Bates Defies Peace Protesters,

Attends AIPAC Banquet

First, some background, then Take Action!

See Letter from Bates, and a response, right here.

Jewish Weekly does story on letter campaign. 

Details here, including response to false claim that ISM supports attacks on civilians. 

Background:

On December 8^th, The Oakland Marriot Hotel hosted a membership dinner for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC.  AIPAC bills itself as the “most important organization affecting America’s relationship with Israel”.  It lobbies for unconditional military and economic aid to Israel, without regard to its human rights violations or illegal occupation of Palestinian territory.  It is a great success, as Congress regularly grants Israel over $5 billion of U.S. taxpayer money for weapons and economic aid each year.  This occurs despite the fact that Israel regularly disregards human rights law, the Geneva Convention, and U.N. resolutions. 

We gathered outside the Marriot Hotel to protest this gathering, to demand a foreign policy of peace and justice.  Some of the attendees defied the protesters and went in quietly, including some prominent guests, among them Mayor Tom Bates of Berkeley, and his wife, Loni Hancock, State Assembly member. This was reported in the Oakland Tribune the next day, it what appeared to be a press release from AIPAC.  The attendance of these people adds legitimacy to their work. 

At a time of austerity budgets here in Berkeley, why does Mr. Bates give his overt support to unlimited U.S. funding for the military of Israel?  It was barely three months ago, when Bates was asked, along with the rest of the City Council, to support a resolution looking into the death of a U.S. human rights activist, Rachel Corrie [Despite Mr. Bates’ opposition, the resolution passed].  He said he did not want to take sides.  Yet, indeed, he is taking sides; simply by his presence there at the AIPAC dinner he communicates his commitment to the funding of offenders of human rights, the Israeli military.  For AIPAC, and its supporters, the U.S. economy is never in such bad shape that it cannot fund the occupation of Palestinian land.  

I write this on International Human Rights Day, when many in the world commit themselves anew to the cause of promoting a world free of torture, where all people are treated with respect and dignity.  We must demand that Mr. Bates apologize for his action.  We ask that he renounce all aid to a foreign government that does not respect human rights and international law.  Mr. Bates' support for U.S. funding of military occupations is politics at its worst. 

Take Action!

It is imperative that Tom Bates knows that his action in support of AIPAC will cost him politically.  That he has earned our disappointment once again.  He needs to hear from you, especially if you are a Berkeley resident.  I think we can get over 100  Berkeley folks to write Mr. Bates a letter, all in the next 30 days.  This is a small fraction of those in Berkeley who oppose the values espoused by AIPAC.  But we need YOU to do it. 

Here's  how- Write to:

Mayor's Office
2180 Milvia Street
Berkeley, CA 94704
Actual paper letters are best!  Be sure to include your name, and full address, especially if you are Berkeley resident.  If you cannot write a letter, here is the mayor's email, be sure to include your mail address in that correspondence.  By keeping your correspondence polite, you leave open the possibility of a change of heart, and a greater chance of a real victory for justice.  If you are not a Berkeley resident, be sure to call up your Berkeley friends.  Also, after communicating with Bates, drop Tom Joad an email. 

Talking points you can bring up in your letter to Tom Bates:

Talk to Tom Joad