{news} Fw: Please support Prop 471, amended GPUS Platform plank on Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Sun Jul 11 11:38:33 EDT 2010

Hi CT Greens,
FYI.  I just sent this onto our CTGP delegates to the NC.
I urge your support for Prop 471, GPUS platform amendment on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Thanks, 
Justine  

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Justine McCabe 
To: Jeff Russell, GPCT ; Mike DeRosa ; Charlie Pillsbury ; Tim McKee ; Richard Duffee ; GScottDeshefy at deshefyforcongress.org 
Sent: Sunday, July 11, 2010 11:36 AM
Subject: Please support Prop 471, amended GPUS Platform plank on Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Dear GPCT Delegates to the NC, 

As you know, amendments to the GPUS Platform are now up for discussion.  Among them, is an amended plank on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, offered by David Schwartzman/DC Statehood Greens.

This is on the NC voting page http://gp.org/cgi-bin/vote/propdetail?pid=471:

Prop 471, Foreign Policy: A Real Road to Peace in the Middle East.

Discussion is from 7/5-7/18, with voting beginning on 7/19-7/25.

I urge you to vote for this amendment.

This amendment contains a few specific policy changes from the 2004 GPUS-approved platform. There are two main changes:

1) New paragraph h., to include GPUS endorsement of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) against Israel, which was approved by the NC in 2005 via Prop 190.  This proposal was offered and approved by the NC in response to a 2005 Palestinian civil society call following Israel's failure to adhere to the 2004 decision by International Court of Justice condemning Israel's apartheid wall and seizure of Palestinian land  (see: Greens, Calling for Palestinian Rights, Urge Divestment from Israel" http://www.gp.org/press/pr_2005_11_28.shtml) 

2) Substitution of 2004's paragraph k.--support for  "a U.S. foreign policy that promotes serious reconsideration of the creation of one secular, democratic state for Palestinians and Israelis,"  WITH

Amended paragraph i.-- Endorsement of the "one, secular, democratic state solution":  "we view the two-state solution as neither democratic nor viable in the face of international law, material conditions and 'facts on the ground' that now exist in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Given this reality, we support a U.S. foreign policy that promotes the creation of one secular, democratic state for Palestinians and Israelis 

Here is the language, side by side: 

2004 Platform: 

k. We know that significant international opinion is committed to a two-state solution. Yet, we recognize that the two-state solution may be increasingly unrealistic in the face of economic and social conditions in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Given this reality, we would consider support for a U.S. foreign policy that promotes serious reconsideration of the creation of one secular, democratic state for Palestinians and Israelis on the land between the Mediterranean Sea and the River Jordan as the national home of both peoples, with Jerusalem as its capital. We encourage a new U.S. diplomatic initiative to begin the long process of negotiation, laying the groundwork for such a single-state constitution.

2010 Amendment to that platform plank:

i. We recognize that international opinion has been committed to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Yet, we view the two-state solution as neither democratic nor viable in the face of international law, material conditions and "facts on the ground" that now exist in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Given this reality, we support a U.S. foreign policy that promotes the creation of one secular, democratic state for Palestinians and Israelis on the land between the Mediterranean Sea and the River Jordan as the national home of both peoples, with Jerusalem as its capital. We encourage a new U.S. diplomatic initiative to begin the long process of negotiation, laying the groundwork for such a single-state constitution.

Other changes: 

3) Proposed changes in paragraph d.: 

Addition of: "and maintains an apartheid-like system in both the Occupied Palestinian Territories and in Israel toward its non-Jewish citizens; and "ends its siege of Gaza and its apartheid-like system both within the Occupied Palestinian Territories and in Israel toward its non-Jewish citizens."  

4) 2004 paragraph h., becomes paragraph g., with the addition of:

 "in Palestine-Israel, especially violations committed during Israel's 2008-2009 invasion of Gaza ("Operation Cast Lead") as documented in the 2009 "UN Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict" ("The Goldstone Report") authorized by the UN Commission on Human Rights." 

