HEBRON URGENT ACTION: Tell U.S. Senate to stop punishing Abu Muneer
CPTnet
22 June 2006
HEBRON URGENT ACTION: Tell U.S. Senate to stop punishing Abu Muneer
by Mary Yoder
Abu Muneer (not his real name), a valuable Palestinian friend to Christian
Peacemaker Teams, is in a terrible family and financial crisis. A Hebron
city engineer for the past twenty-seven years, he also works for the
Palestinian Authority (PA) as a consultant on Israeli settlements and the
Separation Wall. He and another 140,000 Palestinians are dependent on U.S.
and European Union (E.U.) aid for survival.
In the January PA elections, Abu Muneer's entire extended family voted, as
well as over 80% of his village. The world praised the Palestinians for
their democratic elections. But the U.S. cut off aid to the Palestinians
because of the Hamas victory.
Abu Muneer has received no paycheck since February. Although the US could
continue to pay the PA through the president, Mahmoud Abbas, it has
completely shut off aid money.
Abu Muneer is the sole provider for fifteen members of his extended family,
four of whom are university students. The cost for them alone is $2,600 per
month with $20/day (85 shekels @ 4.45 exchange rate) just for
transportation. His family savings are gone. He fears that if someone
became sick, he would have no money for medical expenses.
Abu Muneer had six acres of his land confiscated by the construction of the
Separation Wall in 2004. Now in 2006, a Palestinian bank will confiscate
his remaining two acres as payment for money borrowed two months ago--
borrowed to educate and feed his family. In a frightening spiral of debt,
Abu Muneer does not know how his family will survive the next several
months.
University professors, school teachers, doctors and nurses have received no
salary for four months. Abu Muneer also says that the Israeli government
took these elections as an excuse to issue three more military orders for
land confiscation, annexing more land to Israel. Abu Muneer fears that the
increased hardships and poverty will cause a rise in violence. "What if
Palestine becomes like Iraq?" he asks sadly.
What possible purpose is served by punishing citizens like Abu Muneer--city
workers, teachers, doctors and nurses?
ACT NOW! The US House of Representatives recently voted to discontinue aid
to the Palestinians. The vote is coming up quickly in the U.S. Senate under
Senate Resolution 2370. This resolution would not only cut off aid to the
Palestinians but would also place restrictions on other countries giving aid
by using various means of pressure. Call or send a brief note to your
Senator immediately.
To contact your Senator, call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 or
visit www.Senate.gov <http://www.Senate.gov>
Tell your Senator:
· Withholding aid does not reflect our national,
Christian/religious values and will only lead to greater instability,
resentment and even violence
· Withholding aid weakens Palestinian moderates and undermines the
US' ability to remain engaged in peacemaking.
· Withholding AID will not provide the U.S. President with the
flexibility required to effectively conduct U.S. policy toward the
Palestinians
For more information on this critical issue see a special report in the
Guardian (UK): UN Calls for Massive Rise in Palestinian Aid,
http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,,1787076,00.html
To sign an online petition asking the U.S. and E.U. to reinstate aid go to