CISPES has signed on to this important open letter on US policy related to Israel/Palestine and the recent destruction and loss of life in Gaza.

From the US campaign to End the Israeli Occupation

We Need a Change in Israel/Palestine Policy

DearPresident-Elect Obama,

Congratulations on your historic electionas the next President of the United States.

Last year, you pledged to takean active role, and make a personal commitment to do all I can toadvance the cause of [Israeli-Palestinian] peace from the start of myAdministration. We are eager to workwith you to fulfill this goal.

To do so, yourAdministration should break with past policies of unconditionalsupport for Israel's illegal military occupation of the PalestinianWest Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza Strip, and change U.S. policytoward Israel/Palestine to support human rights, international law,and equality.

We agree with AaronDavid Miller, a 25-year State Department Middle East negotiator andadviser on Arab-Israeli affairs, who wrote that For far too long,many American officials involved in Arab-Israeli peacemaking, myselfincluded, have acted as Israel's attorney, catering and coordinatingwith the Israelis at the expense of successful peace negotiations.

To become an honestand effective broker, your Administration should:

*Insist that Israel ends its siege of the Gaza Strip.Israel has deliberately impoverished the 1.5 million residents ofthe Gaza Strip and caused a humanitarian catastrophe of direproportions by prohibiting the delivery of food, medicine, fuel, andelectricity. Your Administration should insist on the illegality ofcollective punishment and support the human rights of Palestinianssuch as freedom of movement as a first step towards ending Israel'soccupation of the Gaza Strip.

* Demand afreeze in the construction of settlements and Israel's Wall in theWest Bank. Israel's West Banksettlements, including those in East Jerusalem, are all illegal underinternational law,and the International Court of Justice ruled in2004 that Israel's Wall is illegal and must be torn down. Haltingthis construction should be a first step toward completelydismantling the infrastructure of Israel's occupation of the WestBank and East Jerusalem, which former President Jimmy Carter,Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and others have labeled apartheid.

* HoldIsrael accountable for its misuse of U.S. weapons. In2007, the United States and Israel agreed to increase military aid toIsrael by 25% over the next decade, totaling $30 billion. During theBush Administration, Israel killed more than 2,000 innocentPalestinian civilians who took no part in hostilities, oftentimeswith U.S. weapons in violation of the Arms Export Control and ForeignAssistance Acts. Your Administration should hold Israel accountablefor these violations of U.S. law and cut off military aid as requiredby law, rather than increase it.

*End the U.S. veto protecting Israel at the United Nations. TheUnited States has used its veto power at the UN more than 40 timessince 1972 to shield Israel from the consequences of its violationsof human rights, UN resolutions, and international law. YourAdministration should work with, not in opposition to, theinternational community so that human rights, UN resolutions, andinternational law are applied and enforced uniformly.

* Base ajust peace on human rights, international law, and equality. Sucha policy is the only way to ensure the legitimate security needs ofall peoples and can only be achieved by engaging in dialog with allinterested parties. A just and lasting Israeli-Palestinian peaceincludes the complete end of Israel's military occupation of the WestBank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza Strip; a resolution to the Palestinianrefugee issue consistent with international law and UN resolutions,including the right of return and/or compensation;and full equality for Palestinian citizens of Israel. Apolicy denying Palestinians these internationally-guaranteed rightswill only lead to yet another failed peace process.