Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, December 2004, page 5

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Now It’s Time to Roll Up Our Sleeves.

Throughout the recent election campaign, we were only too aware that, whichever candidate won, the harsh reality of the occupations in Palestine and Iraq would continue. Neither candidate offered a real alternative when it came to solving these core conflicts. Now that the elections are over, it’s vital for all of us to work even harder than ever and...

Keep Our Eyes on the Ball.

Perhaps one of the most sobering realities of the Nov. 2 election results is that a majority of Americans think the country should continue on its present course. Even though Sen. John Kerry, like President George W. Bush, embraces Ariel Sharon’s Gaza “disengagement” plan—and, apparently, anything else the Grim Reaper of Gaza wants—a Kerry victory at least would have indicated that Americans know something is dangerously wrong, and that they are not more, but less safe than they were on 9/11. There is one way in which we might want to emulate the neocons, however, and that is to…

Not Take No for an Answer.

Did they give up, for example, in the years when they were out of power, and it looked like they might not be able to get the U.S. to invade Iraq on Israel’s behalf? Nosiree Bob. And we have an unbeatable advantage over those who seek to hijack American values of justice and fair play—not to mention taxpayer dollars—on behalf of a foreign nation which practices racism and ethnic cleansing:

The Facts Are on Our Side.

We must face the fact, however, that Americans today not only are misinformed, but fearful. But that does not mean they support the shooting of children by army snipers, the imprisonment and deliberate humiliation of an entire people—and certainly not the deaths of young Americans to protect such a “cause.” Our task, then, is to reach these Americans and convince them that…

Justice, Not Weapons, Brings Peace.

Stopping the bloodshed and conflict in Iraq and Palestine, and ending abuses of civil and human rights at home and abroad is essential to begin repairing America’s damaged prestige in the world. Having only Israel and the Marshall Islands as allies won’t really cut it in today’s world. And now that President Bush no longer has to worry about re-election, he can concentrate on leaving a real legacy behind him in 2008. If, on the other hand,

Bush Wants to Play the Bully ...

Let him bully his buddy Sharon into withdrawing from territories Israel has occupied illegally since 1967. Let him insist that Sharon agrees to allow international peacekeepers into Gaza and the West Bank, where…

The Facts on the Ground Are Grim.

As we went to press, President Yasser Arafat’s worsening medical condition provoked intense sadness as well as worried speculation about his succession. In 2004 Israeli soldiers in Gaza killed an average of 45 Palestinians a month—up from 34 a month in 2003. During the past four years Israeli demolitions have made 24,547 Gazans homeless. In 2004, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) demolished an average of 120 residential buildings a month—or four every day—making approximately 1,200 Palestinians a month homeless. Since September 2000, over 221,000 olive trees have been uprooted in the occupied territories, at an estimated cost of U.S. $15.5 million. The export of olive oil, which normally comprises 15 to 19 percent of Palestinian agricultural output, has nearly ceased this year. The IDF’s leveling of land around Israeli settlements in Gaza (which Sharon has promised to vacate) on the pretext of “security” has increased food insecurity there. Over 50 percent of Beit Hanoun’s agricultural land, citrus fruit trees and olive trees have been destroyed in the last four years. Even before the recent Israeli invasion, Gaza’s poverty rate was predicted to rise to 72 percent by 2006. Unless access restrictions are lifted, Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza will not reduce poverty for 1.4 million Palestinians living in Gaza. Are Americans willing to be silent accessories to…

Murder by Strangulation?

We know our readers aren’t—and we don’t think the majority of Americans are, either. It’s a terrible irony, however, that the events of 9/11, which were the result of our misguided and one-sided policies in the Middle East, have resulted in an expansion of those policies, with the invasion of Iraq. If the neocons get their way, Iran and Syria may be next in line. At the same time, the very freedoms for which “they hate us” are being whittled away.

During the Holy Month of Ramadan…

Muslims are required to give to the poor. Since December 2001, however, federal investigators have raided or shut down Islamic charities. None of the raids has led to terrorism-related convictions, but they have created a climate of fear for Muslim Americans trying to fulfill their religious obligations and help the needy. When Arab- and Muslim-American groups asked the U.S. government for a list of Islamic charities not suspected of terrorist ties to which they could donate, the Justice Department responded that such a request was impossible to fulfill. See p. 81 for the Washington Report’s annual list of charitable organizations. For all who want to help Palestinians survive…

’Tis the Season.

We’re Cutting Costs to Stay Afloat.

Readers may notice that, as promised, this issue of the Washington Report is leaner and meaner. Unfortunately, this is not only for aesthetic reasons. Even as we increased type size in response to reader requests, we’ve been forced to cut 16 pages from this—and, we fear, future—issues in order to cut costs. We’ve deleted “Issues in the News,” published fewer letters from our readers and to other publications, and omitted many conferences and events we covered for our “activism” section. Next year subscribers will receive nine instead of 10 issues. We’ll continue to shorten articles so we can use more pictures and fewer words. We’ll cut more staff if necessary. To put it bluntly...

We’re in Survival Mode.

Not only individuals, but nonprofit organizations such as the American Educational Trust, which publishes the Washington Report, have been affected by the climate of fear in this country—at the very time when our voice is most needed. The mainstream media’s bias means that the Washington Report often is the only press in attendance at a news conference, panel discussion, lecture, protest, or vigil concerning Middle East justice. Our writers provide hard-to-find information on what is happening in the region and who is paying for it. Without such resources, an informed electorate is not possible. And…

An Informed Electorate Is Our Goal.

Your response to our first donation letter was heartening, as always. But contributions received so far will cover production costs for only one issue of the Washington Report. That leaves eight to pay for. This year’s second, and final, appeal will be mailed within a month. If we don’t seriously increase our support—remember, we have a choir of angels, not one big Daddy Warbucks angel—we face the real possibility of having to close our offices. Even if we are able to still publish an Internet version of the magazine, there is a real need for the Washington Report to be available as an alternative magazine available on newsstands and in libraries.

Please Help Us Survive…

So we can continue to publish the truth about America’s role in the Middle East and what our country’s true interests there are. At this dangerous time for not only Palestinians, Iraqis and others in the Middle East, but for America as well, as it stands»on the brink of isolation and fear, please help ensure that our voices will be heard in 2008, 2012 and for as long as it takes. We ask you to be as generous as you possibly can and....

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