<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" ><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;"><br>Well , it looks like our Pres. wants to increase the<br><br>military budget for Israel ..... is that insane , or what ?<br><br>--- On <b>Mon, 5/18/09, US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation <i><uscampaign@mail.democracyinaction.org></i></b> wrote:<br><blockquote style="border-left: 2px solid rgb(16, 16, 255); margin-left: 5px; padding-left: 5px;">From: US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation <uscampaign@mail.democracyinaction.org><br>Subject: Action Alert: Obama-Netanyahu Meeting Today<br>To: bartboyce@sbcglobal.net<br>Date: Monday, May 18, 2009, 8:07 AM<br><br><div id="yiv1015126023"><div align="center"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=JhaM%2BBTR%2F6TUU8dSLJBBJdwlC1oNVXv7"><img src="http://www.endtheoccupation.org/img/original/banner_41.gif" alt="" border="0"></a></div>
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<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><b>Take Action: Obama-Netanyahu Meeting Today<br>
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<p class="text"><strong><font size="1" face="verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif">May 18, 2009</font></strong>
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</style><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Amid growing signs of an impending policy clash between the United States and Israel over the issues of Israeli settlements, Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, and Palestinian statehood, President Obama meets today with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.<br>
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The Obama Administration has called for an end to Israel's siege of the Gaza Strip, a freeze on Israeli settlement building and home demolitions in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and for the conclusion of a negotiated peace during the President's first term in office.</span></span>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">While the Obama Administration deserves credit for articulating these policy goals, they are highly unlikely to come about unless the United States exercises leverage on Israel. The United States should end, or at the very minimum, condition its military aid to Israel to achieve these goals. </span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></p>
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However, earlier this month, President Obama sent his FY2010 budget request to Congress and, as expected, included in it <strong>$2.775 billion in military aid for Israel</strong>, an increase of $225 million from this year's budget. </span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;"><br>
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The budget request now goes to the Senate and House <strong>Appropriations Subcommittees on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs</strong> for hearings and "mark-ups". <br>
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</span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;">This request for an increase in military aid to Israel comes despite the fact that Israel consistently misuses U.S. weapons in violation of the <strong>Arms Export Control</strong> and <strong>Foreign Assistance Acts</strong>.<br>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;">During the Bush Administration, Israel killed more than <strong>3,000 Palestinian civilians</strong> who took no part in hostilities, including more than 1,000 children.<span> </span>During its December-January war on the Gaza Strip alone, Israel killed nearly 1,200 Palestinian non-combatants.</span>
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Especially during this acute economic crisis, is this how you want Congress to spend your taxes?<span> </span>If not, then take action below.<br>
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For additional analysis of the Obama-Netanyahu meeting, check out US Campaign Steering Committee member Phyllis Bennis' Institute for Policy Studies talking points by <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=3y0AOfMxvuH9PG5eEOb9m9wlC1oNVXv7">clicking here</a>.<br>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-size: 20pt; font-family: Verdana; color: red;">TAKE ACTION</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana; color: red;"></span></strong></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;"><br>
1. <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=MNqzwvKlQjM0N4PVcy6JLNwlC1oNVXv7">Send a personalized letter</a> to the Members of Congress on the Appropriations Subcommittee</span></strong><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;">.<span> </span><br>
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Let these Members of Congress know that you oppose the President's FY2010 budget request for $2.775 billion in military aid to Israel . Since last week, we've sent more than 70,000 letters to these Members of Congress. To send your letter, please <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=EzAV6VeJx6LFotn4BF73xdwlC1oNVXv7">click here</a>.</span></p>
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</span><strong><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;">2. Get your organization to <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=I%2BhcblRcSWZICUeoPBrbtNwlC1oNVXv7">endorse our open letter</a> to the Appropriations Subcommittees.<span> </span></span></strong><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;"><br>
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The US Campaign is organizing an open letter to the Appropriations Subcommittees opposing the President's FY2010 budget request for $2.775 billion I military aid to Israel.<span> </span>Since last week, more than 75 organizations have endorsed this letter. To read and endorse the letter (organizational endorsements only please), <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=ygzCCxu%2BvVldkfY9u0cVqtwlC1oNVXv7">click here</a>. <br>
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Check out the list of national organizations that joined with us to launch this open letter:</span><span style="font-size: 8pt; font-family: Verdana;"><br>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 8pt; font-family: Verdana;">1. American Jews for a Just Peace</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 8pt; font-family: Verdana;">2. Americans United for Palestinian Human Rights</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 8pt; font-family: Verdana;">3. Chicago Faith Coalition on Middle East Policy</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 8pt; font-family: Verdana;">4. Council for the National Interest</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 8pt; font-family: Verdana;">5. Council on American-Islamic Relations</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 8pt; font-family: Verdana;">6. Episcopal Peace Fellowship</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 8pt; font-family: Verdana;">7. Fellowship of Reconciliation</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 8pt; font-family: