AIPAC Does NOT Speak For US!
AIPAC, the American Israel Public Affairs
Committee, describes itself as the most influential lobby
affecting the U.S. relationship with Israel. AIPAC has also been a
consistent supporter of Bush’s belligerent and disastrous policies in
the Middle East.
On December 3 and 4, AIPAC will hold membership
events in the Bay Area to which many local political officials are
invited. We urge our representatives to reject the AIPAC agenda.
AIPAC promotes militarism,
occupation, and disregard for human rights.
During the terrible violence that engulfed Lebanon
and Israel this past summer, AIPAC worked to prevent any call from
Congress for what was cynically referred to as a “premature
ceasefire,” but demanded unconditional support for the
disproportionate Israeli military assault that resulted in over a
thousand dead, a catastrophic oil slick on the coast, 30,000 homes
left in rubble, and over a million cluster bomblets littering the
Lebanese landscape. AIPAC urged the U.S. to rush more bombs to
Israel, bombs that destroyed entire Lebanese neighborhoods.
AIPAC does not speak for us about
Israel’s invasion of Lebanon!
We believe in diplomacy over military force. We
want to spend our tax dollars meeting real needs in this country
rather than using them in support of military aggression.
For decades, with AIPAC insisting that the US
support every Israeli demand instead of acting as an honest broker,
the dispute between Israelis and Palestinians has been unresolved.
AIPAC pushed for the current U.S. sanctions against
the Palestinian people that have created a humanitarian crisis in
Gaza. The main power station was bombed; many homes and businesses
have no electricity or water; the medical system has collapsed; there
is a devastating shortage of food and medicine. In the West Bank, the
destruction of Palestinian homes and confiscation of land goes
unabated, with the full support of AIPAC.
AIPAC does not speak for us about
making peace for Israel and Palestine!
We want the U.S. to support a resolution to the
conflict based on international law and respect for human rights. We
demand a suspension of U.S. military aid to Israel (currently at over
$3 billion every year) until Israel abides by international law.
AIPAC has been instrumental in promoting a
confrontational approach to Iran. It undermines diplomacy by opposing
any call for full nuclear disarmament in the Middle East, for that
would include Israel’s massive nuclear weapons arsenal.
AIPAC does not speak for us about
nuclear disarmament!
We oppose any military aggression against the
people of Iran. Such an attack would inevitably lead to the thousands
or even millions of deaths. Instead, we call for a nuclear-free
Middle East and worldwide nuclear disarmament.
We call upon our political
representatives to reject the dangerous politics of militarism and
confrontation promoted by AIPAC and the Bush regime. We demand their
support of a new foreign policy based on respect for human rights and
international law. Acting in accordance with these values is the best
way to bring peace and security to both the American people as well as
all the peoples of the Middle East.
