Thursday, May 19, 2016


The Faith Forum on Middle East Policy, of which Pax Christi USA is a member, sponsors a "Third Thursday for Israel-Palestine" action each month. This is the action for May. We encourage you to take action and to share this with others.
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Urge your representative to sign the McCollum letter  asking President Obama to appoint a Special Envoy for Palestinian children. 

An April 2016 report from Defense for Children International - Palestine states:

Defense for Children International - Palestine (DCIP) collected affidavits from 429 West Bank children detained between 2012 and 2015 that show three-quarters of them endured some form of physical violence following arrest. In 97 percent of the cases, children had no parent present during the interrogation or access to legal counsel. Israeli police also did not properly inform them of their rights in 84 percent of the cases.

Palestinian children living under occupation face crippling daily realities as well as dim prospects for their future - a situation that has fueled an escalation in violence in recent months. As the letter states, 

"The recent attacks against Israelis, including those perpetrated by Palestinian youth, are profoundly disturbing and must be condemned...At the same time, the root causes of such violent acts must be examined and understood within the context in which they are taking place. Does a life of utter hopelessness and the collective psychological trauma associated with the Palestinian people living for decades under Israeli military occupation directly contribute to the violence?"

Act now to provide for a more hopeful future. 

In Christ's peace,

 

Johnny Zokovitch

Director of Communications, Pax Christi USA