Paul introduces bill to cut off aid to Palestinians for joining ICC
Per JustForeignPolicy.org

Editor’s note: It’s no secret for anyone following my recent direction in views on the State of Israel that I’ve come to see the Zionist garrison state as a major barnacle on the ass of human progress. That doesn’t necessarily mean I’m taking the side of Israel’s opponents—although lately I’m having difficulty seeing the Israeli state as legitimate in the first place—and frankly I don’t know the agenda of Just Foreign Policy. I only know that I agree with them that it doesn’t meet the boundaries of common sense to deny the people of an occupied territory access to an international tribunal that may one day consider charges of human rights violations by its occupiers.

Note: For the same reason, I would enable access to the international criminal court by the captive peoples of the United States… specifically, descendants of American Indians forcibly dispossessed and expelled from their property by the American government during the 1800s.

Kentucky Senator Rand Paul has introduced legislation that would cut off U.S. aid to the Palestinians unless they withdraw their application to join the International Criminal Court. [1]

Whatever one thinks of the ICC, or the Palestinian decision to join it, it is the right of every state recognized by the UN General Assembly – as Palestine is – to join the International Criminal Court if they choose to do so. The right of the Palestinians to join the ICC has been recognized by the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon. [2]

Urge Senator Paul to accept the Palestinians’ right to join the ICC, by signing our petition at MoveOn.

http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/act/rand-paul-quit-bullying-Palestinians

Existing law demands that the Administration cut funding to the Palestinian Authority if it initiates or actively supports an investigation into Israeli nationals at the ICC. But Senator Paul’s bill goes further by trying to require a cut-off of aid to the Palestinians simply for joining the ICC. (!)

Sadly, Senator Paul seems to have made a cynical political calculation that a good way to inoculate himself from neocon charges that he is soft in his “support for Israel” is to be “more pro-Israel than thou” in kicking Palestinians.

Let’s show Senator Paul that kicking Palestinians isn’t a freebie. Urge him to respect the right of Palestinians to join the ICC by signing and sharing our petition.

http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/act/rand-paul-quit-bullying-Palestinians

Thanks for all you do to help make U.S. foreign policy more just,

Robert Naiman and Megan Iorio
Just Foreign Policy