Doc's Talk: It's True: Administration Responds to Capps, Olver Request to Provide Funds for

Sunday, February 08, 2009

It's True: Administration Responds to Capps, Olver Request to Provide Funds for

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Lois Capps (CA-23) and Congressman John Olver (MA-1) today applauded the Obama Administration for authorizing the use of $20.3 million from the U.S. Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance (ERMA) Fund to address critical post-conflict humanitarian needs in Gaza. On January 28th, 2009 Congresswoman Capps and Congressman Olver spearheaded a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton requesting the State Department release ERMA funds for reconstruction and humanitarian assistance. Sixty-three Members of Congress eventually joined as signatories to the letter.

"I am very pleased that Secretary Clinton and the Obama Administration
heard our request for immediate aid to address the humanitarian crisis
in Gaza," said Capps. Today's announcement that the Obama
Administration will release more funding to deal with this
humanitarian emergency in Gaza is welcome news. This funding is
desperately needed and will help the United Nations Relief and Works
Agency and the International Committee of the Red Cross address the
terrible situation on the ground.

"Today's decision to provide this critical humanitarian aid is another
positive sign that the Obama Administration recognizes how important
achieving peace in the region is to American national security
interests," continued Capps. "The President's early outreach to the
Muslim world, appointment of former Sen. George Mitchell as Special
Envoy, and commitment of funds to rebuilding Gaza demonstrates a
refreshing clarity and understanding of the enormous stakes at hand.
I deeply appreciate his commitment to returning America to its
rightful place as the honest broker of peace in the region. The
Israeli and Palestinian peoples have been mired in a tragic cycle of
violence for far too long and it is important that America help bring
the parties together to help them find a way to live together in peace
and security."

Congressman John Olver said, "As is the case with any humanitarian
crisis, time is of the essence. There is a dire need on the ground
for food, fresh water, medical assistance and electricity. The longer
the people of Gaza go without these essentials, the worse this tragic
crisis will become. I am very pleased that the Administration
recognized the urgency of our request and responded so decisively."

Of the $20.3 million in new ERMA funds, $13.5 million will go to the
U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
(UNRWA), $6 million to the International Committee of the Red Cross
(ICRC), and $800 to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). These organizations are distributing
emergency food assistance, providing medical assistance and temporary
shelter, creating temporary employment, and restoring access to
electricity and potable water to the people of Gaza.

The text of the January 28th, 2009 letter to Secretary Clinton follows:

Dear Secretary Clinton:

First, we would like to congratulate you on being sworn in as our
nation's 67th Secretary of State. We are very hopeful that this new
era in American foreign policy upon which we embark can advance the
cause of peace in the Middle East and beyond.

As strong supporters of both the Israeli and Palestinian peoples, we
are writing to express our deep concern for the humanitarian situation
in the Gaza Strip and to request immediate action by the United States
to address this crisis. With the ceasefire now in effect, it is
critical that the United States play a leading role in alleviating the
suffering of civilians in Gaza and we respectfully urge your
assistance in this task.

As you know, the situation on the ground is dire. The flow of
humanitarian goods into the Gaza Strip is limited to food and
medicine. Yet there exists a real need to allow for the importation of
construction materials and fuel, which require the opening of
crossings into Gaza. For example, only the Karni Crossing has the
capacity for transporting large cargo, such as cement, but it remains
closed.

In addition, in order to rebuild civilian infrastructure in Gaza the
international community is going to have to make significant monetary
contributions. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for
Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) estimates financial needs
of nearly $350 million just to rebuild their own infrastructure and
continue providing essential services to the Palestinians in Gaza.

We also remain especially concerned about the desperate condition of
medical services in Gaza. Although Israel has begun to allow limited
medical supplies into Gaza, the need far outweighs the availability
while hospitals remain understaffed and ill-supplied. One of the most
crucial steps that needs to be taken is for Israel to allow critically
ill patients to be transported out of Gaza and into Israel, the West
Bank and Jordan, where they may receive necessary medical care. We
therefore urge you to express this concern directly to Israeli
government officials.

In addition to the several thousand individuals who were physically
injured during the recent military operations, we can expect to see a
dramatic increase in the number of individuals suffering from
psychological trauma. In order to help the population to begin
rebuilding, we will need to further ensure that funds are used to
provide adequate mental health services in Gaza.

