No subject
Thu Jun 15 21:23:19 EDT 2006
2=20
million worth of patrol boat, ship, and submarine components and spare parts=
,=20
torpedoes, and sonar equipment. =20=
=20
From 2000-2005, the United States licensed=20
to Israel more than $348 million worth of tanks, components, and spare parts=
.=20
(Statistics for US weapons licensed to Israel are compiled from the State=20
Department's annual report to Congress pursuant to Sec. 655 of the Foreign=20
Assistance Act)=20
By using US-supplied weapons to attack Gaza and Lebanon, Israel is violatin=
g=20
the terms of the US Arms Export Control Act and Foreign Assistance Act. The=
=20
Arms Export Control Act restricts the use of US weapons to legitimate=20
self-defense and internal policing; US weapons cannot be used to attack civi=
lians in=20
offensive operations nor can they be used to destroy civilian infrastructure=
=20
such as power plants. The Foreign Assistance Act prohibits US aid of any kin=
d to=20
a country that routinely kills civilians as a result of its military=20
operations.
The Atlanta Friends Meeting urges the President and Congress to act=20
immediately to halt Israel=E2=80=99s military attacks in the Middle East tha=
t are being=20
conducted with U.S.-supplied weapons in violation of our laws. We urge the=
=20
President and Congress to stop all foreign assistance and military equipment=
exports=20
to Israel until it ceases military attacks outside of its internationally=20
recognized borders.
Adopted in=20
Meeting for Business - July 16, 2006
=20
=20
_________________________________
Sally MacEwen,=20
Clerk of the Meeting
-------------------------------1153407894
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<BODY style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #fffff=
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<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt -27pt"><FONT size=3D3><FON=
T face=3D"Times New Roman">
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt -27pt"><B style=3D"mso-bid=
i-font-weight: normal"><o:p>BeloFS</o:p></B></FONT></FONT><FONT size=3D3><FO=
NT face=3D"Times New Roman"><STRONG>TATEMENT OF THE </STRONG><st1:City><st1:=
place><STRONG>ATLANTA</STRONG></st1:place></st1:City><STRONG> FRIENDS MEETIN=
G ON THE ILLEGAL USE OF<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> &=
nbsp;  =
; </SPAN><o:p></o:p></STRONG></FONT></FONT></P>
<P></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt -27pt"><FONT size=3D3><FON=
T face=3D"Times New Roman"><STRONG><SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> &=
nbsp;  =
; &nb=
sp; &=
nbsp; </SPAN></STRONG><st1:country-region><st1:place=
><STRONG>U.S.</STRONG></st1:place></st1:country-region><STRONG> WEAPONS BY <=
/STRONG><st1:country-region><st1:place><STRONG>ISRAEL</STRONG></st1:place></=
st1:country-region><STRONG><SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> &nb=
sp; </SPAN><o:p></o:p></STRO=
NG></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><STRONG><o:p><FONT face=
=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D3> </FONT></o:p></STRONG></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><STRONG><FONT size=3D3><F=
ONT face=3D"Times New Roman">From its earliest inception, the Religious Soci=
ety of Friends (Quakers) has placed rejection of war as basic to our underst=
anding of God=E2=80=99s will. We believe that human beings are capable of so=
lving conflicts through reason, an empathetic understanding of the other=E2=
=80=99s point of view, and the courage to take principled, nonviolent action=
in the face of injustice.<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></STRONG></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><STRONG><o:p><FONT face=
=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D3> </FONT></o:p></STRONG></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3D3><FONT face=
=3D"Times New Roman"><STRONG>In this spirit, the </STRONG><st1:City><st1:pla=
ce><STRONG>Atlanta</STRONG></st1:place></st1:City><STRONG> Friends Meeting u=
rges all parties in the current conflict to declare a ceasefire and work tow=
ard a negotiated settlement of their grievances.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun:=
yes"> </SPAN>As Quakers who are also </STRONG><st1:country-region><st=
1:place><STRONG>U.S.</STRONG></st1:place></st1:country-region><STRONG> citiz=
ens, we strongly object to the fact that tax-payer funded </STRONG><st1:coun=
try-region><st1:place><STRONG>U. S.</STRONG></st1:place></st1:country-region=
><STRONG> military equipment is being used illegally in this conflict. We ar=
e very concerned that </STRONG><B style=3D"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Isr=
ael is using weapons supplied by the United States to target Palestinian &am=
p; Lebanese civilians and civilian infrastructure in the Gaza Strip and Leba=
non in violation of the US Arms Export Control Act and the Geneva Convention=
s</B>.</FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3D3><FONT face=
=3D"Times New Roman"> <B style=3D"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">The Isr=
aeli air force fighter squadrons are composed of Lockheed Martin F-16I Fight=
ing Falcons and Boeing F-15Is, which fire US-manufactured AMRAAM, Sidewinder=
, and Sparrow missiles. From 2000-2005, the </B><st1:country-region><s=
t1:place><B style=3D"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">United States</B></st1:pl=
ace></st1:country-region><B style=3D"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"> licensed=
to </B><st1:country-region><st1:place><B style=3D"mso-bidi-font-weight: nor=
mal">Israel</B></st1:place></st1:country-region><B style=3D"mso-bidi-font-we=
ight: normal"> at least $1.062 billion of spare parts, engines, and missiles=
for its F-15 and F-16 fighter planes.</B><B><SPAN style=3D"mso-bidi-font-fa=
mily: Arial"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoBodyText style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 6pt"><FONT size=3D3><FONT fa=
