End thE longstanding blockadE and allow humanitarian aid to rEach gaza.
Since January 2006, Israel has blocked entry into Gaza, preventing delivery of food, medicine, fuel, and basic necessities.
Cardinal Renato Martino, President of the Vatican’s Council for Justice and Peace, called on the world to, “Look at the
conditions in Gaza: more and more, it resembles a big concentration camp.” On December 30, 2008, the humanitarian
relief boat “Dignity”, carrying a former U.S. Congresswoman, was rammed and shot at by the Israeli navy and could
not deliver its aid. On January 8, the International Committee of the Red Cross relief workers found four starving
children sitting next to their mothers’ dead bodies. The ICRC reported that, “The Israeli military must have been
aware of the situation but did not assist the wounded. Neither did they make it possible for us or the Palestinian Red
Crescent to assist the wounded.”

rEEvaluatE thE $3 billion of annual u.s. aid to israEl .
The U.S. Arms Export Control Act mandates that American weapons not be used to attack civilian populations in
offensive operations. However, American tax dollars have helped finance the attack on Gaza and paid for the guns,
ammunition, and aircraft used to kill innocent Palestinians and collectively punish an entire population. Human
Rights Watch recently reported that the Israeli military fired artillery shells with white phosphorous into the Jebaliya
refugee camp, burning Palestinian civilians. On July 29, 2007, the U.S. agreed to continue military aid to Israel with a
25% increase, amounting to $30 billion over the next ten years.

Sincerely,
Muslim Public Affairs Council - New York (www.mpac.org)
United for Peace and Justice (www.unitedforpeace.org)
Council on American-Islamic Relations - New York (www.cair.com)
U.S. Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation (www.endtheoccupation.org)
American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (www.adc.org)
LA Jews For Peace (www.lajewsforpeace.org)