November 15, 2002

Open Letter to the Congressmen and women
of the United States Congress and State Assemblies

            Mass expulsion or "ethnic cleansing" of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Territories in Palestine is increasingly being advocated openly by the Israeli government. These Israelis look to the possibility of a US war with Iraq as a "cover" under which to carry out this ethnic cleansing. Recent polls show that 40% of Israelis are in favor of it, while almost a third favor expelling Palestinians who are Israeli citizens as well.

            In October, 2002 ninety-eight Israeli academics sent a cry of alarm about this possibility of a mass expulsion of Palestinians to the world community. They wrote: "We members of Israeli academe are horrified by U.S. build up of aggression against Iraq and by the Israeli political leadership's enthusiastic support for it. We are deeply worried that the "fog of war" could be exploited by the Israeli government to commit further crimes against the Palestinian people, up to full-fledged ethnic cleansing. The Israeli ruling coalition includes parties that promote "transfer" of the Palestinian population as a solution to what they call "the demographic problem." Politicians are regularly quoted in the media as suggesting forcible expulsion… Escalating racist demagoguery concerning Palestinian citizens of Israel may indicate the scope of the crimes are being contemplated. We call upon the international community to pay close attention to events that unfold within Israel and the Occupied Territories, to make it absolutely clear that crimes against humanity will not be tolerated and to take concrete measures to prevent such crimes from taking place."

            We call upon you, members of United States' state and national governments, to openly and clearly take a stand against any such ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from their homeland in Palestine by the Israeli government. This cannot wait until these events have already happened, only to express some shock and light taps on the wrist to rebuke the Israeli government for having engaged in such crimes. What is needed is clear statements now that such crimes will not be tolerated and that the United States government is prepared to take concrete steps to protect the Palestinian people from such ethnic cleansing and to prevent the Israeli government from using any possible war in Iraq or any other events to carry out such crimes. Clear sanctions must be enunciated in advance to forestall such crimes from happening. We ask you to make such a statement of intention to your constituencies, fellow congressmen and women, to the US media and to the Israeli government

Sincerely,

Friends of Sabeel-North America