Gaza walled in and under siege

Gaza walled in and under siege
Largest open air prison in the world.

Saturday, February 24, 2018

Let's answer the letter from CT US Senator Murphy about Palestine

Water is a human right, but  war on Gaza means no water at home (photo via Imad Pal)Winter 2018

 Hello,  I have been discussing this letter with some of you. I want to share the following letter from Sen. Murphy of Connecticut in order to give you a chance to comment on its content. I will be happy to share your contents with him; not by sharing your names, but by sharing your location. Here are the major issues I have with his correspondence, but you may have noticed other problems to state or better arguments. 
Here are my first observations.

1. The USA agreed to a #38 billion pledge in 2007 to Israel for a decade tor military assistance to Israel. In his letter, Senator Murphy mentions that amount that the USA gave to two portions of occupied Palestine: Gaza and what is now called the West Bank. For this point the discrepancies in the amounts of money are not as startling as the fact that the US gives money to build infrastructure exactly where the Israeli military bombs and destroys Palestinian city utilities and homes. Maybe it is just me, but these activities are totally counterproductive as a reasonable foreign policy.

2. His assumption that the people of the US consider Israel a close ally and the genocide of Palestinians is acceptable.

3. The hypocrisy & arrogance of "abhor(ing) Hamas" and "corruption in the PA" when he works for the most corrupt government in the world, who steal & murder men, women and children from countries that won't keep the USD as the oil currency.

4. Palestine is a country occupied by a foreign power and experiencing the genocide typical of colonial powers for 4 centuries (such as in North America, Central America, South America, Africa, India, China . . . well, its not so hard to find the history).

5. The 2-state solution has only brought terror to the people of Palestine. Israel has used it ans excuse to allow colonists to settle in Palestine with a goal to create successful gerrymandering in terms of political voting zones.

6. Senator Murphy is a young man, born after the Vietnam War was over. He appears to have not been taught the history of the region except from Zionist propaganda.

Do you agree, disagree or have other comments? I hope so. Please comment on my blog Dissected Dreams, Deliberate Decisions.

Image from I.C.S.P.R. (International Commission for Palestinian Human Rights)

Now here is the message from the senator.

A message from the office of Senator Christopher Murphy; Connecticut US Senator

23 February 2018
Senator Christopher Murphy <senator_@murphy.senate.gov>
to me vicki.nikolaidi@gmail.com

Thank you for contacting me about foreign aid for the Palestinian people. I appreciate your correspondence and hope that you find this response helpful.

As you may know, the United States is the largest bilateral donor to the West Bank and Gaza. In 2016 alone, 'the United States contributed $440 million in development and humanitarian assistance. The United States pledged $212 million in aid after the 2014 operation by the Israeli Defense Forces, which resulted in the deaths of 2,000 Palestinian civilians and the displacement of 100,000 more, as well as hundreds of millions of dollars in damages to the homes, businesses, and infrastructure in Gaza.

Unfortunately, so long as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict persists, restrictions on imports and exports will continue to constrain economic growth in the West Bank and Gaza, requiring Palestinians to heavily depend on international aid.

While I abhor the government of Hamas in Gaza and have serious concerns about the level of corruption in the Palestinian Authority, I support continued American assistance to the Palestinian people.

I am concerned that revoking desperately needed humanitarian aid and punishing the Palestinian people for the actions of their leaders will only further exacerbate widespread suffering and radicalize a new generation of Palestinian and Arab youth against Israel and its supporters, including the United States. However, our assistance programs must include rigorous oversight to ensure no aid is diverted to benefit Hamas.
I also believe the United States, as a close friend and ally of Israel, must work with the Israeli government towards a lasting peace with the Palestinian people. As a Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, I will continue to advocate for a robust foreign aid program that promotes a more secure region, as well as work with the Trump Administration to achieve a lasting solution that results in two states for two peoples living side by side in peace and security.

Thank you again for contacting me about this matter. I appreciate hearing from you and assure you that I will always do my best to represent the views of my constituents in the Senate. In the future, please do not hesitate to call me in my Connecticut office at (860) 549-8463 or in my Washington office at (202) 224-4041.

Every Best Wish,
Christopher S. Murphy
United States Senator

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