[WCUSP] My Opinion on US Aid to Palestine

[Barbara Taft]

Hi c.j.,

I, too, agree with what you have said here.  But it occurs to me that it
makes an assumption that the reader knows what is really happening in the
region.  I'm not saying you need to dumb it down, but only suggesting
that a little more exposition would possibly win over more readers.  The
paragraph that tells about the media and its lies could have been fortified
with examples of what is happening there.  Because our media isn't telling
the whole story, Americans need to hear it from us.  Summarizing what is
happening there is a start, but I believe we need to spell it out in some
detail.  Unless people are regularly reading and watching the alternative
press, they might not understand the meaning of "people going hungry" or
"their infrastructure destroyed".  There is much more impact with the use
of known statistics on the percentage of malnourished children in Gaza
and the fact that the power grid has been bombed and people are getting
by without electricity for refrigeration, running fans to cool their
homes, or even having light once the sun has set.  

I believe that people respond much better if they can visualize the hurt
others are suffering, and I also think we sometimes need to spell it out.
People, unfortunately, don't go looking for such details.

Otherwise, bravo for what you have written.

Barb T.


--- "C.J. Minster" <cjminster at gmail.com> wrote:


---------------------------------
  The New York Times Sunday paper had an editorial on Hamas and US aid toPalestine. In response, I
wrote the following blog post onhttp://www.socialupheaval.com. I'm sending this to you as a
reflectionof my personal opinion - it has not be edited by the US SectionCampaign, "Women
Challenge US Policy: Building Peace on Justice in theMiddle East" (WCUSP). While my anger spills
forth and might beunsettling to some, I hope we will continue to dialog with our sisterWILPFers
and others on this extremely important issue.

"Testing" a Democratically Elected Government
TheNYT wrote an editorial calling for Hamasto not only acknowledge Israel's right to exist, but to
act on it aswell in order to receive financial aid. In passing, they mention thatHamas was
democratically elected and that Israel is withholdingPalestinian tax revenue from their
government.

The US can use any litmus test it wants before giving aid to anothercountry. It is within the
USG's legal rights to cut off aid to one ofthefew truly democratically elected governments in the
Middle East becausesaid government doesn't bow down to the US or Israel. But it is illegalfor
another government to withhold a sovereign state's taxes. Andtherein lies the crux of the problem:
Palestine is not a sovereignstate because Israel continues to occupy it. 

Make no mistake about it - there is a crisis occurring in Gazaeveryday. And everyday that the
media does not show you the peoplegoing hungry, their infrastructure destroyed by the Israeli
military,their land occupied by the Israeli army, is another day that the medialies to you. 

I have no love for extremists, be they from Hamas or EvangelicalChristians. Both groups contain
peaceful, community-building factionsand both groups contain hateful, community-dividing factions.
But I'mnot going to call for a moratorium on evangelical Christians, and Ican't understand why it
is okay for the US to stop talking toPalestinians because they chose the party that promised to
rid theirland of corruption and nepotism and which has shown through their localleadership that
they can effectively bring food to the table.

The real issue here is racism wrapped in pro-Israel bias. Arabs andArab countries must prove their
loyalty to the US before we accept themas friendly, whereas Israel enjoys a "special relationship"
with thiscountry regardless of how racist and extremist its political leadershipgets. You don't
believe me? Take a look at Israeli Prime MinisterOlmert's "convergence plan:" He plans to give up
a few out-lyingIsraeli settlements in the West Bank; but also to expand the size ofthe largest
Israeli settlements; continuing to build his separationwall and continuing to expand the
Jewish-Israeli only highways andsettlements within the West Bank. 

How can we expect the Palestinians to give up their right to selfdefense when the Israeli
government continues to meet with them at thepoint of a gun or a lethal Caterpillar bulldozer? As
a Jewish American,I am appalled at all that is done in my name. I don't need Palestinians to
starve to death to make myself safe as a Jew. Idon't need Lebanesefamilies to die picking their
olive harvest in Lebanon from clusterbombs left by the Israeli armyto make myself safe as a Jew.
And I certainly don't need the USgovernment hypocritically cutting off aid to a
democratically-electedgovernment to feel safe as an American. 

See also: "USWomen Demand US Restore Aid to the Palestinian Authority," a pressrelease from
Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, USSection
for peace,
C.J. Minster 
WILPF US Program Chair
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