Obama Misses Opportunity for Accountability on Aid to Israel
Washington, DC - The US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation,
a national coalition of more than 280 organizations working to change
U.S. policy toward Israel/Palestine to support human rights,
international law, and equality, today criticized the Obama
Administration for including $2.775 billion in unconditioned military
aid to Israel in its FY2010 budget request.
According to Josh Ruebner, National Advocacy Director of the US
Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation, "President Obama missed an
opportunity today to demonstrate his professed commitment to budgetary
accountability and human rights by proposing $2.775 billion in military
aid to Israel in his FY2010 budget request. During the Bush
Administration, Israel killed more than 3,000 Palestinian civilians,
including nearly 1,200 non-combatants during its December-January war
on the Gaza Strip, often using U.S. weapons in violation of the Arms
Export Control Act. From an economic, legal, and moral perspective, we
cannot continue to give Israel a blank check with which to commit human
rights abuses against Palestinians."
Earlier this year, the US Campaign organized an open letter, entitled
"President Obama: We Need a Change in Israel/Palestine Policy," calling
on the Obama Administration to cut off military aid to Israel. More
than 500 organizations endorsed this letter and tens of thousands of
individuals sent the President letters and postcards with the same
demand. The open letter originally appeared as a full-page ad in the
inaugural edition of Congressional Quarterly and can be viewed by
clicking here.
In February, the US Campaign held a Capitol Hill policy briefing
examining the effects of U.S. weapons transfers to Israel on
Palestinian civilians during the Bush Administration. A video and
PowerPoint presentation of the briefing and research findings can be
viewed by clicking here.
The US Campaign has been leading a national effort to challenge
military aid to Israel since August 2007, when the United States and
Israel signed a Memorandum of Understanding to increase military aid to
$30 billion over the next decade. Since that time, more than 1,200
people in more than 600 cities in 48 states have signed up to organize
to challenge military aid in their communities. For a Google map of
the organizers, click here.
The US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation is a national coalition
of more than 280 organizations working to change to U.S. policy toward
Israel/Palestine to support human rights, international law, and
equality. For more information about the US Campaign, please click here.