TELL OBAMA AMERICANS WANT REAL CHANGE IN ISRAEL/PALESTINE!!!

[rachelhinda]

TELL OBAMA AMERICANS WANT REAL CHANGE IN ISRAEL/PALESTINE!!!

On Friday, the Israeli daily newspaper Yediot Ahronot reported that presidential candidate Barack Obama intends to give a “major speech” in which he will declare himself a “strong and reliable supporter of Israel.” According to Yediot and The Jewish Week, Obama intends to use the speech to “reach out to millions of Jewish voters.” As progressive voters, we have an obligation to tell candidates who expect our vote that we care about what’s right for ALL the people of the Middle East. That means holding Israel, our closest regional ally, accountable along with all of the other regional actors we put pressure on every day. Call Barack Obama and ask him to do what no other leader of our country has had the courage to do, stand up for what’s right and what’s fair: REAL PEACE. Tell him that if he wants to be a supporter of Israel, that he should also declare himself a strong supporter of Palestinian rights. Tell him that you want real change, not more of the same, in the Middle East. Tell Obama that:

•    Jewish voters, like all minority voters, don’t all think alike. Israel is a difficult, sensitive issue for Jews, and there are many “Jewish” views about what is ultimately best.

•    There are millions of Arab and Muslim American voters who have the right to hear American leaders express support for their people in the Middle East.

•    Both Israelis and Palestinians deserve to get their voices heard and needs met.

•    Israel, supported by this Administration, continues to refuse to talk to the Palestinians.  If he supports talks with Iran and Syria, which he should, then he should also be critical of the fact that Israel continues to make excuses for not talking to the Palestinians.

•    The U.S. regularly uses its veto in the UN Security Council in order to stop the world from holding Israel accountable. In order to truly be an honest broker for peace, an American candidate must demand that the Israeli government stop violating Palestinian human rights and live up to its international obligations.

•    While our urban infrastructure crumbles, our education system spirals downwards and our own people go without healthcare, it is criminal for our government to give away, without any accountability, upwards of 3.5 billion dollars a year in taxpayer money to Israel, the 16th wealthiest nation on earth.

•    Palestinian civilians suffer unjustly because our country won’t hold Israel accountable and this perpetuates the cycle of violence. American leaders should be putting more pressure on Israel to freeze settlement growth and give Israel’s Arab communities equal social services.

•    Any candidate who condemns Palestinian violence should support Palestinian groups working on non-violent resistance to occupation and the Israeli groups who support them.

Obama Campaign: (866) 675-2008
Obama Campaign email form (be sure to leave your zip code!): http://action.barackobama.com/page/s/contact

Obama Washington Office: (202) 224-2854

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3366000,00.html

US Democratic candidate set to reach out to millions of Jewish voters

Yaakov Lappin
Published:     02.16.07, 17:15 / Israel Culture

Democratic presidential candidate Barak Obama is about to reach out to millions of American Jewish voters, the Jewish Week newspaper reported on Friday.

 
The new drive to reach Jewish voters will include "an expected major speech on Israel and the Middle East," aimed at setting "the baseline and establish Senator Obama as a reliable, strong supporter of Israel," the Jewish Week quoted a Democratic Party source as saying.

 
At the same time, the report continued, Obama made clear that he would be very willing to directly speak to Iran and Syria.

 

Responding to a question on whether he would hold dialogue with Tehran and Damascus on CBS's 60 Minutes program, Obama replied, "Yes. I think that the notion that this administration has — that not talking to our enemies is effective punishment — is wrong," the Jewish Week added.

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