ce=3D"Times New Roman"><B style=3D"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">From 2000-2=
005, the United States licensed to the Israeli navy more than $572 million w=
orth of patrol boat, ship, and submarine components and spare parts, torpedo=
es, and sonar equipment.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> =
&nbs=
p; &n=
bsp; =
&nbs=
p; &n=
bsp; =
</SPAN>From 2000-2005, the United States licensed to Israel more than $348=20=
million worth of tanks, components, and spare parts. (Statistics for </B><st=
1:country-region><st1:place><B style=3D"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">US</B>=
</st1:place></st1:country-region><B style=3D"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">=20=
weapons licensed to </B><st1:country-region><st1:place><B style=3D"mso-bidi-=
font-weight: normal">Israel</B></st1:place></st1:country-region><B style=3D"=
mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"> are compiled from the State Department's annu=
al report to Congress pursuant to Sec. 655 of the Foreign Assistance Act) <o=
:p></o:p></B></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoBodyText style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 6pt"><FONT size=3D3><FONT fa=
ce=3D"Times New Roman"><B style=3D"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style=
=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>By using US-supplied weapons to attack <=
/B><st1:City><st1:place><B style=3D"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Gaza</B></=
st1:place></st1:City><B style=3D"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"> and </B><st1=
:country-region><st1:place><B style=3D"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Lebanon=
</B></st1:place></st1:country-region><B style=3D"mso-bidi-font-weight: norma=
l">, </B><st1:country-region><st1:place><B style=3D"mso-bidi-font-weight: no=
rmal">Israel</B></st1:place></st1:country-region><B style=3D"mso-bidi-font-w=
eight: normal"> is violating the terms of the </B><st1:country-region><st1:p=
lace><B style=3D"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">US</B></st1:place></st1:count=
ry-region><B style=3D"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"> Arms Export Control Act=
and Foreign Assistance Act. The Arms Export Control Act restricts the=
use of US weapons to legitimate self-defense and internal policing; US weap=
ons cannot be used to attack civilians in offensive operations nor can they=20=
be used to destroy civilian infrastructure such as power plants. The Foreign=
Assistance Act prohibits US aid of any kind to a country that routinely kil=
ls civilians as a result of its military operations.<o:p></o:p></B></FONT></=
FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3D3><FONT face=
=3D"Times New Roman"><B style=3D"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">The </B><st1:=
City><st1:place><B style=3D"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Atlanta</B></st1:p=
lace></st1:City><B style=3D"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"> Friends Meeting u=
rges the<STRONG> President and Congress to act immediately to halt </STRONG>=
</B><st1:country-region><st1:place><STRONG><SPAN style=3D"mso-bidi-font-fami=
ly: Arial">Israel</SPAN></STRONG></st1:place></st1:country-region><STRONG><S=
PAN style=3D"mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">=E2=80=99s military attacks in the=
</SPAN></STRONG><st1:place><STRONG><SPAN style=3D"mso-bidi-font-family: Ari=
al">Middle East</SPAN></STRONG></st1:place><STRONG><SPAN style=3D"mso-bidi-f=
ont-family: Arial"> that are being conducted with U.S.-supplied weapons in v=
iolation of our laws.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></SPAN>=
<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>We urge the</STRONG> <B style=
=3D"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">President and Congress to stop all foreign=
assistance and military equipment exports to </B><st1:country-region><st1:p=
lace><B style=3D"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">Israel</B></st1:place></st1:c=
ountry-region><B style=3D"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"> until it ceases mil=
itary attacks outside of its internationally recognized borders.<SPAN style=
=3D"mso-bidi-font-weight: bold"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=3D"Times New R=
oman" size=3D3></FONT> </P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3D3><FONT face=
=3D"Times New Roman"><B style=3D"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style=
=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">  =
; &nb=
sp; &=
nbsp;  =
; &nb=
sp; </SPAN>Adopted in Meeting for Business - </B><st1:date Year=3D"2006" Day=
=3D"16" Month=3D"7"><B style=3D"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">July 16, 2006<=
/B></st1:date><B style=3D"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><o:p></o:p></B></FON=
T></FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B style=3D"mso-bidi-font=
-weight: normal"><o:p><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D3> </FONT><=
/o:p></B></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B style=3D"mso-bidi-font=
-weight: normal"><FONT size=3D3><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman"><SPAN style=
=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><SPAN style=3D"mso-sp=
acerun: yes"> &nb=
sp; &=
nbsp;  =
; &nb=
sp; </SPAN>________________________=
_________<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></B></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B style=3D"mso-bidi-font=
-weight: normal"><FONT size=3D3><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman"><SPAN style=
=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">  =
; &nb=
sp; &=
nbsp;  =
; &nb=
sp; </SPAN>Sally MacEwen, Clerk of the Meeting<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></B><=
/P></BODY></HTML>
-------------------------------1153407894--
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