Let's promote peace

How much of your tax money is devoted to helping or killing people; building or destroying? Last December’s debt ceiling bill contained nearly $4 billion dollars for military aid to Israel and 300 million for Palestine.

On July 3rd, Israel mounted an air and ground offensive (the largest in 20 years) with 1,000 troops in Jenin city, leaving 12 Palestinians and one Israeli soldier dead and more than 100 Palestinians wounded. This onslaught which used Apache helicopters resulted in a massive destruction of the refugee camp with a complete power outage and cut to internet and water supplies. Doctors Without Borders reported the destruction of roads by military bulldozers blocked ambulances from reaching the wounded, while paramedics were forced to reach people on foot. Palestinians are being killed almost every day. Even now Israel is removing Bedouins from their village to expand settlements.

Imagine, this is our military budget at work, and Ukraine and other hotspots haven’t been mentioned.

It is time to ask what is the end game for Israel’s extremist far right government and its important supplier, the United States. Our country has an obligation to promote real change by demanding conditions on aid given to Israel and Palestine. For starters, let’s demand that Representative McMorris Rodgers support McCollum’s bill (H.R.3103) entitled, Defending the Human Rights of Palestinian Children and Families Living Under Israeli Military Occupation Act. It is endorsed by more than 75 mainline churches and nonprofits

Let’s promote peace instead of conflict; healing not hurting; building not destroying.

Nancy Street

Cheney