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Dear John, Remember way back in 2002 when the pro-Israel lobby waged war on then 12-year House of Representative incumbent Cynthia McKinney, successfully outsing her from Congress after she dared to support the Palestinian struggle and oppose U.S. military assistance to Israel? Well, those days are over. This week, not only did fervent Israel supporter Eliot Engel lose his primary — despite the American-Israeli Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and Democratic Majority for Israel (DMFI) pouring millions into his campaign, but a HISTORIC advancement for Palestinian rights took place in Congress: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Bernie Sanders, Pramila Jayapal, Rashida Tlaib, Betty McCollum, Ayanna Pressley, Andre Carson, and seven congresspeople released a Dear Colleague Letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo— endorsed by CODEPINK — committing to defund Israel’s ‘annexation’ activities by reducing military funding given to them by the U.S. The times truly are a-changing.
Prior to the letter’s release, AIPAC pulled out all the stops, lobbying Congress as hard as they could to dismiss the letter and continue subsidizing Israel’s violent and oppressive regime. Despite their attempts, Rep. Mark Pocan, who hadn’t signed the letter, released a statement in response: "Congress must put conditions on U.S. funding to Israel to demonstrate opposition to annexation and the violation of Palestinian human rights." Momentum is building. Can you send a message now to your Representatives and Senators asking them to add to this momentum? Urge them to Tweet, release statements, or start more letters, demanding that U.S. military funding to Israel not go support annexation, occupation, or apartheid? The congressional letter is more than we hoped for: “The Netanyahu government receives $3.8 billion in US taxpayer-funded military handouts every year and with the backing of the impeached President, they are seeking to use that money to formalize an apartheid system. We are coming together as progressive lawmakers today to clearly say: enough is enough. Whether within our own borders or abroad, we will no longer accept that our national budget be spent on human rights violations. We must make prioritized investments that promote health and social justice for all instead,” the letter reads. As we’ve learned from Black and indigenous organizers, from the success of the movement to end apartheid in South Africa, struggles for justice, equality, and freedom can only be achieved by first stopping the gargantuan flow of U.S. tax dollars — $3.8 billion per year — that is given freely to Israel for them to maintain their systems of occupation and apartheid and that is what this letter begins. Make no mistake about it, annexation of the West Bank has been taking place every single day since the Palestinian land was captured and occupied in 1967. Home demolitions, water inequality, settlement construction, checkpoints, and the apartheid wall — all of these are annexation activities that U.S. tax dollars should not go to. Today, after a 30-year long legal battle, the Jerusalemite Sumreen family of 18 people was ordered to leave their house by August 16 and pay $5,800 to the Jewish National Fund for stealing their property. U.S. support for this must stop! Which member of Congress will be next to take this brave position? Will Elizabeth Warren join in? Sen. Feinstein, Barbara Lee, anti-war champion Ro Khanna, or Jewish progressive Jamie Ruskin? Contact Congress Now! Towards justice, Ariel, Ann, Asia, Carley, Caty, Cody, Emily, Jodie, Kelsey, Leila, Leonardo, Makena, Mary, Medea, Michelle, Nancy, Paki, Teri, and Yousef
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