Condemnation is Not Enough …. BOYCOTT, DIVESTMENT, SANCTIONS NOW!!!

NYC, July 31, 2006 

On July 30, 2006 Israel bombed a building where 100 civilians had taken shelter, massacring at least 58 Lebanese civilians, including 38 children, in the city of Qana.  Israeli missiles struck just after one in the middle of the night, leveling a three-story building where two extended families had taken refuge in the basement from heavy Israeli bombardment in the area.

France, Britain, Spain, the European Union, the United Nations and countries throughout the world condemned the Israeli attack on Qana.  Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora denounced the attack as a "war crime," demanding an immediate ceasefire in a conflict that has now killed more than 750 Lebanese people, more than half of which were children, and has left a trail of destruction across the country since July 13, 2006.  

This is not the first time Israeli attacks are condemned by the international community. On July 23, 2006 the United Nations relief coordinator Jan Egeland condemned the devastation caused by Israeli air strikes in Beirut describing it as 'horrific' and terming it 'a violation of humanitarian law’.  On May 8, 2002 the United Nations General Assembly condemned Israeli attacks on Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank.  From 1955 – 1992, 66 United Nations resolutions against Israel were passed.  

Israel’s response to these condemnations is quite simply to ignore them.  Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has already stated that despite the international condemnation of the massacre perpetrated by Israel in Qana “we will not stop the offensive”.  Not only has the US government provided Israel with the weapons, including illegal phosphorous and cluster bombs, with which it is now bombarding Lebanon, it has also provided virtually unlimited financial, military, political and diplomatic support to Israel.  Israel had been the largest recipient of U.S. foreign assistance for almost 30 years, and since 1985 has received about $3 billion in military and economic aid each year.  Your tax dollars pay for Israeli war crimes.

Condemnation is not enough.  Israel’s impunity for its crimes against humanity, its violations of international law, its attacks on Arab nations and its massacres of civilians must come to an end.  It is time for action. The only method of placing real pressure on Israel is through a concerted campaign of boycott, divestments and sanctions until Israel abides by international law, ends its occupation, stops its attacks on Lebanon, respects the rights of Palestinian refugees to return and respects the rights of Palestinians living inside Israel.   

As Americans we must demand that our tax-dollars stop being sent to Israel.  As individuals we must stop buying Israeli products.  As organizations, churches, unions, universities, we must divest money from companies that support Israel.  As a movement of people of conscience we must raise our voice and demand that our government upholds international law, humanity and morality by carrying out sanctions against Israel.