December 8: KC group presses Sen. McCaskill's office on illegal Israeli settlements

Meeting prompted by news reports on settlements

Members of Citizens for Justice in the Middle East (CJME) met with Corey Dillon, regional director of Sen. Claire McCaskill's KC office, on Tuesday, December 8. The purpose of the meeting was to present stories about how settlements impact Palestinians within their territory and urge the legislator to actively support balanced resolution to the conflict.

Billi Jo shared her story about traveling to Israel and Palestine on a Global Exchange tour [see her full report from January 2009]. Billi Jo had a unique experience in the West Bank after she broke her leg early into the tour. She described the unexpected warmth and care she received during her stay in the hospital. Her story highlights the decency that Palestinians exhibit despite having their lives disrupted by frequent house demolitions and encroaching settlements.

Others in the group shared stories from their personal travels through the Palestinian territory, where they learned how settlements have been built on Palestinian land. These settlements and the roads leading to them prevent Palestinians from traveling to their farm land, schools, or work places. Corey Dillon indicated that Sen. McCaskill is “very sympathetic to what you've said,” yet had not received calls on the Palestinian-Israeli issue.

The group urged the Senator to seek a balanced, negotiated solution, which would enhance peace prospects in the region. By highlighting how settlements violate international law, CJME was able to underscore the need to remove settlements as an important issue in negotiations.

Jonne shared information about how the use of US-supplied weapons to Israel throughout the decades-long occupation and during the 22-day attacks on Gaza last year violate the US Arms Export Control Act (see below for details).

CJME encourages you to write to Senator McCaskill's office on this issue in two ways:

• Use the contact form on her web site – http://mccaskill.senate.gov/contact/
• Send a message directly to Sen. McCaskill's KC office – send to: corey_dillon@mccaskill.senate.gov

Excerpts from the US Arms Export Control Act (source: US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation)

• Arms Export Control Act (P.L.80-829): Weapons are limited to “internal security” and “legitimate self-defense” only.
• Foreign Assistance Act (P.L.97-195): “No assistance may be provided…to the government of any country which engages in a consistent pattern of gross violations of internationally recognized human rights.”
• “Leahy Law” (Foreign Ops Appropriations Act): No aid to “any unit of the security forces of a foreign country if the Secretary of State has credible evidence that such unit has committed gross violations of human rights.”