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Two Ithacans travel to the Occupied Territories as International Observers As the Israeli military offensive against Palestinian-ruled areas continues for a seventh day, two Ithacans, announce they are traveling to the Middle-East to work as international observers. Grace Ritter and Audrey Stewart, both members of the Ithaca Catholic Worker, will be flying to Palestine on Sunday, April 7 to join over 100’s other international observers. Their goal is to work with Israeli, Palestinian and international peace activists, including over 600 Israeli soldiers refusing to serve in the occupied territories, to protect Palestinian civilians from Israeli military aggression. They also intend to help focus media attention on the true nature of the Occupation that is utter repression of the Palestinian people. Israel’s Prime Minister Sharon justifies the recent military actions as "defense" of Israeli citizens, yet such utter repression will only motivate more and more people to devote their lives to revenge.
Ritter and Stewart intend to challenge the Israeli military occupation of the occupied territories by using the nonviolent direct action methods of Martin Luther King, Jr., Gandhi, and other strategists of human rights campaigns. They believe that the best way to stop further loss of life and secure a peaceful future for both sides of the conflict is to end the Occupation. As American citizens, Ritter and Stewart call attention the United States’ role in perpetuating the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict regarding the Occupied Territories. Unquestionably, Israel is the largest cumulative recipient of U.S. aid since World War II. The United States gave Israel 2.1 billion dollars in military aid for FY 2003. This amounts to between 20 and 25% of their total military budget. Israel also receives 1.9 billion dollars in very low interest loan credits, and help with resettlement costs. Perhaps most important, the United States uses its diplomatic muscle as the world’s foremost superpower to ensure that Israel’s brutal policies against Palestinians in the Occupied Territories go unchecked. Without this aid, the Israeli government would not be as able to sustain their violent control over the Palestinian people.
Aid for the Palestinian Authority (PA), on the other hand, pales in comparison at approximately $100 million annually and is strictly controlled. Most of the PA aid is marked for civil infrastructure projects such as water and sewers.
Given the recent escalation of violence in the occupied territories, international observers such as Ritter and Stewart are acting at great personal risk. In the words of Dorothy Day , "as you come to know the seriousness of our situation-the war, the racism, the poverty in the world-you come to realize it is not going to be changed just by words or demonstrations. It's a question of risking your life. It's a question of living your life in drastically different ways."
Please join us as we celebrate Grace and Audrey's’s choice to travel to Palestine now. We are gathering in the community room at Autumn Leaves Bookstore (on the Commons) this Saturday, April 6, at 6pm. Please bring prayers, poems, and your support for their powerful witness. Donations towards travel expenses are greatly appreciated. Checks can be made out to the Ithaca Catholic Worker and be sent to Ithaca Catholic Worker, PO Box 293, Ithaca, NY, 14851. For more information, please call 277-6300 or 277-8962.
Information about US aid to Israel came from:
AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee)
U.S Bureau of Economic Analysis
CIA Worldbook (CIA website)