Verdana;">8. Friends of Sabeel- North America</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 8pt; font-family: Verdana;">9. Grassroots International</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 8pt; font-family: Verdana;">10. Interfaith Peace-Builders</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 8pt; font-family: Verdana;">11. Middle East Research and Information Project</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 8pt; font-family: Verdana;">12. Muslim American Society Freedom Foundation</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 8pt; font-family: Verdana;">13. New Internationalism Project, Institute for Policy Studies</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 8pt; font-family: Verdana;">14. Progressive Democrats of America</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 8pt; font-family: Verdana;">15. US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 8pt; font-family: Verdana;">16. Women's International League for Peace and Freedom-U.S. Section</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;">To read the full text of the open letter and to have your organization endorse it, please <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=3e6qbUnJ8Rho0xvvSUEp6NwlC1oNVXv7">click here</a>. </span></p>
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<td><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=2%2F7BnnRChv2yLOmAHl847twlC1oNVXv7"><img src="http://endtheoccupation.org/img/original/noarmsforisrael.gif" alt="" align="baseline"></a></td>
<td><strong><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;">3. Spread the word about our campaign.<span> </span></span></strong><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;"><br>
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Copy and paste the graphic to the left and <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=xgpO1Tg%2Fg1epizwYCKBjANwlC1oNVXv7">link it here</a> and then place it on your website, blog, social networking site, and email signature.</span></td>
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<font size="2"><strong>4. </strong><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=XCne0%2FBSaLTMb2nQOL49VNwlC1oNVXv7">Sign up to organize to challenge military aid to Israel in your community</a>.</span></strong><br>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Receive an organizing packet in the mail from us with postcards, petitions, flyers, fact sheets, stickers, and an educational DVD-everything you need to educate and organize people in your community to challenge military aid to </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Israel</span></font><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><font size="2">. Since February </font> <span style="font-size: 10pt;"><font size="2">2007, we've sent out more than 1,200 organizing packets to volunteers in more than 600 cities and 48 states (yep, still waiting on </font></span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;"><font size="2"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Nevada</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> and </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">North Dakota</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">). Check out the amazing Google map of all of our organizers below and sign up to join
them today by </span><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=o2Ll1tY6NBUxq7fIjbFNcNwlC1oNVXv7"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">clicking here</span></a></font><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><font size="2">.</font></span><br>
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<p><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=vhTk12UH%2F2iZaaKEjVM%2Fa9wlC1oNVXv7"><img src="http://endtheoccupation.org/img/pic/military_aid_organizers.jpg" alt=""></a><br>
<font size="1" face="verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif">View <a rel="nofollow" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255); text-align: left;" target="_blank" href="http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=gggS3tEKi%2Fgk5IPyURR%2BedwlC1oNVXv7">Challenge Military Aid to Israel</a> in a larger map</font></p>
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<p><strong><font face="verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><font size="2">5. Offset your tax contribution to Israeli military occupation.</font></font></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana; font-weight: normal;">Although Tax Day has come and gone, it's not too late for you to make a statement that you don't want your tax dollars going to fund Israel 's human rights abuses of Palestinians.<span> </span>According to our research, Israel killed more than 3,000 innocent Palestinians, including more than 1,000 children, during the Bush Administration, often with U.S. weapons.<br>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana; font-weight: normal;">We're estimating that in FY2010, each individual tax payer will on average be giving $17.75 in military aid to Israel .<span> </span>Offset your tax contribution to Israeli military occupation and human rights abuses by making a tax deductible contribution to us by clicking on the logo below.<br>
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<td><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=Sw7%2FYh6Q%2BT7yUuVMLRrqz9wlC1oNVXv7"><img src="http://endtheoccupation.org/img/pic/obamasticker.jpg" alt="" align="baseline"></a> <strong><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></strong></td>
<td style="border-style: none; vertical-align: top; background-image: none;"><strong><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana; font-weight: normal;">For each contribution of $17.75, we will send you some of these "Yes, We Can…End U.S. Military Aid to Israel !" stickers.<br>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana; font-weight: normal;">Offset the tax contribution of just five people or more ($88.75 or more) and we'll send you the stickers and a copy of the award-winning </span></strong><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;">documentary <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=v%2Fy%2F%2FlTSN%2F4%2BoZio3ze%2B9NwlC1oNVXv7">Occupation 101</a><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-weight: normal;">.<br>
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Offset your tax contribution of military aid to Israel today by clicking on the icon to the left. </span></strong></span></p>
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<p align="center"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><font size="2">US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation</font></span></span></p>
<p align="center"><font face="verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><font size="1"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=4%2Bz%2Bg36en2LxTCuPai64C9wlC1oNVXv7">DONATE</a> | <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=tbUPty42HkwLAOBy1jBtetwlC1oNVXv7">SUBSCRIBE</a> | <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=K6YBS6jCmRvQc6UHvhRdxdwlC1oNVXv7">UNSUBSCRIBE</a></font></font></p>
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