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Thursday, June 30, 2005
No US Funding for Israel’s Illegal Wall
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No US Funding for Israel’s Illegal Wall
Washington Wednesday Action Alert
START DATE: Wednesday, July 6
END DATE: To be determined
BACKGROUND
On July 9, 2004, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued an advisory opinion that the Wall Israel is building in the occupied Palestinian West Bank is illegal and must be torn down. The ICJ also ruled that countries can not provide aid or assistance to Israel to maintain the Wall. One year after this historic ruling, not only has Israel refused to implement the ICJ opinion, but the United States remains in non-compliance with it as well.
TAKE ACTION
Contact the State Department, White House, and Members of Congress and demand that the United States comply with the ICJ opinion and stop providing Israel with aid to maintain the Wall.
TALKING POINTS
* The International Court of Justice ruled that states cannot "render aid or assistance in maintaining the situation created" by Israel’s construction of an illegal Wall in the occupied Palestinian West Bank. (Paragraph 163D: source: http://www.icj-cij.org/icjwww/icjhome.htm)
* In the $82 billion supplemental war request passed by Congress and signed into
law by President Bush in May 2005, Congress appropriated $200 million "for programs, activities, and efforts to support Palestinians" with $50 million of it going “for assistance for Israel to help ease the movement of Palestinian people and goods in and out of Israel” (source: http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=109_cong_bills&docid=f:h1268enr.txt.pdf)
* The Israeli Foreign Ministry has announced plans to build high-tech terminals to
solidify its grasp on the occupied Palestinian West Bank under the guise of easing the movement of Palestinian peoples and goods. The Foreign Ministry affirmed that the terminals, funded with $50 million from the United States, will be at "crossing points along the revised route of the security fence." The Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz reported that Israel plans to build 34 of these terminals into the Wall (sources: http://www.mfa.gov.il/... and http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/591686.html)
* The $50 million that the United States is providing to Israel to build these terminals is illegal and in violation of the ICJ opinion that states cannot provide aid or assistance to Israel to maintain the Wall. The United States purports to advance "the rule of law" globally; it should start doing so by complying with the ICJ decision on the illegality of the Wall Israel is constructing in the occupied Palestinian West Bank.
* Congress has already passed legislation limiting Israel’s use of US assistance "only to support activities in the geographic areas which were subject to the administration of the Government of Israel before June 5, 1967" (Public Law No. 108-11: Emergency Wartime Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2003) Congress and the Executive Branch must act now to ensure that this $50 million of US aid to Israel is not used in the occupied Palestinian West Bank to maintain Israel’s illegal Wall there.
ABOUT "WASHINGTON WEDNESDAY"
The "Washington Wednesday" is a joint effort of a coalition of Washington-based organizations that coordinate efforts the first Wednesday of each month to bring attention to resolutions affecting the situation in the Middle East currently being considered by Congress and to educate congressional representatives about the situation. Coalition members include: American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee; Fellowship of Reconciliation; Council for the National Interest; Partners for Peace; US Campaign to End the Occupation (including over 120 associated organizations)
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To make a tax-deductible contribution to the Council for the National Interest Foundation click here:
https://secure.groundspring.org/dn/index.php?aid=2836
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Council for the National Interest Foundation
1250 4th Street SW, Suite WG-1
Washington, District of Columbia 20024
http://www.cnionline.org/
http://www.rescuemideastpolicy.com/
posted by Somebody @ 9:43 PM Permanent Link
 
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