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KC Native Joe
Carr Working for Peace in the West Bank
October 19 - Do Something...
Today the children went a middle
way, escorted by the Israeli Army, and a group of Israeli settlers through
rocks at the them. Luckily, the children were able to escape unharmed, no
thanks to the soldiers who did little to nothing to stop the settlers.
How, you might ask, can you sitting in the US, do something to stop Israeli
settlers from throwing rocks at children and beating internationals with
impunity? How can you keep Israel from destroying the ancient and beautiful
village of Twani? How can you help end the brutal Israeli Occupation and
bring peace to Palestinians and Israelis living in the Holy land? There are
several ways.
First of all, you should know that it is your tax money that built that
settlement near Twani; your tax money pays for its expansion and the
displacement of Palestinian natives; and your tax money pays for the
military to protect settlers and oppress the Palestinians. The US Congress
gives Israel over four billion dollars a year in foreign aid. Half for
economic aid, and half for military aid, and Israel can use both for
settlements as they consider them a civilian and military operation.
Congress gives Israel another eight to nine billion in loans, with which
Israel can do with what it likes. The four billion alone is significantly
more than we give to any other nation, including the entire continent of
Africa, and Israel is the fourteenth richest country in the world. This is
more money than we give to any US State.
Given Israel’s awful human rights record and relative economic abundance,
this excessive aid is an outrage. The only reason it is still happening is
because citizens and constituents aren’t complaining about it. This is where
you come in. Call your representative and senators, and tell them to make
aid to Israel conditional on human rights standards and at the very least a
halt in settlement construction and expansion. At the very least, you can
ask them for information. “Why are Israeli settlers throwing rocks at
children and beating Americans with impunity?” “Why do we give so much money
to a country that consistently breaks international law and is in violation
of over 60 Security Council resolutions?” Your voice is powerful, and the
more times you call, the more letters you write, the more questions you ask,
and the more you get others in your district to do so, the more power you
have.
Here are some tips on lobbying your legislatures. They always have a local
office in their district, which is likely not far from your home. They have
aids that work there, who have boring jobs and get little attention from the
public, but have a strong influence on the representative as they bring them
the voice of their constituents. Establish a relationship with one of these
aids. Call them, introduce yourself, remember their name, tell them about
your relationship to me and what I’m doing, and what you would like them to
do. Let them know that you will be calling again when there is legislation
on the floor that relates to this issue. Just kind of find out where they
stand, and let them know where you stand. Ask them questions! This
relationship will be useful for other causes you might want to lobby about
in the future.
Your representative will make frequent visits to this local office, and you
can set up an appointment with them. I don’t recommend meeting too much with
the actual representative, as they are the mouthpiece of the political unit,
their aids are the ears. Aids will listen carefully, take notes, and are
often educated (or sometimes mis-educated) on the issues. Your
representative will likely dominate the conversation and try and convince
you how great they are.
You can find contact info for your legislatures at
http://www.congress.gov . just type in
your zip code.
Another thing you can do is contact your local media. Write a letter to the
editor with tid-bits from my emails, or call and ask why they don’t cover
important events like Israeli settlers beating up Americans with impunity,
or entire villages being destroyed by the Israeli military. Especially call
or write and complain about an article that mis-portrays the conflict (as
most do). Always feel free to write me if you need any help writing a letter
to the editor.
Another important thing you can do…..fundraise. CPT receives 80% of its
funding from individuals like you. We could not do this work without money,
so anything you can spare is always welcome. You can donate online at
www.cpt.org , or mail a check to CPT, PO
Box 6508, Chicago IL, 60608. If you would like to help organize a
fundraising event in your area, I will be available to speak and perform at
locations in the Midwest from mid-January to mid-February (and possibly
longer) and anywhere else in the US starting in May or so. Talk to your
churches about a special collection, or any other creative ideas.
Caring is the first step, and I know you all are already with me there, and
I thank you for this energy. Never underestimate the power of love,
thoughts, and prayers, for this is truly what keeps us going. The more
people thinking about us and the Palestinians the better, so spread the
word.
Much love, solidarity, and action
- Joe
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