The Defending the Human Rights of Palestinian Children and Families Living Under Israeli Military Occupation Act (H.R. 2590) was recently introduced by Rep. Betty McCollum (MN-04). This legislation would prohibit the use of U.S. funds to support the military detention of children, the demolition of Palestinian homes, and further annexation of Palestinian territory. These practices violate Palestinians’ safety, dignity, and human rights and are inconsistent with international law and longstanding American policy.
Together, with the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) and Quaker communities across the country, the Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) calls on Friends everywhere to urge Congress to protect the rights of Palestinian children.
“Peace can only be achieved by respecting human rights, especially the rights of children . . . Congress must stop ignoring the unjust and blatantly cruel mistreatment of Palestinian children and families living under Israeli military occupation.”
Rep. Betty McCollum (MN-4)
H.R.2590 – To promote and protect the human rights of Palestinians living under Israeli military occupation and to ensure that United States taxpayer funds are not used by the Government of Israel to support the military detention of Palestinian children, the unlawful seizure, appropriation, and destruction of Palestinian property and forcible transfer of civilians in the West Bank, or further annexation of Palestinian land in violation of international law.
https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/2590
“Detaining children in a military court system, destroying Palestinian property and expanding Israeli control over Palestinian lands should not be supported by U.S. taxpayers,” said Jennifer Bing, director of the American Friends Service Committee’s Palestine Activism program. “Funding these abuses with our tax dollars is contrary to promoting human rights, dignity, and equality which are critical to achieving a just and lasting peace for Palestinians and Israelis.”
New bill would protect the rights of Palestinian children and families
Quaker org urges fast passage to protect human rights. American Friends Service Committee. Apr 16, 2021
During the annual sessions of Iowa Yearly Meeting (Conservative) in 2014, the following was approved as part of the Peace and Social Concerns Committee report.
We ask the yearly meeting clerk to mail a copy of this letter to our elected representatives in the U.S. Congress. We also encourage Friends to use any parts of this for letters to others, such as newspaper editors:
Dear Representative/ Senator _,
The Israeli government, with U.S. aid, now has the most powerful military in the Middle East. In 2008 Israel attacked Gaza, with 1400 civilian casualties. In 2013 Israel attacked Lebanon, with 750 civilian casualties. Currently Israel is engaging in a massive military siege of Palestine, with over 800 civilian deaths so far. All three of these Israel assaults have involved devastating destruction of schools, hospitals, power plants, and other infrastructure.
Tragically, we the American taxpayers are paying for this human rights travesty. Israel receives 9.9 million U.S. dollars each day in military aid from us. This makes it our largest aid recipient in the world. While Americans are struggling to make ends meet and our government struggles to maintain our own infrastructure, we are subsidizing Israel to conduct activities in direct opposition to international law.
We ask that no more military aid be given to the Israeli government.
The following is part of the Yearly Meeting’s Exercise of the Spirit Committee Report that year (2014).
It almost doesn’t seem right to be here with our family and friends in this wonderful place, to be so blessed, while all around we see the children on the border, the poor and hungry, and war and suffering in Palestine and elsewhere. It seems we can do so little, but we must be faithful and do what we can and pray . . . pray . . . pray.
During annual sessions of Iowa Yearly Meeting (Conservative) that year (2014), Christine Ashley, then the head of Scattergood Friends School, organized a trip that took the Peace and Social Concerns Committee to Iowa City to attend a vigil to call attention to the plight of Palestinians.
NOTE: More and larger photos can be found here
Quakers, social justice and revolution 