Read the Resolution
A Resolution Calling Upon the U.S. Federal Government to End Military Aid to Israel, Funded through the State Department Foreign Operations Budget, and Redirect that Money to Community Needs in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Whereas, It is in the national interest of the United States to encourage a just and lasting resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, thereby promoting peace in the entire Middle East;
Whereas, There is international consensus that the territories captured by Israel in 1967 are Occupied Territories;
Whereas, International Law states that an occupying power may not transfer its population into the occupied land, yet Israel has settled over 500,000 of its citizens in the Occupied Territories;
Whereas, It has always been the policy of the United States to classify such settlements as illegal, yet weapons transferred to Israel at U.S. taxpayers expense play a vital role in enabling Israel to maintain its occupation;
Whereas, Such use of U.S. aid is in apparent violation of the United States Arms Export Control and Foreign Assistance Acts;
Whereas, The United States and Israel signed a Memorandum of Understanding in August 2007 for the United States to provide Israel with $30 billion in additional weapons between 2009 and 2018;
Whereas, It is estimated that the residents of Milwaukee, Wisconsin will contribute more than $77 million of their federal taxes to finance the purchase of these weapons for Israel from 2009 to 2018;
Whereas, With this same amount of tax dollars, the federal government could provide, per year, 935 families in Milwaukee with affordable housing vouchers; or retrain 1,279 unemployed workers in Milwaukee to enter the green jobs economy; or teach early reading skills to 2,278 Milwaukee school children; or provide basic health care to 62,381 Milwaukee residents; *
Whereas, The right of all humans to lives of dignity and safety is far too urgent for us to take the easier route of silence;
Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Common Council of Milwaukee, Wisconsin:
(1) Calls upon the United States federal government to end military aid to Israel until it abides by international law;
(2) Calls upon the United States federal government to redirect the money that Milwaukee residents contribute in weapons to Israel to unmet community needs in the City of Milwaukee;
(3) Will send a copy of this resolution to the appropriate Representative and Senators, and to the Secretary of State and the President of the United States.
* According to the FY2010 Department Of Labor Budget In Brief