(For side-by-side comparison of the 2004 language and the proposed/amended language for this entire plank, see http://www.gp.org/committees/platform/comments/?p=544. 

A brief history of the development of this policy is included below.

Again, I urge your support for Prop 471.

Thanks, 

Justine McCabe

GPCT delegate to GPUS International and Platform Committees

Co-Chair, International Committee, GPUS 

 =================================

BACKGROUND

As a US political party, Greens have a particular interest and responsibility for developing a different policy on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: 

1) Our government has an essential role in sustaining the conflict by its enormous financial aid to Israel and political support (at the UN, etc.) for scores of Israeli violations of international law, as well as by its support for the more regressive elements of the Palestinian Authority and its quisling leader, Mahmoud Abbas;  

2) US security and regional peace in the Middle East depend on a just resolution of the conflict.  US unequivocal support for Israeli human rights violations against the Palestinian people is a main source of antipathy to the US/the West among Muslims/the world's formerly colonized peoples who identify with Palestinians.  US support not only decreases US/Western national security, but also contributes to Middle East and international instability.
http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=41982
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/14/world/14clash.html
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/65b122b6-e8c0-11dd-a4d0-0000779fd2ac.html?nclick_check=1 

http://mideast.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2010/03/14/the_petraeus_briefing_biden_s_embarrassment_is_not_the_whole_story

Beginning in 2000, GPUS began defining elements of a policy on this conflict, much of it through the International Committee.  This has been an organically developed policy, consisting of various proposals to GPUS and party-approved press releases. Adherence to international law and non-violence have been guiding principles. 

These policy elements were responses to the conflict's recent evolution, including the following significant historical events of the past 10 years:

*End of the first, mainly non-violent Palestinian Intifada; 

*Failure of the Oslo "peace process" during which the Palestinian Authority was created and during which there was a 50% increase in the illegal Jewish settlement population;

*Beginning of the more violent second Intifada, including Palestinian and Israeli state terrorism;

*Construction of Israel's "apartheid wall" throughout the West Bank, including East Jerusalem and the concomitant seizure of Palestinian land, illegal according to a 2004 International Court of Justice ruling; 

*Israeli redeployment from Gaza and "transfer" of 5000 Jewish settlers to the West Bank; *Democratic election of the Palestinian Hamas government beginning in 2006, rejected by the US and Israel and subsequent US-backed Palestinian civil war between Hamas and Fatah/PLO, resulting in Hamas rule of Gaza, and Fatah/PLO in West Bank; 

*Israel's-US backed 2006 invasion of Lebanon, destroying much of South Lebanon's infrastructure and deaths of hundreds of civilians;

*Ongoing illegal Israeli blockade and siege of Gaza begun in 2007;

*Massive three-week, US-supported assault by Israel on Gaza (12/2008-1/2009), resulting in the killing of 1400 Gazans--mostly civilians--and 13 Israelis of whom 3 were civilians; 

*UN's Richard Goldstone Report condemning the assault as involving war crimes mainly by Israel, and to a much lesser degree, by Hamas; 

*Israel's US-supported rejection of the report; 

*Ongoing institutional discrimination in Israel against non-Jewish Israeli citizens (about 28% of the population), including ongoing seizure and "Judaization" of Palestinian areas in Israel (Galilee and Negev);

*Increasing international support for the BDS movement and growing recognition by most close observers, including Jewish-Israelis and Palestinians that there is no just, viable "two state" solution, and the call for one, democratic secular state in Israel-Palestine.            

The following are GPUS foreign policy platform "planks" on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict contained in either the 2004 GPUS Platform or in GPUS-approved press releases, and which are contained in Prop 471: 

*Support for the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes in Israel in 2001. This "right of return" is regarded as the linchpin to any enduring peace in Israel-Palestine.  See 2004 IC essay describing the rational for this position and how the one-state solution satisfies this right and that of all the inhabitants of Israel-Palestine. http://www.gp.org/committees/intl/response_on_palestine.html   

-"Greens Endorse Mass Rally for Palestinian Refugee Rights, April 06, 2001 

http://www.gp.org/press/pr_04_06_01.html.  

