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Sacramento Organizations Confront Israel Lobby Over 'War Crimes'

Jewish, peace and veterans organizations will confront Israel's major lobby group and local elected officials Sunday to protest against what they call Israel's "human rights violation and war crimes."

A "peace picket" will be set up around the Radisson Hotel (500 leisure Lane) SUNDAY, 10:30 a.m. to protest AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee) at its annual luncheon where prominent Sacramento politicians are expected to attend.

"We expect our elected representatives to support human rights and international law...we have asked that they not attend the annual Sacramento Area American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) luncheon being held today at the Radisson Hotel in Sacramento," said the coalition of peace groups in a letter to Sacramento-area lawmakers.

"We are part of a growing constituency that recognizes that the agenda and actions of Israel's hard-line, militarist government and of AIPAC do not reflect the values we want practiced in our community or taught to our children. The over $3 billion dollars a year that the U.S. gives Israel is money that could be spent to meet human needs in our own country and in the world," the letter stated.

The peace groups charged that those elected officials attending the Sunday AIPAC affair, "are saying to our community that they do not support human rights or international law."

Among the organizations signing onto the letter, and sending picketers Sunday are Jewish Voice for Peace, Sacramento; Sacramento Area Peace Action; Palestine American Congress, Sacramento; Grandmothers for Peace; Veterans For Peace, Chapter 87; Free Palestine Alliance; Al Awda, The Palestine Right to Return Coalition; Peace in the Precincts; Sacramento Coalition to End the War; Women's International League for Peace and Freedom; Peace and Freedom Party Sacramento and the Sacramento County Green Party.