Failure to address this humanitarian emergency has the potential to
produce a crisis of even more unspeakable proportions. We therefore
respectfully request that the State Department release emergency funds
to UNRWA for reconstruction and humanitarian assistance. We believe
the State Department can make funds available through accounts such as
Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance (ERMA) and urge you to
facilitate the transfer of funds as soon as possible.

We look forward to maintaining a productive and ongoing dialogue with
the State Department and the Obama Administration regarding the United
States response to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Toward that end we
respectfully request that you or your staff share with us prior to
Congress recessing on February 13, 2009, the actions taken to date and
the strategy you will pursue to address the humanitarian crisis.

Finally, we know that addressing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a
whole is a top priority of the Obama Administration and we applaud
President Obama and you for your early and public commitment to meet
this challenge. We also believe that the naming of former Senator
George Mitchell as special envoy to the Middle East is commendable.
We believe the security interests of both Israel and the United States
will be greatly enhanced by the establishment of a lasting peace
between Israelis and Palestinians, and that United States involvement
is indispensable in achieving that goal. We stand ready to work with
you as the Administration furthers these efforts.

Full List of Signatories to the Letter:

DAVID PRICE
LOIS CAPPS
KEITH ELLISON
SAM FARR
MAURICE D. HINCHEY
BARBARA LEE
JIM MORAN
EARL BLUMENAUER
LLOYD DOGGETT
JAMES P. MCGOVERN
GWEN MOORE
JIM MCDERMOTT
RAÚL M. GRIJALVA
PETE STARK
MICHAEL E. CAPUANO
PETER WELCH
DENNIS J. KUCINICH
DONALD M. PAYNE
LYNN C. WOOLSEY
JOHN D. DINGELL
MAXINE WATERS
DIANE E. WATSON
ANDRÉ CARSON
DONNA F. EDWARDS
JOHN LEWIS
CAROLYN C. KILPATRICK
GLENN C. NYE
HENRY C. JOHNSON
JOE SESTAK
BOB FILNER
STEPHEN F. LYNCH
JOHN F. TIERNEY
RUSH D. HOLT
BETTY MCCOLLUM
GEORGE MILLER
NICK J. RAHALL
YVETTE D. CLARKE
WILLIAM D. DELAHUNT
LORETTA SANCHEZ
ROSA L. DELAURO
MIKE THOMPSON
BRIAN BAIRD
PETER A. DEFAZIO
CHRISTOPHER MURPHY
MARY JO KILROY
THOMAS PERRIELLO
JOHN CONYERS JR.
NEIL ABERCROMBIE
GERALD E. CONNOLLY
EARL POMEROY
ANNA G. ESHOO
JACKIE SPEIER
MICHAEL M. HONDA
JOHN A. YARMUTH
BRUCE BRALEY
TAMMY BALDWIN
JAMES L. OBERSTAR
ERIC J.J. MASSA
MICHAEL H. MICHAUD
MARCY KAPTUR
BILL PASCRELL, JR
DANIEL B. MAFFEI
DANNY K. DAVIS

----------------------------------------------------

United States Humanitarian Support to Palestinians
Media Note
Office of the Spokesman
Washington, DC
January 30, 2009
President Barack Obama has authorized the use of $20.3 million from the U.S. Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance (ERMA) Fund to address critical post-conflict humanitarian needs in Gaza. U.S. Government support for humanitarian assistance to Palestinian refugees and conflict victims now totals nearly $120 million in FY 2009, including nearly $60 million in Gaza.
Of the $20.3 million in new ERMA funds, $13.5 million will go to the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), $6 million to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and $800,000 to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). These organizations are distributing emergency food assistance, providing medical assistance and temporary shelter, creating temporary employment, and restoring access to electricity and potable water to the people of Gaza.
Today’s contribution to UNRWA augments the $85 million the United States contributed in December 2008 toward UNRWA’s 2009 appeals. Of that amount, $25 million supported UNRWA emergency operations in West Bank and Gaza. The remaining $60 million supported UNRWA’s services for 4.6 million Palestinian refugees in the region, including Gaza. UNRWA is the largest provider of humanitarian aid in Gaza, providing 70 percent of the population with emergency food assistance, essential healthcare, and primary education. We are working to develop a longer-term reconstruction/ development effort with international partners.
Furthermore, today’s contribution to ICRC complements the $9.7 million the United States provided earlier this month for ICRC’s activities for victims of conflict in the Middle East, with particular attention to its critical programs in Gaza. U.S. support of the ICRC buttresses the organization’s efforts to supply Gaza’s hospitals and clinics with urgently needed medical equipment, as well as to rehabilitate damaged water pumps and sanitation systems.
Finally, the U.S. contribution to OCHA supports its essential coordination activities for the Humanitarian Country Team, comprised of UN Agencies and non-governmental organizations providing humanitarian assistance in Gaza.
In addition to our contributions to UNRWA, ICRC, and OCHO, to date, USAID has provided more than $3.7 million for emergency assistance to Gaza. Food, milk powder, blankets, plastic sheeting, and other nonfood items have been distributed to beneficiaries, and the distributions are continuing. This assistance is distributed to beneficiaries through USAID’s implementing partners under six recently awarded grants ($250,000 each) to Mercy Corps, American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA), CHF International, Relief International, Catholic Relief Services, and CARE International. Food distributions are done through USAID’s grant to the World Food Program (WFP).
The U.S. reiterates its support for humanitarian actors responding to emergency needs in Gaza and encourages other states to provide urgently needed funding to UNRWA, ICRC, WFP and other international and non-governmental organizations providing this lifesaving care to civilians in Gaza.

