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CJME Alert #26
Stop Israel's Attack on Gaza and Lebanon! 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, 47th & 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 1. Citizens for Justice in the Middle East 2. Muslim American Society Freedom Foundation 3. KC Labor Against the War 4. Evan Leonard, Manhattan, Kansas 5. Matt Quinn, Lee's Summit, Missouri 6. James C. Mitchell, Manhattan, Kansas 7. Amy Damashek, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 8. Ann Miller, Kansas City, Missouri 9. George A. McCall, Overland Park, Kansas 10. Kristine Cheatum, Kansas City, Missouri 11. Kansas Mutual Aid, Lawrence, Kansas 12. John Exdell, Manhattan, Kansas 13. Colette Brodersen & Bill Pusateri, Iowa City, Iowa 14. Zulfiqar & Shaista Malik, Overland Park, Kansas 15. Barbara Baumgartner, Kansas City, Kansas 16. Ayman Hassan, Olathe, Kansas 17. Najia Safi, Kansas City, Missouri 18. Andrea Whitmore, Fairway, Kansas 19. Lori, Devin & Celeste Morgan, Kansas City, Missouri 20. Janet Baker, Leawood, Kansas 21. Harriet Smith, Kansas City, Missouri 22. Pamela Smith 23. Joe & Diane Jones, Pleasanton, Kansas 24. Jim Kenney, Mission, Kansas 25. Jonne Long, Kansas City, Missouri 26. Veronica A. Hertel, Mundelein, Illinois 27. Maria Whittaker, Kansas City, Kansas 28. Kathleen Jaros, Kansas City, Missouri 29. Willie Cork, Bradenton, Florida 30. Joe Carr, Lawrence, Kansas 31. Cindy Ross 32. Rev. Sarah Schofield Wimberley, Independence, Missouri 33. Peter Stauffacher, Kansas City, Missouri 34. Daniel Moler, Overland Park, Kansas 35. Nancy Horn, Watsontown, Pennsylvania 36. Nancy Broeder 37. Diane Waddell, St. Joseph, Missouri 38. Robert E. Cork, Bradenton, Florida 39. Holy Family Catholic Worker House, Kansas City, Missouri 40. Marty McAdams, Kansas City, Missouri 41. Diane Kuhn 42. Brian Sparks, Lee' s Summit, Missouri 43. Kathy Keary 44. Rosemarie Woods, Kansas City, Missouri 45. Hedy Epstein, St. Louis Women in Black, St. Louis, Missouri 46. Jill DeWitt, Kansas City, Missouri 47. Brad Grabs, Shalom Catholic Worker House, Kansas City, Kansas 48. Carol Poore, Lafayette, Colorado 49. Marty Kraft 50. Jaime Banyalmarjeh, Kansas City, Missouri 51. Dena White 52. Jeff Hon, Kansas City, Missouri 53. Scott Kennedy, Resource Center for Nonviolence, Santa Cruz, California 54. Carol Huhs, Kansas City, Missouri 55. Terry Bunker, 63rd Street Patriots, Kansas City, Missouri 56. Pamela Skaldeman, Kansas City, Missouri 57. Debbie Wallin, Unity Temple Peacemakers, Kansas City, Missouri 58. Anne Pritchett, Overland Park, Kansas 59. Anne Haehl, Lawrence, Kansas 60. Elizabeth Smith, Kansas City, Missouri 61. Matthew M. Cobb, Manhattan Alliance for Peace & Justice, Manhattan, Kansas 62. Roena Haynie, Kansas City, Missouri 63. Barbara A. Cordts, Olathe, Kansas 64. Philip Kauffman, Overland Park, Kansas 65. David Avila 66. Will, Campus Greens, Kansas City, Missouri 67. Shirley & Charles Rickett, Kansas City, Missouri 68. Cheri Black, Philadelphia, Penn. 69. Vera Ellwood, Merriam, Kansas 70. Fadi Banyalmarjeh, Kansas City, Missouri 71. Scarlett Swall, Lee's Summit, Missouri 72. Billi Jo Larmore 73. Kathleen Kennedy 74. Burritt S. Lacy, Jr., Manhattan, Kansas 75. Jim Galindo, London, UK 76. Haley Pollack, Madison, Wisconsin 77. Rita Humphrey, Kansas City, Missouri 78. Kansas City Iraq Task Force 79. Patricia Lawson 80. Ellen Walker, Kansas City, Missouri 81. Debra Walker, Overland Park, Kansas 