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During his trip to Egypt, president Obama should visit Gaza
PEACE & JUSTICE ACROSS BORDERS, Inc.
Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere
PRESS RELEASE
During his trip to Egypt, president Obama should visit Gaza
June 4, 2009
Ever since the creation of Israel and forced expulsion of the Palestinians from their ancestral homeland of Palestine, the world has seen several wars in the Middle East and instability in many regions of the globe. Today, the Palestinians remain in the Diaspora, awaiting fulfillment of return to the land of their forefathers. The most significant hurdles obstructing Palestinian dreams are: 1) Israel's intransigence and continued illegal occupation, and continued expansion of Jewish settlements in of what has remained of Palestine. 2) United States unconditional support of Israel and US indifference toward Israel's violations of Palestinian human rights.
The era of George W. Bush administration has been particularly painful for the Palestinians and their supporters, particularly among Arab and Muslim nations. Many Muslim and Arab Charitable organizations in the USA and elsewhere in Europe were closed at the Behest of the Bush Administration. Those charity organizations had provided sustenance and humanitarian aid for Palestinian refugees for many years until their forced closure. The occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq has also exasperated relations between the United States and Muslim/Arab World. United States military operations and destabilizing tactics, such as those being undertaken now against Iran, will never lead to resolutions of contentious issues or enhanced US security; they only lead to more conflict and bloodshed.
Although the Bush Administration had declared that democracy and human rights would be advocated throughout the world, what happened in reality was the opposite as we witnessed resurgence of dictatorial regimes. Now President Obama has expressed commitment to democracy and human rights, reiterating the same words as his predecessor, but would he restore substance to those words, hollowed of any meaning during his predecessor's reign. However, we were concerned when he stated a few days ago that we do not intend to force our way of life on others; primarily, to allay fears of the dictatorial regimes in the Middle East. We wish to remind President Obama that those values of democracy and human rights are universal values and the core of all human rights, and that without justice for the Palestinians there will be no peace in the Middle East or anywhere else. It is befitting to note our organization's slogan peace and justice as the two are indivisible.
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