Pres. Obama, We Know How to Help Cut the Deficit--End Aid to Israel

US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation- Last night, President Obama drew bipartisan applause during his State of the Union address when he called for reducing our country’s growing deficit and staggering debt.

We agree with these goals and want to do our part to help. As the President prepares to send his FY2012 budget request to Congress next month, we recommend that he cut the deficit by eliminating his anticipated, record-breaking request for $3,075,000,000 in military aid to Israel.

Israel misuses the U.S. weapons it purchases with our hard-earned tax dollars, in blatant contravention of the Arms Export Control Act, Foreign Assistance Act, to commit human rights violations against Palestinians forced to live under its illegal 43-year military occupation of the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza Strip.

We can think of much better uses for our taxes. So today we’re excited to re-launch our campaign to challenge military aid to Israel in 2011. At our website: www.aidtoisrael.org, our interactive map shows how much money your city, county, Congressional district and state provide in military aid to Israel. It also shows you the quantity of health care, education, housing and jobs training this money could purchase instead.

When you visit our web site, you'll find these other ways to help us challenge U.S. military aid to Israel this year:

* Have your organization join us, along with the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, Code Pink, Global Exchange, Jewish Voice for Peace, Peace Action, and Progressive Democrats of America, in endorsing our letter—“We Cannot Afford Military Aid to Israel”—to the White House and Congress.

* Send your own personalized letter to the President and Congress opposing $3.075 billion in military aid to Israel in this year’s budget.

* Join 2,000 people from 49 states and nearly 800 cities in signing up to educate and organize people in your community to end military aid to Israel. When you sign up, we’ll send you a free, new and improved organizing packet with postcards, flyers and fact sheets.

* “Offset” the taxes you pay in military aid to Israel by making a tax-deductible contribution to the US Campaign. Based on IRS data, we estimate that the average individual taxpayer will provide Israel with $21.59 in weapons this year.