UNITARIANS SUPPORT PALESTINIAN STATEHOOD

September 17, 2011 at 17:35 (Activism, International Solidarity, Palestine, Palestinian Statehood)

I always thought Unitarians were special, now I KNOW it!

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As peoples throughout the Middle East mobilize to take control of their own destinies, the United States must not continue to stand in the way of Palestinians’ efforts to control theirs.

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Unitarian Universalists for Justice in the Middle East

Statement on U.N. Palestinian Statehood Vote

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On or about the 23rd of September, the Palestinian Authority is expected to seek United Nations recognition of a Palestinian state in the Palestinian Territories defined by the 1967 borders.  The PA has decided to take this step after years of failed peace negotiations and the inability of the US and international community to stop the ongoing Israeli colonization of Palestinian land.

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There has been intense debate within the Palestinian community about the possible risks of the statehood move to the rights of Palestinian refugees and Palestinian citizens of Israel, and as to whether the overall situation for Palestinians would be improved or worsened by, among other concerns, what some believe would be a largely symbolic exercise since a vote alone will not end the occupation or create a state for Palestinians.  While Palestinians are divided over the statehood initiative, the Israeli and US governments have emphatically opposed it.   Indeed, the Obama administration has threatened to use the US’s veto to block the statehood petition in the Security Council, while legislators in Congress have introduced a bill that would withhold US aid to the PA if it proceeds with its plan to seek a UN vote.

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While UUJME has not taken a position on the merits of the statehood initiative itself, we believe Palestinians have the right to take their case to the UN for consideration by the international community, and we oppose the US government’s intention to block or punish their efforts. 

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As peoples throughout the Middle East mobilize to take control of their own destinies, the United States must not continue to stand in the way of Palestinians’ efforts to control theirs.

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UUJME remains steadfast in our belief that, whatever the outcome of the UN vote, the obligation to uphold international law and respect the human rights of all peoples involved, including the refugees, remains as integral and vital as ever to the prospects for a just and lasting peace.

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UUJME requests that you contact President Obama and your Senators and Representatives in Congress via fax or mail, phone, or email (in order of effectiveness) to express your opposition to US interference in the Palestinian statehood recognition request.  For more information on the issue, please read the statements of Jewish Voice for Peace and the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation.

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Contact the president:

President Barack Obama

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Comment line:  202-456-1111

Fax:  202-456-2461

Email contact: http://www.whitehouse.gov/CONTACT

Contact your Congressional officials:  http://www.contactingthecongress.org/