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Letter to Senator Carl Levin | |||
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January 21, 2003
Dear Senator Levin,
Tri-City Action for Peace is a rapidly growing peace organization from Saginaw, Midland, and Bay City. We are supported by most of the progressive churches in the area and we have started building alliances with the Arab, African American, and Latino communities.
Those of us in Michigan who strive for a world of peace have been very proud to tell everyone we see that both of our senators voted against the resolution authorizing preemptive military action against Iraq. Many people across the nation are lobbying their congressional representatives today as a last-ditch effort to avoid war against Iraq; we believe from your statements and voting record that you are willing to let UN weapons inspectors do their job in Iraq in the six months they have requested to do it. We hope that the moral evil which war imposes on Iraqi civilians for which you would be accountable as part of our government also compels you to stand against war with Iraq.
Since you seem to have the right mindset about this issue, we ask now that you step forward publicly against the war effort. We ask you and your staff to write an op ed piece and post it with every major newspaper in the state of Michigan explaining your position on the Iraqi war and the importance of honoring international diplomatic processes. Stepping forward in this way will not only be the right thing to do; it will be politically prudent. Your party suffered the consequences of political cowardice on the war issue last November. It is Democrats like you who take courageous stands that could win back the passionate, justice-seeking people who have left your ranks and might be of great help next election season. We ask that you answer whether you will or will not proceed with this op ed piece by the end of the week. We will call your office to inquire on Friday.
On a related note, we wished to raise our concern with you about the hypocrisy our government faces before the United Nations with regard to its unquestioning support for Israel. As a supporter of international diplomacy, it must alarm you that Israel has violated 65 UN resolutions (as contrasted with Iraq's violation of 16). We understand that Israel has upped its request for annual financial aid to over $10 billion. There are so many reasons not to grant this increase, but if you do, you must do so with serious binding stipulations.
One of the most criminal chapters of the history of this continent was the ethnic cleansing of Native Americans by European colonists. Native Americans responded with physical brutality to these injustices, the reports of which were used to justify the removal of the "savages." Our history textbooks now recognize the injustice done to Native Americans. Why can we not ask Israel whose state budget our government subsidizes so heavily to act unconditionally according to the dictates of justice towards the Palestinian people?
If Israel puts a stop to arbitrary housing demolitions, prolonged detentions without trial, and colonization outside the pre-1967 boundary, among all the other actions that violate UN resolutions, the Geneva convention, and fundamental principles of democracy, it will not only be acting courageously for justice but it will start to undermine the power of terrorist organizations by removing the injustice they exploit to win tragically misguided recruits. If Israel allows Palestinian youth something to live for, they will no longer only have something to die for.
Tri-City Action for Peace bemoans the tragedy of Israeli and Palestinian loss for life. We do not "take any sides" other than the side of nonviolence promoted by Gush Shalom, the International Solidarity Movement, and other Israelis and Palestinians who work together to stop the brutality of Israeli Defense Forces and to channel Palestinian political expression into nonviolent action. As US taxpayers, we do not want our tax money poured like gasoline on the fire in Israel and Palestine. We have expectations of our government and of all the governments to whom you give our money.
We consider it racially prejudiced to claim that the terrorism of some Palestinians represents the will of all Palestinians. We consider it politically cynical to predicate justice for Palestine upon the ability of any Palestinian leader to control the suicide bombers. Israel must act unilaterally for justice and the United States must condition any financial aid for Israel upon its compliance with the rulings of the United Nations.
People of Jewish ethnicity have a powerfully courageous role to play in this difficult struggle for justice. They are already among the vanguard of those who demand justice for Palestine. If you take a proactive stance for justice for the Palestinian people, you will join this vanguard and enable the support of your colleagues who fear being labeled anti-Semitic. In the words of one of the most beautiful Hannukah prayers ever written: "God, when we work to make your world whole again, you let miracles happen." We believe that working for unconditional justice will always bear fruit.
Please respond to Tri-City Action for Peace in writing explaining what you plan to do to make sure that beneficiaries of our tax money like Israel comply with democracy, human rights, and international law. Be sure to explain specifically whether you think the United Nations has the same jurisdiction over Israel that it does over Iraq and how the United States can honor this international diplomacy in its conditions for financial aid to Israel.
Thank you for taking the time to read our concerns. As we have stated, we are very proud to have you as our senator. You may contact us at any time by postal service at 1537 S. Washington Ave, Saginaw, MI, 48601, by phone at 989-758-0096, or by email at tcap@mutualaid.org.
Sincerely, The Tri-City Action for Peace January 21st Lobby Delegation
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