all of Lebanon and Palestine to recapture 3 of its soldiers. The gross and inhumane treatment and killing of innocent Iraqi civilians under the guise of bringing democracy to the 'new Middle East.'
We raise our voices to demand that all people of the Middle East have the right to live in peace through the implementation of the following:
· The end of all occupation in Palestine, the Sheba Farms of Lebanon, the Golan Heights of Syria and all of Iraq.
· The immediate return of all Palestinian and Lebanese refugees to their homes including reparation for destruction wrought upon their homelands.
· The immediate release of all Arab political prisoners held illegally in Israeli jails;
· The end to all policies of apartheid and ethnic cleansing;
· The end to all forms of collective punishment;
· We call for an end to US military and financial aid to Israel until it complies with the above demands which are all upheld by international law and principles of morality and justice.
Until the above demands are met, the preconditions of true justice for the people of Palestine, Lebanon and the rest of the Middle East will never be established. Until such time, we will not be silent. We will not become complicit in the atrocities committed by the United States and Israel.
1. www.aljazeera.com/me.asp?service_ID=12333
2. www.palestinercs.org/crisistables/table_of_figures.htm
3. www.americanfreepress.net/html/israel_s_other_war
4. www.wrmea.com/archives/Jan_Feb_2001/0101015.html
5. www.imemc.org/content/view/18860/116/
6. www.palestinemonitor.org/nueva_web/infos_materials/reports stats on prisoners.htm
Ad-Hoc Coalition for Justice in the Middle East: JusticeME@gmail.com.
To receive announcement of upcoming actions JusticeME-subscribe@googlegroups.com.