No comments:

The IDF’s Minorities in Numbers and Pictures

In honor of IDF Diversity Week, we present diversity through numbers and pictures. Each year, more and more Muslims, Christians, Druze, Bedouin and immigrants from around the world take on the responsibility of defending Israel.

MUSLIMS:

Muslim Arab Israelis are not required to draft in the IDF, but there are many who volunteer. In 2013, there were over 200 Muslims serving in the IDF and over 300 in the reserves.

Bedouins:

Bedouins are nomadic Muslims who were in Israel when modern borders were set in place and are now considered Israeli citizens. They are not required to draft but a growing number choose to enlist. In 2012, there were over 1,400 Bedouin Muslim soldiers doing regular IDF service and almost 1,500 in the reserves.

Read more:http://www.idfblog.com/2014/02/27/truth-idf-numbers-pictures/#more-34027

Are you aware that in 2013, Middle class taxes go up-significantly?

In January of next year, the federal income tax rate for middle-class taxpayers is scheduled to rise from 25 percent to 28 percent, and the payroll tax is scheduled to rise from 13.3 percent to 15.3 percent… This drives the marginal tax rate based on the aforementioned three taxes to 48.12 percent. Add in state and local property, corporate, excise, and other state and local taxes, and the percentage of each additional dollar that is taxed hovers around 50 percent… When half of each additional dollar earned is taxed away, taxpayers experience a disincentive to start businesses or expand existing ones. This leads to fewer jobs being created.

Why is HAMAS Inside Tampa Schools?

Clare Lopez

Kelly Miliziano, who teaches history classes at Steinbrenner High School in the Tampa, Florida area apparently thinks it’s perfectly OK to invite a senior official of a HAMAS-affiliated organization into her classroom to discuss Islam with her students. According to local media reports, not only has this been going on for years, but in spite of the civil and criminal proceedings that could result from such reckless negligence, the Hillsborough County school superintendent, Mary Ellen Elia, and the chairman of the school board, Candy Olson, also expressed approval for students under their responsibility to be exposed repeatedly to guest speaker, Hassan Shibly, who is the Executive Director for the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) in the Tampa area.
More...

Did You Know... Ignoring the Call to Islam will Bring Jihad

‘Conquest through Da’wa [proselytizing] that is what we hope for. We will conquer Europe, we will conquer America! Not through sword but through Da’wa.’
-- Yousef al-Qaradawi , Muslim Brotherhood spiritual leader The Arabic word ‘Da’wa’ means the “call to Islam.” But do not think that Da’wa is the same thing as an invitation to an optional holiday event. The classical Islamic doctrine of jihad mandates that enemies must be given the opportunity to convert to Islam or pay the jizya tax before it is permissible to attack them.
Clare M. Lopez

Who is being discriminated-facts tell the truth

Religious bias

Hate crimes motivated by religious bias accounted for 1,409 offenses reported by law enforcement. A breakdown of the bias motivation of religious-bias offenses showed:

65.4 percent were anti-Jewish.
13.2 percent were anti-Islamic.
9.5 percent were anti-other religion, i.e., those not specified.
4.3 percent were anti-Catholic.
3.8 percent were anti-multiple religions, group.
3.3 percent were anti-Protestant.
0.5 percent were anti-Atheism/Agnosticism/etc.

http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/hate-crime/2010/narratives/hate-crime-2010-incidents-and-offenses.

