An Open Letter to Mayor Nutter
by
Philadelphia SUSTAIN: Stop U.S. Tax Aid to Israel Now | 05.24.2008
This is an open letter to Mayor Nutter about his participation in the Israel at Sixty parade. It calls for divestment from the conflict.
Dear Mayor Nutter:
On May 18th, as your float drove by during the Israel at 60 parade, we, SUSTAIN, released one thousand black balloons for another, more somber anniversary: sixty years of Palestinian dispossession. At the other end of the parade, an allied Jewish group, called No Time to Celebrate, mourned with us in remembrance of what Palestinians call al Nakba.
It is understandable, and human, that many people see the sixtieth anniversary of Israel's founding as cause for celebration. For many Jews, Israeli independence feels like a redemption from millennia of anti-Semitic persecution. For Palestinians, however, 1948 marks the Nakba--the Catastrophe. It should be clear why. Over 700,000 Palestinians fled or were forced from their homes during what Israelis call the War of Independence. Israel agreed at the time to UN Resolution 194, which recognized the right of all refugees to choose to return to their homes or to receive compensation for their losses. This resolution has been renewed by the United Nations General Assembly every year since, yet after sixty years, 700,000 Palestinians have had to raise children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren in refugee camps. There are now almost five million refugees, the majority of which have never seen their homes.
In 1967, the conflict intensified, as Israel took control of the West Bank and Gaza Strip in the Six Day War. Israel's government has refused to act on United Nations Resolution 242, which calls for Israel to vacate the occupied territories. Instead, it has moved hundreds of thousands of its citizens into the West Bank and Gaza Strip, in violation of the Geneva Conventions and the United Nations Charter. Under the policy of "disengagement", the Kadima party has removed the Gaza settlements, but many of the settlers have simply been moved to the West Bank. Gazans still live under military rule. Israel has further violated international law by ignoring the 14-to-1 decision by the International Court of Justice that the fences and walls being built through the West Bank to annex territory are illegal (the decision was remarkable not only for its near unanimity, but also for the fact that the separate declaration made by the American justice stated that it agreed with most of the findings of the majority). During these past four decades, the United States government and many U.S. corporations have been actively involved in supporting the occupation--against the will of both the majority of Israelis, and the vast majority of Palestinians. Our tax dollars--which should be fixing the broken school system, insuring the uninsured against illness, and refurbishing public transit--are continuing the bloodshed in the Middle East. Each year, we spend about as much money funding Israel's military as Philadelphia does on its entire public school system.
We call on you to take strong action to make public the city government’s investments in this occupation, and to be accountable to Israelis and Palestinians working for a just peace. Philadelphia's tax dollars should not support the militarization of this conflict, especially in light of the financial crisis our public schools face, the large number of Philadelphians who lack basic health insurance, and the need for increased aid to SEPTA. the city government has an obligation to divest from the conflict--whether its investments are in Israeli bonds, or in companies that profit from the occupation, such as Motorola, Caterpillar, and Starbucks. The city has taken strong steps in the past to support divestment movements from South Africa and Sudan. It's time to take the steps necessary to bring an end to this conflict.
We look forward to meeting with your administration to discuss the city's investment policies.
Sincerely,
SUSTAIN Philly: Stop U.S. Tax Aid to Israel Now!
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