The Issue:

On June 5-11, join with the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation and United for Peace and Justice in a national week of action to demand that our government end its military, economic, and diplomatic support for Israel’s illegal military occupation of the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem.

Citizens for Justice in the Middle East (CJME) has signed the petition below as an organization, but you can click on the link and sign as an individual, as some of us already have. Please read this message and consider signing. It's easy, and it will help a just cause.

Israel’s illegal military occupation of these Palestinian lands began during the June 1967 Israeli-Arab War and has continued to this day. Now 37 years old, Israel’s military occupation is currently the second longest-running military occupation in the world. Only China’s occupation of Tibet has lasted longer. But in the case of Palestine, our government provides Israel the military, economic, and diplomatic support that it needs to sustain its military occupation, deny the Palestinian people the right to self-determination and prevent the establishment of a just peace between Israelis and Palestinians.


Background:

For more information about Israel’s illegal occupation, its violations of international law, and the role of the United States in supporting them, please see
> "Ending the Occupation: It’s the Law" -- http://endtheoccupation.org/downloads/fact_sheet_2.pdf 
> "Dual Occupations: If It’s Wrong in Palestine, Why is the U.S. Doing it in Iraq?" -- http://endtheoccupation.org/downloads/dual_occupations.pdf
 

What You Can Do:

1. Sign a petition demanding that the United States government end its military, economic, and diplomatic support for Israel’s illegal military occupation. The US Campaign will deliver the petition to Members of Congress on June 7. (The US Campaign is coordinating educational outreach efforts to Members of Congress in 135 Congressional districts across the country. If you live in a district in which we have a coordinator, we will pass your contact information on to that person so that together we can generate more grassroots pressure to change U.S. policy.)

June 2004 marks the 37th anniversary of Israel’s military occupation of the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem. This military occupation-- currently the second-longest running occupation in the world behind China's occupation of Tibet--denies the Palestinian people the right to self-determination and prevents the establishment of a just peace between Israelis and Palestinians whereby both peoples can live in freedom, dignity, and security.

To read and sign the petition, please see: http://endtheoccupation.org/petition.php?pid=2

More than 180 U.S. organizations, including KC-based CJME, from 33 states and 2,400 individuals have endorsed the petition to date (petition text and organizational endorsements are below).


2. Write a letter to the editor or opinion article for your local newspaper demanding that the United States end its support for Israel’s illegal military occupation of Palestinian lands.

Kansas City Star -- E-mail: letters@kcstar.com / Phone: (816) 234-4636 / Fax: (816) 234-4926 / Address: 1729 Grand Blvd, Kansas City, MO 64108-1458

Pitch Weekly -- E-mail: feedback@pitch.com / Phone: (816) 561-6061 / Fax: (816) 756-0502 / Address: 1701 Main St Kansas City, MO 64108

Independence Examiner -- E-mail: dbrendel@examiner.net / Phone: (816) 254-8600 / Fax: (816) 254-0211 / Address: 410 S Liberty St, Independence, MO 64050

Lee's Summit Journal -- E-mail: editor@lsjournal.com / Phone: (816) 524-2345 / Fax: (816) 524-5136 / Address: 415 SE Douglas St Lee's Summit, MO 64063

Olathe Daily News -- E-mail: odn@olathedailynews.com / Phone: (913) 764-2211 Fax: (913) 764-3672 / Address: 514 S Kansas Ave Olathe, KS 66061

3. Send an email to info@cjme.org and let us know that you attended the speech or wrote to the KC Star on this issue.