Dear Representative Ellison:

Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) would like to thank you for your courageous acts of conscience in
standing up for the human rights of the Palestinian people y demanding an end to the lockade
of !a"a and y voting against sending more weapons to #srael$
%nprecedented numers of Jewish &mericans have een speaking out against #srael's rutal
assault on !a"a and its occupation of Palestine$ (he oming of !a"a was the final straw for
many Jews who decided that they could no longer remain silent$ #n do"ens of cities across the
%)* including here in +innesota* JVP chapters have organi"ed street protests* demonstrations
and civil disoedience actions to call for an end to the invasion* an end to the ,-year-old siege*
and an end to the .,-year occupation of Palestine$
/e are pained y those in the Jewish community who refuse to recogni"e the asic humanity of
Palestinians$ #n many cities* JVP memers have recited the mourner's kaddish and read the
names of the Palestinians and #sraelis who have een killed in !a"a$ (here are now 0*111
Palestinians* including over .11 children* and 2, #sraelis who have een killed since #srael
launched its offensive on July 3$ (he ritual of reading the names of the dead reminds us that no
life is more important than another and that all life is sacred* concepts e4pressed very similarly in
oth the 5u'ran and the (almud -- 6/hoever destroys a soul* it is considered as if he destroyed
an entire world$7
#t is clear y now that there is no military solution to this crisis* yet the %) continues to provide
illions of dollars in unconditional military aid to #srael* in latant violation of %) policy which
specifically prohiits assistance to any country that auses human rights$ #srael's human rights
violations have een well documented* even y our own government$ (he %) )tate Department
has detailed widespread #sraeli human violations committed against Palestinian civilians* many
of which involved the misuse of %)-supplied weapons$ %) policy also re8uires that military aid
may e used only for defensive purposes within the recipient country's orders$ #srael's attacks
are not in self-defense and they are not within its orders$
(he only long term solution is one that addresses the root cause of the crisis 9 #rsael's continued
occupation of the /est :ank* !a"a )trip* and East Jerusalem 9 and that ensures ;ustice* freedom*
and dignity for all the people of Palestine and #srael$ /e call upon the President and <ongress
to use every tool at their disposal to ensure #sraeli government compliance with the law and
respect for Palestinians' human rights$
/e also support %) humanitarian aid to the Palestinians to reconstruct their homes* schools*
hospitals and the vital water* sewage and electrical infrastructure necessary for their health and
well-eing that #sraeli has destroyed$