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Even while some of us are enjoying a holiday weekend
and a time of thanksgiving,
we can be mindful - and remind government leaders -
of those living under occupation & blockade.
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SEE TWO ACTIONS IN THIS ALERT:
One is for those with a U.S. address. The other, for all of us worldwide.
ACTION #1: CONTACT THE U.S. SENATE As the U.S. Congress continues working on expenditures for 2022, which we know will include sizable military spending, the NDAA (National Defense Authorization Act) is the subject of huge debate in the Senate right now. This is an opportune moment to prioritize a more humane foreign policy. Right after the Thanksgiving holiday weekend is over, the NDAA debate heats up. If the U.S. is ever to hold Israel accountable for its daily and egregious human rights violations, it will begin with authoritative reporting by the U.S. government on those violations, reports that we can demand our legislators acknowledge and act upon. Sen. Bernie Sanders has proposed an amendment to the NDAA that will require reports on the humanitarian impact of Israel's 14-year siege on Gaza, with its severe restrictions on movement, access to food and medicine and medical acre, and much more.
See the letter - signed by UMKR and over 70 organizations - endorsing Sanders' amendment to the NDAA and sent to every Senate office. |
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ACTION #2: CONTACT PRESIDENT BIDEN In October, despite U.S. objections, Israel moved forward with plans to hugely expand their illegal West Bank settlements with thousands of new living units.
Joe Biden has made clear that he believes human rights, equality and democracy should be guiding values in U.S. foreign policy. And he has demonstrated some willingness to act on those values, holding up arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates over their involvement in the Yemen civil war. It is time for President Biden to apply those values to Israel and speak out personally against Israel's rampant settlement expansion. The United States certainly has the leverage to hold Israel accountable for its human rights violations through colonization: evicting families from their homes of generations, confiscating and destroying farmland, demolishing Palestinian homes, schools, hospitals and entire communities. Considering the vast military aid and political protection it gives Israel, the U.S. has the moral obligation to use its influence to try to curb Israeli crimes that it is enabling. |
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