-"Kerry is Indistinguishable from Bush on Israel and Palestine."

http://www.gp.org/press/pr_04_22_04.html

-"GREENS WARN THAT ISRAEL'S GAZA 'DISENGAGEMENT PLAN' WILL NOT BRING PEACE
Adherence to international law, including Palestinian refugees' right of return, remains key, say Greens.

http://www.gp.org/press/pr_2005_08_16.shtml 

-"Text of Cynthia McKinney's speech prepared for conference in Damascus on Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the denial of the Right of Return for Palestinians" 

http://www.gp.org/press/pr-national.php?ID=150 December, 2008

*Support for an international peacekeeping body to protect civilians especially:  

-"Greens Call for an International Peacekeeping Body to Enforce a Middle East Ceasefire."

http://www.gp.org/press/pr_04_03_02.html 

*Support for non-violent resistance to occupation: 

-"U.S. Greens Support Peacemakers in Israel and Occupied Palestine." 

http://www.gp.org/press/pr_04_09_02.html 

-"Greens See Hope in Palestinian Nonviolent Protests and resistance to Israel's Occupation" 

http://www.gp.org/press/pr_10_07_02.html

-"Greens See Promise in Non-Violent Protest Efforts by Palestinians, Express Support for Hunger Strike by Political Prisoners."

http://www.gp.org/press/pr_09_08_04b.html 

-"Greens Renew Call for Investigation of Rachel Corrie's Death"

http://www.gp.org/press/pr_03_15_04.html 

*Support for Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) against Israel until occupation ends, equality under the law for all in Israel-Palestine  

-"Greens, Calling for Palestinian Rights, Urge Divestment from Israel"

http://www.gp.org/press/pr_2005_11_28.shtml

*Opposition to violations of US arms control laws by Israel:

-" Slaughter of Lebanese and Palestinian civilians is a punishable war crime; use of U.S. weapons for such purposes violates U.S. laws"

http://www.gp.org/press/pr_2006_07_20.shtml

*Support for ending military aid to Israel:

-"New US military aid to Israel and the Lieberman-Kyle amendment bring the US closer to war with Iran, say Greens"

http://www.gp.org/press/pr_2007_10_08.shtml 

-"Greens urge economic pressure and cutoff of all military aid to Israel as Gaza situation worsens"

http://www.gp.org/press/pr-national.php?ID=35 

 *Support for nuclear disarmament in the Middle East by all, including Israel:

-"Us goals in the Middle East must include multilateral disarmament and end US political and military domination over the region, assert Greens*

http://www.gp.org/press/pr-national.php?ID=67 June, 2008

*Support for the "one-state" solution" and ending Israeli apartheid:

-"Greens call the 60th anniversary of Israel an occasion to affirm international law, enact human rights, and end the illegal occupation of Palestinian Territories":

http://www.gp.org/press/pr-national.php?ID=61 May, 2008

-"Greens, Calling for Palestinian Rights, Urge Divestment from Israel"

[Prop 190 states: The Green Party of the United States is on record as supporting:
1: 'Palestinian Refugees Inalienable Rights to Return to their homes and 
to receive material compensation for their losses.'
2: 'Immediate Israeli withdrawal from all lands acquired since 1967 
including East Jerusalem, Gaza, and the West Bank.'
3: Jerusalem as a shared city open to people of all faiths, without 
exclusive claims to national sovereignty or religion.

4: Suspension of all U.S. military and foreign aid to Israel
5: Complete dismantling of the Israeli separation wall
6: Promotion of the concept of one secular, democratic state as the 
national home of both Israelis and Palestinians'

http://www.gp.org/press/pr_2005_11_28.shtml"

-"Green Party: Israel-Palestine truce must include end of Israeli occupation and observance of international law or violence is likely to resume; 

The key to peace: ensuring democracy, equality, and human rights for all in Israel-Palestine"

http://www.gp.org/press/pr-national.php?ID=169 January, 2009

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