September 1990, Page 38

From the Palestine Solidarity Committee

September Convention in New York to Focus on Cutting Aid to Israel

By Rabab Hadi and Jeanne Butterfield

In the Jerusalem Post, U.S. Senator Joseph Lieberman (D-CT) was quoted as saying that "Israel can count on a majority (in Congress) but not an enthusiastic majority." "Lieberman did not rule out the possibility that the $3 billion in [U.S.] aid to Israel would be cut by Congress," the Post added.

The aid issue in the U.S. is part of a growing international focus on sanctions against Israeli occupation, such as those recently implemented by the European Parliament. The alternative seems only to be continuing denial of Palestinian human rights, if not outright transfer and genocide.

These issues will be addressed at the Third National Convention of the Palestine Solidarity Committee (PSC), an American organization with 30 chapters worldwide that support Palestinian rights and work to change U.S. policies in the Middle East.

The Convention, "Mobilizing for Palestinian/Israeli Peace: A U.S. Agenda for the '90s," will be held in New York City Sept. 14-16. Middle East peace activists and concerned individuals will discuss and debate strategies for an effective sanctions campaign against Israeli occupation.

The Convention will begin with an up-to-the-minute analysis of the Palestinian peace strategy, from the vantage point of intifada activists like Bir Zeit University Professor Sari Nusseibeh and Maha Nassar of the Union of Palestinian Women's Committees. Participants will also hear from leading Palestinian Americans, such as Edward Said and Ibrahim Abu-Lughod, both members of the Palestine National Council, and from Professor Naseer Aruri and Zuhdi Terzi, the chief PLO representative at the U.N.

The Israeli peace movement perspective will be addressed by Chaya Amir, an organizer in the Tel Aviv-based Women's Organization for Political Prisoners. Jewish, African American, peace, labor and women's movement representatives will discuss the massive U.S. aid to Israel, and consider how to build support within their constituencies for a sanctions campaign to end the occupation.

The Convention will close with workshops to equip activists with tools for developing concrete plans for the grassroots movements to become more involved in a sanctions campaign, to change U.S. policy to one of real support for Palestinian/Israeli peace.

For more information on the PSC Convention, contact the PSC national office at P.O. Box 372, Peck Slip Station, New York, NY 10272, or call (212) 227-1435 or fax (212) 227-1581.

Rabab Hadi is a member of the National Executive Committee of PSC. Jeanne Butterfield is PSC's Executive Director.