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Arab Americans Urge Obama to Help End Israeli Occupation
On Tuesday 26th March, Arab Americans urged US President Barack Obama to work towards ending the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian Territory as he has called during his recent visit to Israel and Palestine, Palestinian official news agency WAFA reported.
The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) commended in a statement Obama’s call for an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land and the daily indignities Palestinians suffer as a result of the occupation.
However, it added, “We did not see a call to action that would have turned the hopeful inspirational language of ending the occupation into concrete goals.”
It said that “in fact, the actions of the United States continue to support Israel’s illegal occupation and undermine Palestinian quest for freedom.”
ADC said that the day after Obama’s speech, the US government “exhibited yet another example in its long history of this at the Human Rights Council in Geneva when it voted ‘no’ to Palestinians’ right to self-determination, ‘no’ to human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and ‘no’ to a fact finding mission to investigate Israeli settlements.”
It added, “At the same time, the United States is due to send $3 billion in aid to Israel this year, despite concerns that some of this money is being used toward committing human rights violations, such as building and expanding settlements, home demolitions, land seizure, and most importantly the harsh treatment of Palestinian political prisoners.”
It said that “President Obama’s softened language on the building of Israeli settlements is also troubling, as these settlements are illegal under international law and render the possibility of a contiguous and autonomous Palestinian state more difficult to achieve.”
ADC said that “although there was no expectation that this trip would lead to significant change, ADC urges President Obama to begin leading the way in implementing a long overdue and urgently needed US policy that genuinely encourages an end to the occupation, rather than unequivocal support of it.”
Palestine News Network