Stop Israel's Attack on Gaza and Lebanon!
Call for Immediate Ceasefire in Gaza, Lebanon and Israel

Click to ENDORSE THIS STATEMENT | Read News Reports of July 23 "Rally for Justice in Palestine and Lebanon"

July 21, 2006 -- Growing numbers of concerned Kansas City area residents call for an immediate end to the hostilities in Lebanon, Gaza, and Israel. (See endorser list below). We urge our government to represent the best interests of U.S. citizens by acting as an honest broker in the conflict.

The July 13 United States veto of a UN resolution clearly signaled to the Israel military to “turn back Lebanon’s clock 20 years,” as Israeli Chief of Staff Dan Halutz indicated to Israeli TV. [1]

We deplore the destruction and loss of life and the disproportionate use of massive and indiscriminate force by Israel.  We deny that the lives of one nation are more valuable than those of another, and we mourn especially the deaths of children.  The death toll to date is over 600 Lebanese civilians, including many children; 157 Palestinians, mostly civilians; and 51 Israelis, including 19 civilians.

With human-rights organizations around the world, we condemn the Israeli destruction of power plants, electrical grids, airports, bridges and roads, civilian housing and other buildings too numerous to mention in both Lebanon and Gaza. The Geneva Conventions requires the protection of civilians; we therefore agree with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Judge Louise Arbour, that war crimes be investigated.

As the French Foreign Minister, Philippe Douste-Blazy, described it, Hezbollah's seizure of the soldiers and firing rockets into northern Israel were "irresponsible acts"; Israel's bombing of the Beirut international airport was "a disproportionate act of war."

Israel's military offensive in Lebanon comes while Israel continues a separate siege of the Gaza Strip. Three weeks of Israeli air strikes and attacks have killed more than 150 Palestinians, stripped most of Gaza's 1.4 million residents of access to electricity and water, and plunged them into further deplorable living conditions.  

Just as U.S. citizens desire the protection of International Law, we ask our government to insist that all parties be bound by it and that International borders—whether of Lebanon, Palestine, or Israel—be recognized and respected.

The endorsers of this statement urgently call on the Bush administration and Congress to:

§        Pressure Israel to immediately cease its military operations in both Lebanon and the Gaza Strip;

§        Work with international partners to broker an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in Lebanon, Palestine, and Israel;

§        Commence negotiations to peacefully resolve outstanding disputes, including the release of prisoners held on all sides, an end to Israel's 39-year-old occupation of Palestinian lands, and implementation of U.N. resolutions on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

For a cease-fire and negotiations to have a chance, the United States’ unconditional, one-sided backing of Israel's actions must end.

TAKE ACTION: Hold the Bush Administration to account for its backing of Israel's killing of civilians and destruction of civilian infrastructure in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon.

1. Join the "Rally for Justice in the Middle East" in Kansas City for Sunday, July 23 at 5:30 p.m. at the JC Nichols Fountain, Mill Creek Park, 47^th & Main Street, Kansas City, Missouri.

- Download the event flyer - http://www.cjme.org/flyers/flyer-RallyforJustice.pdf

2. Pressure the Bush Administration and Congress:

- Call the White House (202-456-1111), the U.S. State Department (202-647-4000), and the Congressional switchboard (202-224-3121), which will connect you to your Congressmembers' offices, to demand that the U.S. take immediate action. Organize delegations of peace advocates to Congressional offices. We need to end the U.S. war policy in Iraq and in the Middle East.

3. Send a letter to the editor of the Kansas City Star:

People in the KC area need to hear from you. Your neighbors are probably as appalled by this as you are, and they need to see your words in print so they know they are not alone.  Send your letter to letters@kcstar.com  or leave a comment for Voices in the Kansas City Star, call (816) 234-4493. Letters must be 150 words or less.

Suggested Talking Points:

"Israel has been demolishing the civilian infrastructure in Gaza and Lebanon, targeting power plants, commercial airports and bridges. While Hezbollah violated international law by attacking Israel and then firing missiles at Israeli cities, there are vast differences in the scope and scale of these actions. As the French Foreign Minister described it, Hezbollah's seizure of the soldiers and firing rockets into northern Israel were 'irresponsible acts'; Israel's bombing of the Beirut international airport was 'a disproportionate act of war.' It is an act of collective punishment of the Lebanese population -- a grave violation of international law. That is unacceptable and an even greater crime."

4. Get the facts and spread the word:

- For more information on the Lebanon-Israel conflict - http://hrw.org/campaigns/israel_lebanon/

- For more information from the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights – http://www.pchrgaza.org/

- For more information from B’Tselem, the Israeli Information Centre for Human Rights – http://www.btselem.org/English/

[1] The United Nations “proposal also demanded that Palestinian militants release the Israeli soldier abducted June 25 in a raid in Israel and stop launching rockets at Israel from Gaza. In addition, it called on Israel to release Palestinian government officials and lawmakers it took into custody after the soldier's abduction.” CNN, July 13, 2006, http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/07/13/mideast.response/index.html

News Reports on the large rally in Kansas City on Sunday, July 23

400-500 attended rally in the Plaza - Kansas City Star