On March 31, 1977, the Dutch newspaper Trouw published an interview

with PLO executive committee member Zahir Muhsein. Here's what he said:

"The Palestinian people does not exist. The creation of a Palestinian state is only a means for continuing our struggle against the state of Israel for our Arab unity. In reality today there is no difference between Jordanians, Palestinians, Syrians and Lebanese. Only for political and tactical reasons do we speak today about the existence of a Palestinian people, since Arab national interests demand that we posit the existence of a distinct "Palestinian people" to oppose Zionism.

For tactical reasons, Jordan, which is a sovereign state with defined borders, cannot raise claims to Haifa and Jaffa, while as a Palestinian, I can undoubtedly demand Haifa, Jaffa, Beer-Sheva and Jerusalem. However, the moment we reclaim our right to all of Palestine, we will not wait even a minute to unite Palestine and Jordan."

In March 1977, Zahir Muhsein, a PLO executive, said:

"The Palestinian people does not exist. The creation of a Palestinian state is only a means for continuing our struggle against the state of Israel for our Arab unity. In reality today there is no difference between Jordanians, Palestinians, Syrians and Lebanese. Only for political and tactical reasons do we speak today about the existence of a Palestinian people, since Arab national interests demand that we posit the existence of a distinct Palestinian people to oppose Zionism."

"For tactical reasons, Jordan, which is a sovereign state with defined borders, cannot raise claims to Haifa and Jaffa, while as a Palestinian, I can undoubtedly demand Haifa, Jaffa, Beer-Sheva and Jerusalem. However, the moment we reclaim our right to all of Palestine, we will not wait even a minute to unite Palestine and Jordan."

The Arab Apartheid

Ben-Dror Yemini
In 1948, the Arab countries refused to accept the UN partition proposal and they launched a war of annihilation against the State of Israel which had barely been established. All precedents in this matter showed that the party that starts the war - and with a declaration of annihilation, yet - pays a price for it. Between 550,000 and 710,000 Arabs fled because of the war and a larger number of 850,000 Jews were expelled or fled from Arab countries (the "Jewish nakba").
Population exchanges and expulsions were the norm at that time, occurring in dozens of other conflict points and affecting about 52 million people. In all the population exchange precedents that occurred during or at the end of an armed conflict, there was no return of refugees to the previous region, which had turned into a new national state.
Only the Arab states acted completely differently from the rest of the world. Instead of assimilating the refugees, they crushed them despite the fact that they were their coreligionists and members of the Arab nation - instituting a regime of apartheid. So the "nakba" was not caused by the actual dispossession, which had also been experienced by tens of millions of others. The "nakba" is the story of the apartheid, oppression, abuse and denial of rights suffered by the Arab refugees at the hands of the Arab countries. (Maariv)

International Law and Military Operations in Practice - Col. Richard Kemp

"Islamist fighting groups study the international laws of armed conflict carefully and they understand it well. They know that a British or Israeli commander and his men are bound by international law and the rules of engagement that flow from it. They then do their utmost to exploit what they view as one of their enemy's main weaknesses. Their very modus operandi is built on the correct assumption that Western armies will normally abide by the rules, while these insurgents employ a deliberate policy of operating consistently outside international law. "

Lost Historical Moments

What Rabin’s last Knesset speech really said:repudiation of a Palestinian state

Rabin ruled out a fully sovereign Palestinian state :

“We view the permanent solution in the framework of State of Israel which will include most of the area of the Land of Israel as it was under the rule of the British Mandate, and alongside it a Palestinian entity which will be a home to most of the Palestinian residents living in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. We would like this to be an entity which is less than a state, and which will independently run the lives of the Palestinians under its authority.”

Rabin ruled out a total withdrawal from Judea and Samaria and thus a return to the pre-June 1967 borders :

“The borders of the State of Israel, during the permanent solution, will be beyond the lines which existed before the Six Day War. We will not return to the 4 June 1967 lines.”

Rabin ruled out withdrawing form the Jordan Valley:

“The security border of the State of Israel will be located in the Jordan Valley, in the broadest meaning of that term.”

