author: Peter Miller, Americans United for Palestinian Human Rights

e-mail:
pmiller@auphr.org
All fair minded folks in Oregon should be aware of Governor Kulongoski's recent April 30th, 2006 speech at a Portland AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee) meeting. He stated, among other things, that "Even in these partisan times, support for AIPAC is an article of faith for both political parties." And surely he is correct. Kulongoski's speech goes so far in praise of AIPAC and Israel and says nothing about Israal's own human rights violations. It seems highly likely that his speech was penned directly by an AIPAC official or supporter and Kulongoski read it as instructed.
See his full speech at: http://www.governor.state.or.us/Gov/speech/speech_043006.shtml
The Democratic Party's leadership seems perfectly comfortable issuing the most outrageous statements of support for Israel's regime without any reference to the dire plight of the Palestinian people or the serious violations of international law represented by Israel's many actions.
The reports we get daily from the field in Palestine are quite grim. Israel is now poised to take 50% of the remainder of the West Bank from the Palestinians, including the side nearest Jordon, virtually assuring continued conflict and negating the chance of a viable two-state solution. What the Palestinians will end up with is a series of disconnected ghettos on 11% of the original historic Palestine connected (if connected at all) by tunnels and passageways controlled by Israel. It is an obscenity, imprisoning an entire people. The Gaza strip is suffering shortages of food and medicine, surly a violation of the Geneva Conventions concerning the conduct of an occupying power. Furthermore, Palestinian Christians are leaving the holy land in record numbers due to Israel's measures; there are fewer Christians in Bethlehem, for example, than ever and they are surrounded by Israel's wall, settlements, and Jewish only roads. (What other system of oppression has ever built roads for the exclusive use of one privileged religious / ethnic group?)
We should all support peace and justice for both Israeli Jews and Palestinian Arabs. All Americans to stand up against this powerful Israel lobby. We need start making it costly for politicians to express such one-sided support for Israel and Israel's human rights violations, and start supporting real justice and peace for both sides of this sad conflict in the Middle East.
What Israel is doing will not lead to justice, but perhaps it will lead to victory. If so, Kulongoski will have played his part in Israel's victory over the Palestinians.
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"Israel comes first" Gordon Smith Aug 20 , 2005