82. Andrea Martineau, Mission, Kansas 83. Glenn Dale, Olathe, Kansas 84. Dr. Carl F. Selnes (MSgt Ret.), Walla Walla, Washington 85. Nancy Tally, Lenexa, Kansas 86. Kristie Avery, St. Ann, Missouri 87. Amanda Oren, Fairport, NY 88. Jessica Farmer, Kansas City, Missouri 89. Nancy Risk, Austin, Texas 90. Molly Vieg, Fairway, Kansas 91. Elisabeth Carrell, Oakland, California 92. L.J. Fisher, Fairport, New York 93. Bill Fleming, Arlington, Texas 94. Mark Horany, Olney, Texas 95. Z.Habibi, Kansas City, Kansas 96. Lindsey Walker, Kansas City, Missouri 97. James Lecluyse, Kansas City, Missouri 98. Vania M. Tseng 99. Jamie Metzler, Kansas City, Missouri 100. Karen Turney, Overland Park, Kansas 101. Charlotte Cunningham 102. -- 103. James Hasselle, Lawrence, Kansas 104. Caryn Davis 105. Norma Oren, Greenwood, Missouri 106. Anne Cowan, Manhattan, Kansas 107. Liz Frederick, Westlake, California 108. Judy Bukowski, Overland Park, Kansas 109. Edie Grafing 110. Mike Connors, N. Clarendon, Vermont 111. Sally De Latron, Debary, Florida 112. Kyle De Wolf, Ft. Stewart, Georgia 113. Zeba Habibi, Kansas City, Missouri 114. Nicole English, Kansas City, Missouri 115. Carolyn J. Kouri, Wichita Falls, Texas 116. Julia Waldrop, Lago Vista, Texas 117. Dick Phalen, Parkville, Missouri 118. Dwayne & Nena Ellis, Martinez, California 119. Judy Bukowski, Overland Park, Kansas 120. Richard Basham, Kansas City, Missouri 121. Philip Kauffman, Overland Park, Kansas 122. Debbie Gordon, Wichita, Kansas 123. Lyman Baker, Manhattan, Kansas 124. Katia Silva, Mission, Kansas 125. Ahmad Farzi, Minneapolis, Minnesota 126. Kaitlyn, Wichita Falls, Texas 127. 128. 129. 130. 131. 132. 133. 134. 135. 136. 137. 138. 139. 140.
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| News Reports on the large rally in Kansas City
on Sunday, July 23 400-500 attended rally in the Plaza - Kansas City Star KC groups protest conflictBy STEVE EVERLYThe Kansas City StarA large crowd near the Country Club Plaza Sunday chanted, carried signs and listened to speeches calling for American Muslims to stand with Palestinians and Lebanese in the Mideast conflict. Some demanded an immediate cease-fire and criticized the U.S. for not doing more to stop the conflict. Many blamed Israel for the deaths of too many civilians and children. “If they want to fight Hezbollah, then go ahead, but leave the children alone,” said Jaafar Fahda of Kansas City, who said her daughter recently left Lebanon and is now in Paris. Matt Quinn, past president of Citizens for Justice in the Middle East, said in a speech that a cease-fire is needed. He said the U.S. needs to stop giving Israel a green light to continue the conflict. The hourlong event was held at the J.C. Nichols Fountain and sponsored by several groups, including the Islamic Society of Greater Kansas City, Citizens for Justice in the Middle East and the KC Iraq Task Force. Handouts at the protest said that American Muslins had been silent for too long and it was time for them to stand in solidarity with Palestinians, the people of Lebanon and the region. Cars honked as protestors held signs. Among them was Youssef Elashmawi, who carried a sign that said “450+ Dead Civilians.” “It’s hard for me to stay home and do nothing,” he said as the chants — including “1-2-3-4, We don’t want Israeli war” — continued. To reach Steve Everly, call (816) 234-4455 or send e-mail to severly@kcstar.com.
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