Tell Condoleezza: No Justice, No Peace!
The US administration is currently laying the groundwork for the resumption of peace negotiations between Israel and Palestine, scheduled to take place in November or December. In preparation, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is visiting the region this week.
The Women Challenge US Policy: Building Peace on Justice in the Middle East (WCUSP) Campaign of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, US Section (WILPF US) calls upon WILPF members and supporters to contact the State Department, the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, and the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. Tell the US administration and elected leaders not to support Israel's use of collective punishment against the people of Gaza.
Background Information:
The Israeli declaration that Gaza is an enemy entity has already caused, and will continue to cause, a humanitarian crisis. The declaration and actions are counter to calls for a comprehensive peace in the region. This move is intended to prevent the ongoing peace process from including the 1.5 million Palestinian inhabitants of Gaza.
This action constitutes collective punishment of the 1.5 million Gaza residents, and is in contravention of the Geneva Accords, and other international documents, which prohibit acts of collective punishment of a civilian population under occupation.
The population of Gaza is already suffering under daily restrictions to the flow of electricity and the accessibility of potable water, medicine, foods, and even the seeds necessary to cultivate their own food crops. Israel now threatens to further cut electricity and water.
Hospitals and their patients, which rely on an electrical grid to supply power to life-saving equipment such as kidney dialysis machines, X-ray and MRI machines, and various sanitizing equipment, suffer greatly from this siege. A steady flow of clean water is needed to maintain a sterile environment.
The most vulnerable within Palestinian society in the Gaza Strip will suffer the most under such a debilitating regime: women, children, the elderly, and the ill.
The US government should to work toward the full implementation of all relevant United Nations resolutions, in particular General Assembly Resolution 194 and Security Council Resolutions 242, 252, and 338. These resolutions call for Israel to withdraw to its pre-1967 borders, for the right of return of Palestinians and for Jerusalem to be a shared capital.
It is necessary for a cease-fire to be negotiated, not coerced, in order for it to be effective. A negotiated cease-fire between those in control of Gaza (Hamas) and the State of Israel is the only solution that will achieve the goals of peace and security, as well as adequate access to essential services that all parties require.
The closure of border crossings between Israel and the Gaza Strip, as well as between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, has made the small, overcrowded area into a prison for its inhabitants, a certain formula to create and nurture unrest. For the safety of both the Palestinians and their Israeli neighbors, the siege must also be lifted.
US brokered peace negotiations will not be successful until the US ceases the use of the military as its lead actor. Ending the violence in occupied territories and creating a civilian economic infrastructure requires that the people of the region are free from detrimental outside pressure, including the US-controlled IMF and World Bank.
Building this peace requires equal involvement of women in every aspect of conflict and post-conflict negotiations. A feminist, gender-conscious perspective is needed to effectively end violence and create a culture of peace. We therefore demand the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1325 in the Middle East.
Please write or telephone your Congressional delegation, Senators, the U.S. Department of State, and the U.S. President and ask them to request through diplomatic channels that the Israeli government re-think its strategy and show that it truly wants a comprehensive peace with all of the Palestinians. Imposing a grueling regimen on 1.5 million residents of Gaza, contrary to international law, is only going to increase the level of anger and resentment, which would seem to be counter-productive.
Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20520
Or go to http://contact-us.state.gov and click the “Email a Question/Comment” tab
House Committee on Foreign Affairs
Tom Lantos, Chairman
2170 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-5021
Or go to http://foreignaffairs.house.gov and see if your Congressperson is a member of this committee. If so, email her/him directly.
Senate Committee on Foreign Relations
Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510-6225
Majority Phone: (202) 224-4651
Minority Phone: (202) 224-6797
Or go to http://foreign.senate.gov and see if your Senator is a member of this committee. If so, email her/him directly.
