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Citizens for Fair Legislation

For Immediate Release

May 13, 2004

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5/13/04-CFL ALERT: 1,100 Palestinians Made Homeless in Gaza in 10 Days of Destruction in Gaza. Contact your representatives today and demand an end to this devastation.

TALKING POINTS

*A UN report issued on 5/11/04 states that in the last ten days over 131 residential buildings in Gaza have been demolished or damaged beyond repair by the Israeli Occupation Forces. And that these recent demolitions have left over 1,100 Palestinians homeless bringing the total number of people to have lost their homes in the Gaza Strip to 17,594.

*Contact your representatives and tell them to exert US influence to halt the use of collective punishment against Palestinians. Remind your elected officials that the repeated practice by the Israeli Occupation Forces of deliberate and wanton destruction of homes and civilian property is a grave violation of international human rights and humanitarian law, notably of Articles 33 and 53 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, and constitutes a war crime.

*Tell your representatives that the United States must not apply different standards for Jews and Muslims in the Middle East. We cannot demand that Arabs and Muslims abide by international law and then allow Israel to flout international law and the Geneva Conventions. Peter Hansen, UNRWA’s Commissioner-General said that UNRWA condemned Palestinian violence but that “The overwhelming majority of the more than 17,000 Palestinians who have lost their homes in Gaza since the start of the intifada have been guilty of nothing more than living in the wrong place at the wrong time."

*Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention on the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War clearly states that "collective penalties are prohibited... Reprisal against protected persons and their properties are prohibited." Article 53 of the same Convention states that "any destruction by the Occupying Power... is prohibited, except where such destruction is rendered absolutely necessary by military operations." Ask your representatives why they continue to ignore human rights and international law in regard to the Palestinian issue.

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Citizens for Fair Legislation is a grassroots organization committed to encouraging a fair domestic and foreign policy with an emphasis on the US/Arab world.

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