Dear UFPJ Member Groups,

A few weeks ago, together we mobilized hundreds of thousands of people in our nation’s capital – and in more than 100 local actions - to protest the war in Iraq! While the focus of UFPJ’s organizing efforts have been on ending the war in Iraq, we have always recognized the need to address how other peoples are negatively affected by U.S. foreign policy and militarism.

The Palestinians are one such people. In UFPJ’s unity statement we recognize that “U.S. political, economic, and military aid is fueling Israel's rise as an unchallengeable regional military power and sustains Israel’s illegal occupation of the Palestinian West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem and its denial of equal rights to Palestinians.” We have consistently opposed the illegal occupation of the Palestinian territories and U.S. support for that occupation.

U.S. support for Israel’s military occupation of Palestinian lands is one of the greatest obstacles to a just Palestinian-Israeli peace. That is why United for Peace and Justice is joining the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation, a member organization of UFPJ, to co-sponsor a two-day mobilization in Washington, DC on June 10-11 to protest the 40th anniversary of Israel’s illegal military occupation of the Palestinian West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip.

UFPJ and our member groups are well positioned to help the majority who oppose the U.S. occupation of Iraq understand the urgent need to end the U.S. government’s support for the 40 year long Israeli occupation. The crisis that erupted in Lebanon last summer revealed more about the U.S. government’s role than any event in the recent past. Bush stood almost alone in support of the outrageous Israeli bombing of civilian targets. Even the Iraq Study Group - not a radical group by any measure - said there will not be a lasting peace in the Middle East without resolution of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

Along with more than 100 organizations, including Veterans for Peace, the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, Pax Christi, the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, and Jewish Voice for Peace, we will gather in Washington for a mass rally, teach-in, and grassroots lobbying day to call for an end of U.S. support for Israeli military occupation and a change in policy to support a just peace between Palestinians and Israelis based on human rights, international law, and equality.

UFPJ strongly urges all of its member organizations to get involved with this mobilization. Your organization can endorse the political demands of the mobilization .

Individuals are encouraged to send a letter to your Members of Congress supporting the political demands of the mobilization. Individuals and organizations interested in organizing and mobilizing for June 10 can sign up to receive an organizing packet and organizing resources can be downloaded.

You can also make a tax-deductible contribution to support this mobilization by. For a limited time, the US Campaign will send you a free gift of six suitable-to-frame posters for any donation of $25 or more. Click here to view the posters.

Read more about UFPJ’s position on Israel/Palestine and previous work that we’ve done to address this issue.

On June 10, we will return to Washington, DC with a clear message: just as we oppose the continued death and destruction caused by the U.S. occupation of Iraq, we oppose the continued death and destruction caused by U.S. support for Israel’s military occupation of Palestinian lands. We invite all our member organizations and individual supporters to join us!

peace,
Leslie Cagan
National Coordinator
UFPJ

POLITICAL DEMANDS:

* An end to US military, economic, diplomatic, and corporate support for Israel’s illegal military occupation of the Palestinian West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem.

* A change in US policy to one that supports a just peace between Palestinians and Israelis based on equality, human rights and international law, and the full implementation of all relevant UN resolutions.

Click here to endorse the political demands of the weekend.

ENDORSED BY:

