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(Yet another good deed from Rep. Rahall - promoted by Clem Guttata)
In response to the recent Gaza War, a fundraising page was set up on ActBlue.com in order to contribute to elected officials who have been supportive of the peoples of Israel and Palestine. The page is called A Dream of Peace: Justice and Equality for The People of Israel and Palestine, and can be found here.
The mission of the page states "All of the people of the Holy Land need to live in peace and security. We need to support and elect candidates that are willing to stand up for the rights of the citizens of Israel and Palestine. These candidates support measures to stop violence, increase economic and humanitarian aid, actively engage in negotiation, and promote co-existence among these two Peoples."
On January 28th, Rep. John Olver (MA-01) sent a "Dear Colleague" letter to Secretary Of State Hillary Clinton requesting that the State Department release funds to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) for reconstuction and humanitarian assistance in Gaza. The letter was signed by a total of 63 Democratic House members, including one member of the West Virginia Delegation, Nick Rahall (WV-03). The full text of the letter, as well as the full list of signatories can be found here.
As a result of this request, President Obama authorized the use of $20.3 million from The US Emergency Refugee and Migration Association (ERMA) for humanitarian needs in Gaza. $13.5 million went to UNRWA, $6 million went to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and $800,000 went to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
Congressman Rahall, as well as the rest of the signatories, are all strong supporters of both the Israeli and Palestinian peoples. They are speaking out to help lessen the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and to commend President Obama on his early committment to the peace process between the Israelis and the Palestinians. We need to help these candidates as they face pressure from those people and groups that do not seek a just peace for that region. Please visit our fundraising page and contribute to Congressman Rahall, as well as any (or all) of our candidates.
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