Friday, November 18, 2005
AN URGENT APPEAL FOR ACTION BEFORE ISRAEL IS SERIOUSLY DAMAGED!!
AN URGENT APPEAL FOR ACTION BEFORE ISRAEL IS SERIOUSLY DAMAGED!!
Arlene Kushner akushner@netvision.net.il
November 18, 2005
I am calling on everyone who receives this to act on behalf of Israel's security. We are all aware of the horrendous agreement that Condoleezza Rice coerced on the government of Israel with regard to Rafah. It seems (this is from Steve Rodan of the Middle East News Line) that the agreement has not actually been signed yet. It may not be too late to stop it, and we must at least try. We all know of the Palestinian duplicity with regard to honoring agreements, but now we have evidence of this that must be publiced absolutely as widely and as quickly as possible.
On November 17, an article about the agreement appeared on the website of the Palestinian National Authority’s International Press Center (an official site)(http://www.ipc.gov.ps/ipc_new/english/details.asp?name=11835). In part it read:
“Meanwhile, the director of borders and crossings, Salim Abu Safiyyeh, asserted that there won't be any live video streams to the Israeli side via the surveillance cameras installed in Rafah terminal, pointing out that even the joint control room will not receive these live feeds, and will be only for the presence of the third party that will monitor the borders.”
This is in direct defiance of the agreement, which said that a liaison office, headed by the third party (the EU) would receive real time video and data feed from Rafah that the Israelis would have access to.
We must use this information.
In the States, I call upon you to contact Sec. Rice and President Bush with this. A hard copy letter is absolutely the most effective means of conveying the message -- whether the letter is mailed or faxed. Other than this, a phone call would be good, and an e-mail, which can be readily deleted, or can simply clog up mailboxes, the last resort.
Where faxes are concerned, I have acquired multiple fax numbers within the U.S. gov't. Please, when sending a fax, include a cover letter that says, as appropriate, it is for the direct attention of the president or the secretary of state.
Please, take the time now. I cannot emphasize enough that VOLUME of response counts so that your participation is needed.
Letters to the editors of papers all over the country are also extremely important. You will have to locate addresses for your respective papers. Often letters can be sent by e-mail.
Here in Israel, there must be letters to the editors of papers as well as communication to Defense Minister Mofaz, who negotiated the deal, and MK Yuval Steinitz, who chairs the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. Wherever possible these communications should be in Hebrew.
There are two attachments to this posting. One provides sample letters. The letters include all of the pertinent information -- and in the ones to the Israeli contacts there are some specific mentions. But please, try to change the wording, while retaining the details of information exactly and the sense of it. The other provides the contact information -- snail mail addresses, phone and fax numbers, e-mail addresses.
Please take the time to forward this to everyone you think might help. You can simply forward this as is. (If you "forward" the attachments will not get lost.) Get this on as many sympathetic lists as possible. And quickly.
Here in Israel, I am rushing to complete this before Shabbat. I wish to make it clear that I am not requesting or advocating that any Jew continue this effort over Shabbat.
With heartfelt appreciation,
Arlene
Arlene Kushner akushner@netvision.net.il
November 18, 2005
I am calling on everyone who receives this to act on behalf of Israel's security. We are all aware of the horrendous agreement that Condoleezza Rice coerced on the government of Israel with regard to Rafah. It seems (this is from Steve Rodan of the Middle East News Line) that the agreement has not actually been signed yet. It may not be too late to stop it, and we must at least try. We all know of the Palestinian duplicity with regard to honoring agreements, but now we have evidence of this that must be publiced absolutely as widely and as quickly as possible.
On November 17, an article about the agreement appeared on the website of the Palestinian National Authority’s International Press Center (an official site)(http://www.ipc.gov.ps/ipc_new/english/details.asp?name=11835). In part it read:
“Meanwhile, the director of borders and crossings, Salim Abu Safiyyeh, asserted that there won't be any live video streams to the Israeli side via the surveillance cameras installed in Rafah terminal, pointing out that even the joint control room will not receive these live feeds, and will be only for the presence of the third party that will monitor the borders.”
This is in direct defiance of the agreement, which said that a liaison office, headed by the third party (the EU) would receive real time video and data feed from Rafah that the Israelis would have access to.
We must use this information.
In the States, I call upon you to contact Sec. Rice and President Bush with this. A hard copy letter is absolutely the most effective means of conveying the message -- whether the letter is mailed or faxed. Other than this, a phone call would be good, and an e-mail, which can be readily deleted, or can simply clog up mailboxes, the last resort.
Where faxes are concerned, I have acquired multiple fax numbers within the U.S. gov't. Please, when sending a fax, include a cover letter that says, as appropriate, it is for the direct attention of the president or the secretary of state.
Please, take the time now. I cannot emphasize enough that VOLUME of response counts so that your participation is needed.
Letters to the editors of papers all over the country are also extremely important. You will have to locate addresses for your respective papers. Often letters can be sent by e-mail.
Here in Israel, there must be letters to the editors of papers as well as communication to Defense Minister Mofaz, who negotiated the deal, and MK Yuval Steinitz, who chairs the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. Wherever possible these communications should be in Hebrew.
There are two attachments to this posting. One provides sample letters. The letters include all of the pertinent information -- and in the ones to the Israeli contacts there are some specific mentions. But please, try to change the wording, while retaining the details of information exactly and the sense of it. The other provides the contact information -- snail mail addresses, phone and fax numbers, e-mail addresses.
Please take the time to forward this to everyone you think might help. You can simply forward this as is. (If you "forward" the attachments will not get lost.) Get this on as many sympathetic lists as possible. And quickly.
Here in Israel, I am rushing to complete this before Shabbat. I wish to make it clear that I am not requesting or advocating that any Jew continue this effort over Shabbat.
With heartfelt appreciation,
Arlene
