Public Comment

The world renowned human rights organization, Human Rights Watch, has called for all companies to cease doing business with Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. The group’s new report, titled "Occupation, Inc.," also calls on countries like the United States to "withhold funding to the Israeli government in an amount equivalent to its expenditures and related infrastructure in the West Bank." The settlements have been declared illegal under international law. The report comes on the heels of a statement by the U.S. ambassador to Israel, Daniel Shapiro, in which he accused Israel of the abominable treatment of Palestinians. He stated that Israel “having two standards for adherence to the rule of law in the West Bank—one for Jews and one for Palestinians. He added "Too many attacks on Palestinians lack a vigorous investigation or response by Israeli authorities. Too much vigilantism goes unchecked. And at times there seem to be two standards of adherence to the rule of law—one for Israelis and another for Palestinians." 

It is time the Obama administration stiffen their collective spines and take heed of the ambassador’s advice and stop supporting Israel’s disdain for international law and its appalling treatment of the Palestinians. To add insult to injury, the Obama administration has pledged to reward Israel for its bad behavior by diverting additional tax payer funds to the tune of $2 billion a year for the next ten years.