July 29, 2006
Voices for Creative Nonviolence calls for an immediate end to all forms of hostilities in Israel, Lebanon, Gaza and the West Bank. Voices calls for the release of Israeli soldiers held by Hezbollah and Hamas and for the release of Palestinians unjustly held in Israel’s prisons and detention centers. Voices calls upon the U.S. government, as the key ally of Israel, to act to end Israel’s military attack upon Lebanon and Gaza.
As stated clearly by the United Nations, attacks upon civilians—whether by Hezbollah or by Israel—are war crimes. As the main benefactor and ally of Israel, the U.S. is complicit in the war crimes being committed by Israel. The death toll continues to climb each day—well over 300 Lebanese are dead, over a 100 Palestinians, and over 30 Israelis are dead. Tens of thousands have been forced to flee their homes for (hoped for) safety.
As the international community slowly finds its voice to oppose Israel’s military attacks against Lebanon and Hezbollah, and begins its work towards a ceasefire, the U.S. is actively working to subvert such efforts. The U.S. opposed a U.N. resolution which called for a cease-fire and which condemned Israel’s military attacks as “disproportionate”. The U.S. House and Senate voted overwhelmingly to support Israel in its war with Hezbollah and on Lebanon.
Now is the time to act to end Israel’s military assault upon Lebanon and Gaza. Voices urges you to take the following actions:
Contact Ambassador John Bolton at the U.S. Mission to the UN by calling (212) 415-4050 or emailing usa@un.int and ask him to call for a ceasefire.
Contact UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and implore that the UN show leadership and demand a ceasefire. Email: sg@un.org and/or Fax: (212) 963-1921.
Contact your Senators and Representative to demand that she / he publicly call for an end to Israel’s military aggression in Lebanon and Gaza and for an immediate ceasefire. Ask your Representative to become a co-sponsor of the resolution introduced by Representative Dennis Kucinich calling for an immediate ceasefire, and ask your Senator to sponsor a companion resolution in the Senate. The Congressional Switchboard will connect you to the appropriate offices: Toll Free: 1-866-340-9281.
Contact the White House at 1-202-456-1111 to demand that President Bush call for an immediate ceasefire and apply pressure upon Israel to end its military aggression against Gaza and Lebanon.
When you call your Senator, Representative and White House, also demand that the U.S. be prepared to step up to the plate to provide full funding for the reconstruction of Lebanon, which has sustained a minimum of $2 billion in damage to its infrastructure as a result of Israel’s war making. The U.S. is complicit in this destruction and must be held accountable for the rebuilding of Lebanon.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. often repeated a quote from Edmund Burke, saying, “All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for the good people to do nothing.”
Please tell your representative that it is not the desire of the US people to aid and abet Israel in its violation of international law and creation of a massive humanitarian crisis in Lebanon, and in Gaza. We must insist that they back a cease-fire for all concerned parties.
We can help amplify the uproar of concern and resistance that is already present within the communities of people determined not to collaborate.
Our future lies in Israeli demonstrators, with groups like Gush Shalom, who on the fifth day of the war on Lebanon staged a demonstration in Tel-Aviv. In an atmosphere where the war is still very popular amongst Israelis, 600 people protested. A demonstrator remarked, “That’s exactly how it happened after Ariel Sharon’s invasion of Lebanon. On the first day of the war we were a hundred, after a week we were a thousand, after three weeks we were 10 thousands and after two months, following the Sabra and Shatila massacre, we were 400 thousand.”
Our faith lies in people like Staff Sergeant Itzik Shabbat, who became the first person to refuse to comply with an emergency order to report for reserve duty in the Palestinian territories in order to free forces in the standing army for the war in Lebanon.
Our future lies in the 300 Lebanese who gathered, under great risk, in downtown Beirut yesterday to demand an immediate ceasefire.
Our faith lies in learning from the continued nonviolent resistance of the Palestinian people who confront the Aparthied Wall, the demolition of homes, and checkpoints in ever more creative and effective ways, each and every day.
Our future lies in direct engagement, like that of our friend and co-coordinator of Voices, Dan Pearson, who is currently working with the Committee Against House Demolitions rebuilding Palestinian homes demolished by Israel.
Our faith lies in you. Please join us by taking action today.
-Voices for Creative Nonviolence