Rabin ruled out uprooting settlement blocs, like the Gush Katif bloc in Gaza (which was subsequently uprooted by former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon):

“The establishment of blocs of settlements in Judea and Samaria, like the one in Gush Katif.

AND

Rabin ruled out removing any settlement before coming to a full peace agreement with the Palestinians:

“I want to remind you: we committed ourselves, that is, we came to an agreement, and committed ourselves before the Knesset, not to uproot a single settlement in the framework of the interim agreement, and not to hinder building for natural growth.”

Rabin insisted on Israel retaining full security control of the borders with Egypt and Jordan, contrary to Israel’s relinquishment of the Philadelphia Corridor on the border with Egypt:

“The responsibility for external security along the borders with Egypt and Jordan, as well as control over the airspace above all of the territories and Gaza Strip maritime zone, remains in our hands.”

Correcting Oslo Myths-Part 2

3) Kuttab laments that the post-1993 Oslo process resulted in a Palestinian Authority "whose ministers and legislators are not guaranteed passage between Gaza and the West Bank ...."

Before free passage or other perquisites, PA leaders were obligated, among other things, to eliminate the terrorist infrastructure in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, end anti-Israeli, antisemitic incitement in schools, mosques, and communications media, and resolve all outstanding issues through peaceful negotiations. They met none of these commitments, sometimes bolstering terrorism and greatly increasing incitement.

4) Kuttab complains that under Oslo the PA got "lightly armed police ---- but no real sovereignty over the land or contiguity between our communities in Gaza and the West Bank."

Oslo agreements repeatedly were revised, regardless of Palestinian non-compliance, until the authorized number of police grew from 8,000 to 40,000. Though they were to be the only armed forces in the territories, Israeli estimates early in the second intifada put the number of gunmen - police, "security services," terrorists, and armed gangs - at 85,000. Their armament reportedly included not only heavy machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades, but also anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles.

Sovereignty was to be negotiated in the envisioned 1998 "final status" talks - after a five-year period of confidence-building. Palestinian leadership chronically undermined the process. Palestinian terrorism made the 1993 - 1998 Oslo period more deadly for Israelis than the 15 years preceding it.

The United States doesn't have contiguity between the lower 48 states and Alaska and Hawaii; territorial contiguity between the West Bank and Gaza Strip - that is, through the 20 miles of Israeli territory between them - was never promised and would destroy Israeli contiguity.

5) "Palestinians have been made to endure hundreds of checkpoints in the West Bank, an eight-foot wall deep in our territories, and tight Israeli control over borders."

The security barrier is not "deep in Palestinian territories," but rather encompasses less than 8 percent of Judea and Samaria, and is mostly a fence, rarely a wall; the land in question is not "our [Palestinian] territories" but disputed territory to which, according to the authors of U.N. Security Council Resolution 242, Jews as well as Arabs have claims; and there are no international borders, only the 1949 armistice lines with Jordan. Under 242, borders remain to be negotiated. As for checkpoints - like the security barrier and "tight Israeli control" - Palestinian Arabs precipitated these measures themselves. No terrorism and there would be no fence or tight Israeli control and few checkpoints - like before the first intifada.

Correcting Some Oslo Myths

1) In Oslo "Israeli, Palestinian and other world leaders promised that ... Palestinian sovereignty would be solidified."

No, they didn't. The 1993 Declaration of Principles and subsequent Oslo agreements outlined a process by which final status negotiations about the West Bank and Gaza Strip would be reached. The process required an end to anti-Israel terrorism and incitement and a commitment to peaceful negotiations. The PA, Fatah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and other terrorist groups, sabotaged the process from the start.

2) "The reality is that, in defiance of U.N. Security Council Resolution 242, which states that it is inadmissible to occupy land by force, Palestinian territories are still under foreign military occupation."
Wrong again. Resolution 242 (1967) does note "the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by war." It also affirms the right of every state in the area "to live in peace with secure and recognized boundaries free from threats or acts of force." There were no "Palestinian territories." Jordan occupied the West Bank, Egypt controlled Gaza. Israel did not have "secure and recognized boundaries," so retention of some of those territories was possible under 242. Israel is not a "foreign" military occupier in the West Bank but, pending final negotiations, the lawful military administrator as a result of a successful war of self-defense.

Doc's Talk