Hi everyone,
We had a few responses to Marc Braverman's talk:
From Brother Jim Adams, Coordinator of the Cristo Rey Feasibility Study:
If only we can get the institutional churches, Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, etc. to see this as a repeat of South Africa we might obtain a solution the same way it happened in South Africa...start with the churches. Could Mark Braverman be a Martin Luther King for the Holy Land?
Bro Jim
Please be encouraged to respond and to send your thoughts on the subject. Either directly here by signing up for a blog account, or use our account to sign in: socialjusticeministrypop@yahoo.com with the password: PrinceofPeace or send your response through yahoo mail at the above address.
I believe your voice is important. In speaking with Marc, I found myself wanting his voice to be louder, more of a call to action, filled with statistics and quotable quotes. But I realized its my voice that needs to be louder, able to frame a kind decisive request for others to join the support of peace in the middle east. I decide that I needed to research one statistic that Marc put out to the crowd: US $ military investments into Israel.
Basically, 3 quick stats: (practice saying them out load to at least two people today, like practicing a new language!)
1. In 2007, the US signed an agreement to provide $30 Billion of Aid to Israel over 10 Years (This is however on the table today for budget cuts - call your congressman. It was legislated in, and will take some work, but we can lobby for reform to this package. We must.)
2. 80% of the 3$ Billion gifted to Israel comes back to military industry here in the US. (Stand on the side of Peace and insist that if financial aid commitments cannot be reduced, then the contracts need to be reviewed to address other industries outside of the military: water purification, agricultural production, small business and health initiatives to start with - and that the Palestinian territories get increased %'s of the final products.
3. More than half of all US $ sent overseas for all investments (military, small business, agriculture, water, heath, education etc.) including all countries (Africa, South America, Canada, Western Europe etc.) goes to Israel. Yikes! What's wrong with this equation? We are in a deep lie.
Additional Reading:
Huffington Post - excellent article (read, copy link, send to Senators and Congress in support of cutting military aid)
From President Jimmy Carter - pretty interesting
Wikipedia - good overview of the situation 3Billion out to Israel and 2.3Billion Back to US Military Industrial Complex
Fisheaters Article - interesting Catholic Blog Site
Aljazeera - most recent opinion page
I look forward to hearing your feedback.
One more link!
May God Bless you in a way today that just opens up your heart.
Peggy
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