 Want an e-mail when there's something new? Join the e-mail news list today! action & events Action Alert: Military Aid to Israel
The President's FY2009 budget request includes $2.55 billion in military aid to Israel, a proposed 9% increase over actual spending in 2007. This is the proposed first installment of a ten-year Memorandum of Understanding to increase military aid to Israel by 25%, totaling $30 billion by FY2018. Now President Bush's budget request depends on the approval of the Senate and House Committees on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs. These subcommittees of the respective Appropriations Committees have jurisdiction over all foreign aid issues, including military aid to Israel. As a result, CNI Foundation's Chairman Ambassador Robert Keeley and President Eugene Bird submitted a strongly worded letter to Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-NY), Chairwoman of the House Subcommittee, demanding that fair and balanced hearings be held to discuss the issue of military aid to Israel. In the letter they stated: While we understand that Secretary of State Rice will be testifying, there are many politicians, academics and concerned citizens who believe that Israel's use of military power supplied by the United States against the Palestinians is making a very difficult situation even worse.In addition, the Council for the National Interest joined the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation to deliver today a letter signed by more than 300 U.S.-based organizations to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs calling upon the subcommittee to cut off military aid to Israel for its repeated violations of the U.S. Arms Export Control and Foreign Assistance Acts. The letter, which was signed by 25 national organizations and local organizations from 40 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. citizens living abroad, was delivered to the Appropriations Subcommittee one day prior to its hearing. What can you do to help? According to the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation, each House Subcommittee member has already received more than 2,500 letters urging him or her to end military aid to Israel. Please take the time to aid the US Campaign in their efforts by joining thousands of others in sending a letter today. To do so, please click here. ACTION ALERT UPDATE CNI, March 12, 2008 - Early this morning Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice testified before the House Appropriations Committee's Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs on her State Department budget request for the fiscal year 2009. For the most part, the hearing was a simple meeting; representatives asked Secretary Rice specific questions regarding the State Department's budget and goals, and in turn she provided general talking points that could have been pulled straight from the State Department's website. As the saying goes, business as usual. Overall, representatives asked about Secretary Rice's role in the Israel-Palestine negotiations and her hopes for the peace process, but no one dared to question the budget's planned increase in military aid to Israel. However, one Congresswoman from Minnesota would not let Secretary Rice off the hook easily. Representative Betty McCollum (D-MN-4) avoided the politically correct etiquette usually afforded to such high-ranking officials, her question was direct and to the point. "Settlements built by Israel in the West Bank" Rep. McCollum stated, "violate the 'Road Map' to peace." Without saying so, McCollum implied that the State Department has failed and insinuated that Secretary Rice has been powerless to stop Israel from continuing policies that are obviously counteractive to the goal. Then, Rep. McCollum asked Secretary Rice the 3.2 billion dollar question "Can you ensure that U.S. dollars will NOT go to settlement expansion?" Secretary Rice was caught off-guard with the question, perhaps because very few parties with any interest in this problem pay much attention to such details. All parties have been plagued by an insurmountable problem: vagueness. Secretary Rice replied that the State Department has a council to make sure that U.S. aid is used only to help meet "Road Map" obligations and to move negotiations forward. Though obviously unsatisfied with the answer, Rep. McCollum had run out of time and had to yield further questions. Join the Council for the National Interest in thanking Rep. Betty McCollum. Her direct and demanding leadership is essential to finding a just and lasting peace. Representative Betty McCollum 1714 Longworth House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Phone: (202) 225-6631 Fax: (202) 225-1968 The Council for the National Interest is a non-profit, non-partisan grassroots organization advocating a new direction for U.S. Middle East policy. Our membership consists of well-informed supporters from all ethnic, religious, social, and political backgrounds who strongly believe the American national interest is directly linked to upholding American principles and values, and strictly adhering to international law. Our operations are entirely funded by donations from individual American citizens. We receive a small amount of foundation support and no government support, foreign or domestic. Editor's Note: CNI's website is currently undergoing and upgrade, hence no link to the site, and an explanation why these action items were posted here. more from this section  • 46664 Concert Honouring Nelson Mandela at 90 - London, June 27th (Sunday, May 11th, 2008)  • Relaunch of largest lyrics archive for 10 years (Saturday, March 22nd, 2008) • Action Alert: Military Aid to Israel (Tuesday, March 11th, 2008) |
      
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