Posted by CODEPINK Staff
Write to World Affairs Council's President Jane Wales:
War Criminals are not welcome in San Francisco!
Watch Citizens Arrest Ehud Olmert video!
Take a few minutes to contact Jane Wales ([email protected]) to express your outrage that the World Affairs Council invited former Israeli Prime Minister to speak last night!
Write a short, personal note. Here are some possible talking points:
Olmert ordered brutal attacks on Gaza last winter, codenamed Operation Cast Lead, which killed over 1400 Palestinians, about a third of whom were children.
The recently published Goldstone Report, which was endorsed by the UN Human Rights Council, found Israel guilty of war crimes for targeting civilians and civil society infrastructure in Gaza. It recommends further criminal investigations into possible crimes against humanity.
The 3-year siege on Gaza has left 80% of the population in poverty, with more than 400,000 people without regular access to clean drinking water.
In 2006, under Olmert's leadership, Israel attacked southern Lebanon, killing more than 1,000 civilians, and displacing about half a million people.
Israel is an apartheid state -- Palestinians are denied their basic human rights on a daily basis, by checkpoints, land-seizures, settlements, and other daily attacks and humiliations.
Israel does not act in self-defense, but is deliberately aggressive in attempting to remove Palestinians from their homeland.
Olmert should be held accountable for these crimes -- not welcomed (or paid!) to speak on them. War crimes are not free speech!
War criminals from other countries would not be invited to speak at the World Affairs Council. Israel's leaders must be held to the same standard.
Please also help spread the word about our action -- you can stay updated at http://twitter.com/ProtestOlmertSF