Arab-American Voters Coalition:
Stop Financial Support to Israel

February 11, 2001
 
The Honorable Kevin Brady,
428 Cannon House Office Building,
Washington, D.C. 20515
 
 
Dear Congressman Brady:
 
In light of the recent election of hard-liner Ariel Sharon as prime minister of Israel, I am hereby requesting that serious efforts be made to review our unwavering financial support of Israel.
 
The Israeli writer, Uzi Benziman once referred to Ariel Sharon as a "man who took a relatively peaceful country (Lebanon)...and plunged it into a maelstrom of death and destruction whose calamitous effects spread to every corner." The bombing of Beirut, the siege of more than 500,000 civilians, the endless bombardment by artillery, naval gunfire, cluster bombs, napalm, phosphorus, and advanced fuel-air weapons against residential neighborhoods, is a good indication of the ruthlessness of Ariel Sharon. Sharon's invasion of Lebanon led to 19,085 people killed, and 30,302 wounded. Can any of us forget Sharon's role in the infamous massacre of the innocents in the refugee camps of Sabra and Chatila? Can the first reporters who entered the camps, Robert Fisk, Loren Jenkins, Bill Foley, Karsten Tveit, ever forget the overwhelming, and unimaginable remnants of the carnage of thousands that they witnessed? As Robert Fisk briefly summarized, "It was a war crime." This aggressive, unprovoked campaign of Sharon's was what he described in 1989 as "a defensive struggle." It seems that the one million Israelis who demonstrated against him in 1982 did not agree. The Kahan Commission of February 1983 reported that defense minister Sharon bore "personal responsibility" and recommended his removal from office, after which he resigned.
 
Ariel Sharon has had a long history of fanatic intolerance against the Palestinian people. The purpose of Sharon and Begin's invasion of Lebanon was to eliminate Yasser Arafat because of his continual overtures of peace towards Israel. Both Sharon and Israel could not then, nor now, come to terms with the requirements of International Law, that demand that Israel return the Occupied Territories to the Palestinians, and permit the refugees to return to their homeland. Having rejected the Oslo Accords and all attempts at exchanging land for peace, it is Sharon's arrogance and defiance that triggered the recent Al Aqsa Intifada. The fact that he has been chosen as Israel's prime minister is a clear indication of what can be expected in any future peace negotiations. The Israeli voter apathy, where only 59% voted, is evidence of the disillusionment many Israelis feel towards their candidates who have failed in their efforts to make a just and lasting peace with the Palestinians. The reality is, however, that the majority of Israelis voted for a candidate whose name was once synonymous with "butchery," which leaves one with an ominous vision of the future in this region.
 
As Americans we must shoulder some blame, since our generous financial support of Israel is directly related to Israel's resistance to and defiance of the requirements of international law. U.S. financial support of Israel with billions of dollars each year being funneled into its war machine, has created the most powerful nation in the Middle East, but one whose paranoia leads it to constantly view itself as "victim." Israel yearly receives at least $3 billion in direct economic and military aid from us, another $2 billion in special financial arrangements, as well as billions in loan guarantees. We have accorded Israel the title of "strategic ally," a non-NATO ally with a free trade status, made it privy to our Strategic Defense Initiative research, we protect it from the international condemnation of its abominable human rights record, and have further vetoed any U.N. sanctions aimed at forcing it to comply with Security Council resolutions. Is it any wonder then that Israel defiantly refuses to make a just and lasting peace with the Palestinians?
 
For decades, many of us have asked our elected officials and our government to review our clearly one-sided support of Israel. With the election of Ariel Sharon, it is evident that time is of the essence. Our unwavering support of Israel has created a monster whose actions are sure to inflame the entire Middle East. It is time for the U.S. government to take a courageous stand by committing itself to a truly balanced foreign policy, to force Israel to obey international law, and this can only be achieved by ending our steady financial support of Israel.
 
Respectfully,
 
Margaret King
(Board Member, Arab-American Voters Coalition)
15 Terravale Ct.
The Woodlands, TX 77381