I Saw it in Palestine

American-Arab Anti Discrimination Committee Action Alert

Today, April 22, 2008, the House of Representatives will consider H.Con.Res 322 , a resolution celebrating the 60th Anniversary of the founding of Israel and reaffirming the friendship and cooperation between the United States and Israel. A vote is expected before 7:00 PM this evening. The resolution is sponsored by Majority Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and has over 200 cosponsors. It is expected to attain the 2/3 vote need to pass under suspension of the rules.

The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) is urging everyone to contact the House of Representatives and ask your Member of Congress to oppose this resolution because it fails to present the reality of the consequences of the birth of the State of Israel (And because the resolution is meaninglessly provocative and just plain stupid. But that's my opinion, not the ADC's).

I just wrote the following letter to my congressional representatives, using the ADC's nifty sender-thingy which made it alarmingly easy. I would encourage you all to do the same!

I am contacting you to express my opposition to H. Con. Res. 322, a
resolution recognizing, "the 60th Anniversary of the founding of the State
of Israel and reaffirming the friendship and cooperation between the
United States and Israel."

Too many of the my friends will be mourning the sixtieth anniversary of
the creation of the State of Israel for congress to pass this resolution.

The creation of the State of Israel meant the destruction of over 400
Palestinian towns and villages and the forced expulsion of 711,000
Palestinians. I know personally many Palestinian families who still hold
on to the keys to their homes that were overtaken in 1948. I've walked
through refugee "camps" where generations have been trapped in the small
cement boxes called UN "temporary housing" that they were given 60 years
ago. The refugee population now numbers 4.5 million Palestinians.

If congress wants to reaffirm its friendship with Israel, it should do so
by supporting a just and lasting peace. I know from personal experiences
that Palestinians take resolutions like this one as further evidence that
the United States congress is ignorant of their story and the US is not a
honest broker.

Instead of passing meaningless resolutions that make the conflict worse,
please support dialogue, diplomacy, and the efforts of everyday Israelis
and Palestinians to make peace and justice.

Thank you for your consideration of this important matter.

Sincerely,

Joy Ellison