3 July 2006

Dear Congress:

I read today that Israel is openly threatening to assassinate the Prime Minister of Palestine unless an Israeli soldier captured by Palestinian partisans is released.  

http://neworleans.indymedia.org/news/2006/07/8004.php

The soldier was taken in a military operation by an illegally occupied nation in legitimate self-defense.  I believe you are at least partially aware of the enormous litany of crimes that this occupying army has committed and is committing in Palestine.  The current state of hostilities is driven by a continual escalation of acts of war by Israel against Palestine ostensibly originating as punishment for an electoral decision with which the Israeli ruling party disagrees.  Palestinians have the right to take up arms in their own defense.  With the arrest of Palestinian legislators and elected officials and the destruction of the main power plant in Gaza, an act that dooms many innocent people, this regime of collective punishment has reached a level never attained before.

Israel is a US client state, dependent for its prosperity upon copious aid from the US government.  This power over Israel confers upon Congress a large measure of responsibility for Israel's crimes, so long as Congress fails to use this power to restrain Israel.  Surely, it is finally time to act.

Sincerely,
your constituent.

Further Reference:
http://www.ifamericansknew.org/
http://www.palestinemonitor.org/factsheet/factsheet.html