Many individuals and organizations have responded to PARC’s appeal issued on the International Day of Peasants’ Struggle on 17 April. In which PARC called upon partners and solidarity groups across the world to send out letters to key contacts in the UN, US, EU and Israel in protest of cutting foreign aid and diplomatic relations with the democratically elected Palestinian Authority. The appeal called for an immediate action to stop the imposition of collective sanctions against the Palestinian people particularly the poverty stricken farmers and rural families. Following are some letters addressed to the concerned parties:
Elmar Brok
Dear Sir,
I am most disturbed that the EU has decided to
stop aid to the Palestinian Authority since the new Hamas government has been
elected. The election was observed as fair and Hamas was elected by the people
because of their reputation as an anti corruption party and welfare for the
Palestinian people. Now that the US Canada and the EU have suspended aid and
Israel has frozen the transfer of tax revenues, the already severe economic
crisis will only get worse leading to more desperate people unable to feed
themselves and their families. Isn’t that an encouragement to terrorists?
Maybe Hamas has not recognised the right of Israel to exist.
The previous Palestinian government did, but Israel refused to recognise a
Palestinian state, so why should Hamas make the first move when Israel has
ceased all kind of contact with the
Palestinians, including security co-ordination?
I urge you to do all you can to persuade the EU to resume
humanitarian aid to the Palestinians.
Yours hopefully, Mrs P Freeman
P.S. Please think about discontinuing the EU preferential
trade agreement with Israel.
Dear madam,
I was dismayed, not to say horrified, to learn
how the E.U., in company with the U.S.A. and Canada, had decided to respond to
the recent elections in Palestine. I am at a loss to understand how the
situation there can possibly be ameliorated by cutting off aid to the
Palestinian Authority. The effect must be to reduce further the services it can
provide for the Palestinian people as well as throwing civil servants into
unemployment in a country where unemployment is widespread and the economy for
the most part destroyed. This contrasts ill with the E.U. preferential trade
agreement with Israel, a country which continues to ignore United Nations
resolutions, for which sanctions rather than trade preference would seem
appropriate.
I urge you to do all in your power to restore aid to the
Palestinian Authority. I also urge you to put pressure on Israel to release to
the Palestinian Authority taxes, etc., collected on its behalf but now withheld.
Furthermore, I urge you to put pressure on Israel to stop its current practise
of delaying or preventing Palestinian farmers from earning a meagre income by
exporting agricultural produce.
I look to you to take this action both from humanitarian
considerations and as a small step towards an eventual settlement in that
troubled region.
Yours sincerely, J.W.Freeman.
Dear sir,
I was dismayed, not to say horrified, to learn
how you had decided to respond to the recent elections in Palestine. I am at a
loss to understand how the situation there can possibly be ameliorated by
withholding tax revenue from and withdrawing contact with the Palestinian
Authority. The effect must be to disrupt further the services it can provide for
the Palestinian people as well as throwing civil servants into unemployment in a
country where unemployment is widespread and the economy for the most part
destroyed. This will generate an even greater degree of distrust and hostility
towards yourselves. I fail to see how this can possibly be in your economic or
security interest.
I urge you to resume contact with the Palestinian
Authority and to release all taxes, etc., collected on its behalf but now
withheld. Furthermore, I urge you to ensure that controls at borders and
checkpoints do not prevent Palestinian farmers from earning a meagre income by
exporting agricultural produce.
I look to you to take this action both from humanitarian
considerations and as a small step towards an eventual settlement in your
troubled region.
Yours sincerely, J.W.Freeman
Jack Straw M P
Dear Sir,
I am most disturbed that the EU has decided to
stop aid to the Palestinian Authority since the new Hamas government has been
elected. The election was observed as fair and Hamas was elected by the people
because of their reputation as an anti corruption party and welfare for the
Palestinian people. Now that the US Canada and the EU have suspended aid and
Israel has frozen the transfer of tax revenues, the already severe economic
crisis will only get worse leading to more desperate people unable to feed
themselves and their families. Isn’t that an encouragement to terrorists?
Maybe Hamas has not recognised the right of Israel to exist.
The previous Palestinian government did, but Israel refused to recognise a
Palestinian state, so why should Hamas make the first move when Israel has
ceased all kind of contact with the
Palestinians, including security co-ordination?
I urge you to do all you can to persuade the EU to resume
humanitarian aid to the Palestinians.
Yours hopefully, Mrs P Freeman
P.S. Please think about discontinuing the EU preferential
trade agreement with Israel
I appeal to you to use your
influence to stop the imposition of collective sanctions against the Palestinian
people. If the 'peace process' is to make any progress there must be justice and
hope. Curtailing payments and closing avenues for the sale of produce can only
make matters worse.
Revd Glyn Eatock,
32,Lawrence Avenue, Lytham St Annes FY8 3LG UK
Dear sir,
I was dismayed, not to say horrified, to learn
how the E.U., in company with the U.S.A. and Canada, had decided to respond to
the recent elections in Palestine. I am at a loss to understand how the
situation there can possibly be ameliorated by cutting off aid to the
Palestinian Authority. The effect must be to reduce further the services it can
provide for the Palestinian people as well as throwing civil servants into
unemployment in a country where unemployment is widespread and the economy for
the most part destroyed. This contrasts ill with the E.U. preferential trade
agreement with Israel, a country which continues to ignore United Nations
resolutions, for which sanctions rather than trade preference would seem
appropriate.
I urge you to do all in your power to restore aid to the
Palestinian Authority. I also urge you to put pressure on Israel to release to
the Palestinian Authority taxes, etc., collected on its behalf but now withheld.
Furthermore, I urge you to put pressure on Israel to stop its current practise
of delaying or preventing Palestinian farmers from earning a meagre income by
exporting agricultural produce.
I look to you to take this action both from humanitarian
considerations and as a small step towards an eventual settlement in that
troubled region.