1. Action Center for Justice, Charlotte, NC
2. American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, Washington, DC
3. American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee - Washington DC Area Chapter, McLean, VA
4. American Council on Middle East Policy, New York, NY
5. American Friends Service Committee, Philadelphia, PA
6. Americans United for Palestinian Human Rights, Portland, OR
7. Arab American Union Members Council, San Francisco, CA
8. Atlanta Palestine Solidarity, Atlanta, GA
9. Bay Area Women in Black, Emeryville, CA
10. Beacon Presbyterian Fellowship, Oakland, CA
11. Black Voices for Peace, Washington, DC
12. Boston Committee Against Zionism, Acton, MA
13. Business to Business, Link, Inc., Walnut Creek, CA
14. Campaign to End Israeli Apartheid—Southern California, Culver City, CA
15. Cape Codders for Peace and Justice, South Yarmouth, MA
16. Chapel of the Friends of God, Mazama, WA
17. Children First, Stockton, CA
18. Citizens for Justice in the Middle East, Kansas City, KS
19. Code Pink—Women for Peace, Venice, CA
20. College of the Redwoods-Students for Peace and Justice, Crescent City, CA
21. Colorado Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Denver, CO
22. Committee for a Just Peace in Israel and Palestine, Oak Park, IL
23. Committee for Peace in Israel and Palestine, Wainscott, NY\
24. Committees of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism, New York, NY
25. Concerned Citizens for Peace, Honeoye, NY
26. Council for the National Interest, Washington, DC
27. DC Anti-War Network, Washington, DC
28. Dominican Sisters of San Rafael, San Rafael, CA
29. Eighth Day Center for Justice, Chicago, IL
30. Eyes Infinite Foundation, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
31. Fourteen Friends of Palestine, San Rafael, CA
32. Franciscan Sacred Heart Justice, Peace, and the Integrity of Creation Office, Countryside, IL
33. Free All With Truth, Atlanta, GA
34. Friends of Deir Ibzia, Berkeley, CA
35. Friends of Sabeel—North America, Portland, OR
36. Global Exchange, San Francisco, CA
37. Global Information Services, Greenbrae, CA
38. Grassroots International, Boston, MA
39. Hajar Enterprises, Inc., Hawthorne, CA
40. Harrisburg Middle East Justice & Peace, Harrisburg, PA
41. Hilton Head for Peace, Hilton Head, SC
42. Hindus for Peace and Justice, West Melbourne, FL
43. Holy Cross Melkite-Greek Catholic Church, Placentia, CA
44. Howard County Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation, Columbia, MD
45. Interfaith Council on Middle East Peace, Cleveland, OH
46. Interfaith Peace-Builders, Washington, DC
47. International Solidarity Movement Northern California Support Group, El Cerrito, CA
48. Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions, Chapel Hill, NC
49. Jewish Voice for Peace, Oakland, CA
50. Justice Committee, Congregation of St. Joseph, Cleveland, OH
51. Kennesaw State University Campus Greens, Kennesaw, GA
52. Local to Global Justice, Phoenix, AZ
53. Louisville Committee for Peace in the Middle East, Louisville, KY
54. Madison-Rafah Sister City Project, Madison, WI
55. Marin Peace and Justice Coalition, Fairfax, CA
56. Methodist Federation for Social Action, Washington, DC
57. Middle East Crisis Response, Woodstock, NY
58. Middle East Peace Coalition, Northampton, MA
59. Mid East: Just Peace, Cedar, MI
60. Muslim American Public Affairs Council (MAPAC), Raleigh, NC
61. National Lawyers Guild, New York, NY
62. New York Peace in the Middle East, New York, NY
63. Northern Virginians for Peace and Justice, Falls Church, VA
64. Not in My Name/Jewish Voice for Peace—Chicago, Chicago, IL
65. Olympia Friends Meeting (Quakers), Olympia, WA
66. One Percent A Peace Army, Cambridge, MA
67. Palestine Center, Washington, DC
68. Palestine-Israel Action Group, Ann Arbor, MI
69. Palestine Office, Dearborn, MI
70. Palestine Media Watch, Dunn Loring, VA
71. Palestine Solidarity Committee—Seattle, Seattle, WA
72. Palestine Solidarity Project, Jackson Heights, NY
73. Palestinian American Congress, Richmond, VA
74. Pax Christi USA: National Catholic Peace Movement, Washington, DC
75. Pax Christi—Knoxville, Knoxville, TN
76. Pax Christi—Metro New York, New York, NY
77. Peace Action, Silver Spring, MD
78. Peace Action Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI
79. Peace and Social Justice Center of South Central Kansas, Wichita, KS
80. Peace Resource Project, Santa Cruz, CA
81. Pittsburgh Palestine Solidarity Committee, Pittsburgh, PA
82. Poets West, Seattle, WA
83. Progressive Independent, Foster City, CA
84. Progressive Democrats of America, Phoenix, AZ
85. Resource Center for Nonviolence, Santa Cruz, CA
86. Rock Hill For Action to Organize Resistance, Lake Wylie, SC
87. Sabeel Iowa, Muscatine, IA
88. Salem Palestine Solidarity Group for Peace & Justice, Salem, OR
89. Seth & Associates, Bellaire, TX
90. Society of Helpers/Provincial Leadership, Homer Glen, IL
91. South Asians for the Liberation of Filastin, Oakland, CA
92. St. Louis, MO Women in Black, St. Louis, MO
93. Students for a Human Society, Gainesville, FL
94. Students for Justice in Palestine—American University, Washington, DC
95. Students for Justice in Palestine—University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
96. Tampa Bay Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation and Films For Justice In Palestine, St. Petersburg, FL
97. Trees of Hope Committee, Berkeley, CA
98. United for Peace and Justice, New York, NY
99. US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation, Washington, DC
100. Utahns for a Just Peace in the Holy Land, Kamas, UT
101. Vancouver for Peace, Vancouver, WA
102. Veterans for Peace, NW Florida Chapter 135, Pensacola, FL
103. War Times/Tiempo de Guerras, Emeryville, CA
104. Washington Interfaith Alliance for Middle East Peace, Washington, DC
105. We Are Wide Awake, Clermont, FL
106. WESPAC Foundation, White Plains, NY
107. Western New York Peace Center, Buffalo, NY
108. Women in Black—Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ
109. Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, US Section, Philadelphia, PA
110. Worldwide Movement for Peace and Justice, Houston, TX

International Endorsements

1. Americans and Lebanese Concerned for Middle East Peace, Beirut, Lebanon

2. Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions, Jerusalem, Israel

3. Royal Committee for Jerusalem Affairs, Amman, Jordan

4. US Citizens Against War, Florence, Italy