Our Policy Paper Launches Today: Watch Live Briefing, Get Your Copy ! Occupy AIPAC

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Tuesday, March 6, 2012   

Our New Policy Paper Presents Rationale for Ending U.S. Weapons to Israel Dear Friends, Over the past few days, we've excitedly joined with hundreds of activists from across the country to Occupy AIPAC, as the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) holds its annual policy conference nearby.  We've been tabling at the Occupy AIPAC policy summit, doing creative actions in front of AIPAC's conference and the White House, and training activists to organize in their communities to end military aid to Israel and to take part in a grassroots advocacy day on Capitol Hill. As Occupy AIPAC participants head to the Hill today to press for accountability for Israel's misuse of U.S. weapons against Palestinians and for diplomacy with Iran instead of war, we are excited to launch our first-ever policy paper, entitled "U.S. Military Aid to Israel: Policy Implications & Options." In our policy paper, which contains extensive original research on the scope of U.S. weapons deliveries to Israel and their devastating impact on Palestinian living under Israel's 44-year military occupation of the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza Strip, we set out the legal, political, economic, strategic and human rights rationale for ending U.S. military aid to Israel. Today at 1:00 pm (EST), join our live broadcast of a policy briefing to launch the paper, hosted by US Campaign member group The Palestine Center. Click on the link above to watch the briefing and send in your questions. Read an online version of the policy paper and download a printable PDF by clicking here. Also, for a limited time, when you donate $25 or more, we'll send you a glossy, full-color copy of the policy paper. Your tax-deductible contribution will help us continue our ongoing campaign to end U.S. military aid to Israel.   Above: Click to see our interactive map of cities where people are organizing to end military aid to Israel -- and sign up! This policy paper provides people like you with the information you need to make the case to people in your community and to your elected officials to end U.S. weapons transfers to Israel.  Here are just a few of the paper's disturbing findings: From 2000 to 2009, the United States appropriated $24.1 billion of military aid to Israel, transferring more than 670 million weapons, rounds of ammunition, and related equipment. From 2000 to 2009, Israel killed at least 2,969 unarmed Palestinians, including 1,128 children, often with U.S. weapons in violation of the Foreign Assistance Act and Arms Export Control Act.   Above: Graph from our policy paper showing U.S. military aid to Israel from 2009 to 2018 as promised in a memorandum of understanding signed by the U.S. in 2007. From 2009 to 2018, the United States is scheduled to give Israel $30 billion in military aid, a 25 percent annual average increase over previous levels of military aid, despite its negative political and strategic ramifications.  From the Eisenhower to Bush, Sr. Administrations, the United States at least 10 times conditioned aid to Israel, threatened to cut off aid to Israel, or sanctioned Israel for violating U.S. laws and/or working against U.S. foreign policy objectives. Since 2000, Members of Congress and/or the State Department have investigated or requested an investigation  into Israel's potential misuse of U.S. weapons at least five different times; however, no public action has been taken to hold Israel accountable for its violations of U.S. laws. With the same amount of money that the United States gives each year to finance weapons for Israel, the federal government could instead fund affordable housing vouchers for 350,000 low-income families, or green jobs training for 500,000 unemployed workers, or early reading programs for 900,000 at-risk students, or primary health care to 24 million people without insurance. Learn more in our newly released policy paper and be sure to tune in at 1:00 pm (EST) for the live briefing. Sincerely, Josh Ruebner National Advocacy Director

Take these actions, Glenn: 1. Read and/or print out our policy paper. 2. Join our live broadcast today at 1:00 pm (EST). 3. Donate to help us sustain ground-breaking efforts like these. Follow Us:  Facebook Twitter YouTube Blog Vimeo

Back to Top The US Campaign aims to change U.S. policies that sustain Israel's 44-year occupation of the Palestinian West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem, and that deny equal rights for all. ABOUT | TAKE ACTION | GET INVOLVED | STORE | RESOURCES | MEDIA | UNSUBSCRIBE | FORWARD TO A FRIEND US CAMPAIGN TO END THE ISRAELI OCCUPATION | PO BOX 21539 | WASHINGTON, DC 20009 202-332-0994 | USCAMPAIGN@ENDTHEOCCUPATION.ORG | WWW.ENDTHEOCCUPATION.ORG