Dear Sir/Madam:
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Israel has used this recently in the reoccupation of Palestinian lands. When it was reported that the barbaric behavior of the IDF in Jenin produced war crimes, Israel refused the UN access to evaluate the claims, with the USA, predictably, providing the necessary diplomatic cover in the UN. Despite this cover-up, Amnesty International has determined there were war crimes in Jenin.
In fact, Newsweek reported that Rabin and Arafat had addressed and agreed to all the issues, including a five-year phase-in of the Palestinian state (by 1999), military outposts for Israel in the Jordan Valley, and a shared Jerusalem. Successive prime ministers, particularly Netanyahu, refused to implement their own signed agreements. Barak did make overtures and put a plan on the table at Camp David, but it wasn’t sufficient for a viable Palestinian state.
After 9/11 our government has effectively shut down all major Muslim charities by freezing their assets without charging a crime. When Mr. Arnout of Benevolence International Foundation filed suit challenging the “Patriot Act” and its enforcement he was charged with lying on his affidavit. Nowhere in our history has a plaintiff been charged with perjury before a trial was conducted. Our government’s actions are an obvious signal to all Arabs and Muslims to back off from challenging an unconstitutional law.
