An Open Letter to President Obama

From THE BEACON – Australia-June 3, 2009 – they are readers of Northstar Compass

Tomorrow you travel to Egypt to give one of the most important speeches of your presidency. With the words that you deliver you have said that you want to "reset" US relations with the Muslim world and create a fundamental change for the better. We sincerely wish you well. But you also said: "part of being good friends is being honest. So let's be honest.

Israel's ongoing occupation and colonization of Palestinian land and the USA's unquestionable financial, military and political support for Israel is at the heart of the negative perceptions and bitter anger that many Arabs and Muslims have of the United States. Tomorrow we hope to hear from you a commitment on aligning US policy in the Middle East with the UN resolutions and international law.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights gives everyone the right to freely enter and exit one's own county. You will exercise this right when you arrive in Egypt tomorrow and then return to the USA. This is the right that Palestinians – particularly those trapped in Gaza – are routinely denied.

Over 200 Palestinian medical patients in Gaza, many critically ill, are unable to seek adequate

treatment because Israel authorities ' regularly deny Palestinian patients the right to travel abroad to receive medical treatment that is not available in Gaza; at the same time import of many medicines and medical equipment into Gaza is prevented by Israel.

Over 700 Palestinian students in Gaza, many with scholarships are unable to attend their universities abroad because Israel regularly denies them this right.

Thousands of Palestinians abroad are unable to visit their families because Israel will not allow them to re-enter their own country.

When you arrive in Egypt you will travel to your accommodation in a car maintained by spare parts banned to Palestinians, powered by gasoline denied to the people of Gaza. You will use electric lights that do not often work in Gaza, because Israel blocks fuel needed to run Gaza's electrical grid. You may enjoy a cup of coffee or tea during your visit – commodities that Israel does not allow into Gaza.

The truth is that Israel lets in less than 20% of the ordinary supplies needed in Gaza, and allows no reconstruction materials whatsoever to enter. As a consequence, over 96% of all industries have collapsed, creating massive unemployment and poverty. The purpose of this Israel blockade is to punish and to break an entire people. Collective punishment is strictly forbidden under international law, yet it remains Israel's primary policy in regard to the Palestinian people.

President Obama you have based your political career on what you called "audacity of hope" – the faith that each one of us, individually or collectively can change things for the better. But faith without action is dead. We too believe in hope, but from our experience we know that hope alone will not change the world.

A manmade disaster continues to devastate the people of Gaza, due to Israel's hermetic closure of the Gaza Strip – over 80% of the population require food assistance just in order to survive.

We of the Free Gaza Movement will keep on sailing to Gaza in unarmed resistance, until the Israel blockade is forever shattered and the Palestinian people have free access to the rest of the world.

Please understand that we have to ask Israel (let alone risk our lives) to be allowed to provide food to the hungry, medicine to the sick, and shelter to the homeless – is in itself an obscenity!

We look forwards to hear from you an uncompromising commitment for an immediate end to the criminal siege of Gaza, as well as the assurance for the human rights, dignity and equality for the Palestinian people.

Sincerely yours

The Beacon is the Journal of the Melbourne Unitarian Church Peace Memorial Church in Australia.

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