It is unacceptable that our government has two primary constructs for justice when it comes to Israel/Pa- lestine: one where Israel is reflexively supported to deny human rights and justice for Palestinians in the name of “security,” and an equally false construct where Palestinian resistance to ongoing occupation and de- nial of their basic human rights is delegitimized as “terrorist.”
As someone who has worked for decades to end the illegal occupation of Palestine, I am often asked, “Where are the Palestinian organizations who seek justice through peaceful democratic means?”
My answer: “They are routinely silenced by the Israeli government and the US media, or harassed and even killed by the Israeli military.”
Here are examples from just this week alone:
On July 29, Israel’s paramilitary raided the headquarters in Ramallah of a nonprofit children’s rights organiza- tion without any warrant or explanation. This organization, Defense for Children International – Palestine (DCIP), is an independent, is a local Palestinian child rights organization dedicated to promoting the rights of children living in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip. Computers and client files were seized with no warrant, no reason and no receipt for the materials confiscated.
On July 28, an 11-year-old boy was shot and killed in Hebron in his father’s car at a checkpoint. On July 24, a 17-year-old boy was shot and killed when his village was overtaken by Israeli forces.
Palestinian children are routinely arrested and imprisoned without trial for throwing stones or for other forms of protest. The Israeli military intentionally uses lethal force, which cannot be justified by international law, while our government defends Israeli “security.” Security can never be secured when an entire popula- tion is denied basic human rights.
Sadly, our own representative, Antonio Delgado, is complicit in this denial of justice. I urge others to sign this open letter: http://chng.it/vtSpBJnz6h in support of HR 2407 (now HR 2590). And call Representative Delgado’s office to co- sponsor this bill which prohibits US foreign aid to go towards the abuse of children.
Cheryl Qamar