Mr. Kristof has written a moving piece showing the deadly costs of US tear gas sales to Bahrain’s Khalifa dictatorship:

People here admire much about America and welcomed me into their homes, but there is also anger that the tear gas shells that they sweep off the streets each morning are made by a Pennsylvania company, NonLethal Technologies. It is a private company that declined to comment, but the American government grants it a license for these exports — and every shell fired undermines our image.

Kristof goes on to write:

The repression is ubiquitous. Consider Zainab al-Khawaja, 28, whose husband and father are both in prison and have been tortured for pro-democracy activities, according to human rights reports. Police officers have threatened to cut off Khawaja’s tongue, she told me, and they broke her father’s heart by falsely telling him that she had been shipped to Saudi Arabia to be raped and tortured.

She braved the risks by talking to me about this last week — before she was arrested too.

Reporting like this is what forces US officials to back away from policies that stand in the way of democracy.

Please join us in thanking Mr. Kristof for this important piece.

The YouTube speech was published online the day before International Human Rights Day — Saturday, December 10th.

In that speech, Netanyahu made no mention that the Israeli military uses US taxdollars to force millions of Palestinians to live under a brutal occupation.

Don’t let this blatant misrepresentation of Palestinian suffering go unchallenged.

1.  Click “thumbs down” on YouTube.

2.  Tell Congress that you reject Netanyahu’s latest falsehoods. US taxdollars should not fund Israeli occupation.

If elected US officials or their staff watch this speech, they need to know that voting constituents find it reprehensible.

The Palestinian people deserve freedom.  So long as US tax dollars bankroll the Israeli military, their cause is our moral responsibility.

Your action is especially important because opponents of Palestinian freedom in the US are emailing UNESCO with messages of opposition.

One month back, Palestine was accepted as a full member to the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in a landslide vote. Out of 173 total votes, 107 votes supported the move, 52 abstained, and only 14 voted no.

In response, laws written by Congress were immediately triggered that cut off US funding to the UN organization.  US law currently requires a cutoff in aid to any UN organization that recognizes a Palestinian state.  Until the aid cut, US funding for UNESCO accounted for 22% of the agency’s total annual budget — $80 million a year.

Why is UNESCO being punished for recognizing the right to freedom for the Palestinian people?

Please thank UNESCO for its vote.   Palestinians deserve freedom and international recognition.  Congress should stop standing in the way.

Over the past six decades, successive US presidents have repeatedly blocked UN resolutions  that aim to advance Palestinian freedom and justice.  The US is usually one of only a handful of objectors to such resolutions.

To justify its vetoes, the Obama Administration continues to argue that peace for Palestinians can only be achieved through direct negotiations with Israeli leaders.  But such negotiations have failed to deliver a viable solution, and the Israeli government has continued to build settlements on what is left of Palestinian land.

Now, in response to UNESCO’s democratic process, both the United States and Israel have responded with intentions to punish both UNESCO and Palestinians.

In concert with the US’s punitive response, Israeli leaders announced that they will accelerate settlement expansion in the West Bank.

Please email UNESCO today.  UNESCO needs to hear that people in the US support their decision.

Sincerely,

Dalia Marina

Freedom Forward Campaigner

Unfortunately, the US is providing over $1 billion a year in military assistance to an Egyptian military that continues to violate its people’s rights.

As the US Congress debates budget cuts at home, the US Senate has considered new language that would restrict $1.3 billion in aid to Egypt until the Egyptian government completes democratic elections and ensures its citizens’ rights.

Please urge Congress to end US taxpayer support for Egypt’s military regime. The Egyptian people deserve democracy, not another unelected government.

Egypt has consistently received over $1 billion in annual U.S. aid since 1979. Most of the funds have gone towards the Egyptian military – what is referred to today as the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF). Under the leadership of Field Marshall Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, the SCAF has run Egypt’s transitional government.

Egyptians are striving to end the legacy of the Mubarak dictatorship, but the SCAF military government has continued many of the past dictator’s policies. Torture, military trials, and censorship are all still very real in Egypt today – even though the Mubarak years are over.

That’s why US taxpayers should not be forced to subsidize the Egyptian military regime. Please click here to tell Congress that the US government should not be providing military aid to a nondemocratic government in Egypt.

When the Egyptian Revolution began in January 2011, the Obama Administration was hesitant to voice support for the protestors condemning Mubarak. However, the Administration has since rhetorically supported the democratic movement in Egypt and has provided some resources to educate potential political actors about democracy and democratic mechanisms.

However, continuing to provide unconditional aid to Egypt’s military junta could reinforce the same anti-democratic practices that deprived Egypt’s people of their political and civil liberties in previous decades. Please urge Congress to end US tax dollar support for Egypt’s military regime.

Egyptians deserve a full transition to democracy, not another unelected government.

Click here to take action:

http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/6756/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=8881

Sincerely,

Alexandra Robinson

Freedom Forward Campaigner

The 12-minute video is worth watching:

Not only does the video talk about the crackdown on protestors, but it also reports on the US military alliance with Bahrain’s dictatorship. ESPN even covers the pending $53 million US arms sale to the Bahraini government — as well as Congressional efforts to stop that sale.

Please take a moment to thank ESPN for this important piece.

We will send a formal thank-you letter to ESPN that includes your name.

Why are elected US officials trying to block Palestinian freedom?

Please tell your Member of Congress that you oppose their vote.  And if your Member of Congress was among the brave minority who did not oppose Palestinian efforts, please thank them.

Click here to take action.

The pro-Israel lobby has been pushing the US Congress to oppose Palestinian efforts.   Led by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee — or AIPAC — the pro-Israel lobby is campaigning in Congress against the Palestinian bid for statehood at the UN.

In response, the US House of Representatives and US Senate recently passed official resolutions opposing the Palestinian campaign at the UN.  These resolutions (H. Res. 268 and S. Res. 185) call on the Obama Administration oppose the Palestinian campaign.

In the US House of Representatives, 407 out of 435 elected representatives voted for the anti-Palestinian resolution.  In the US Senate, the resolution was passed by unanimous consent, with 90 out of 100 senators even cosponsoring the resolution.

Please tell Congress to stop blocking Palestinian freedom.  Click here to take action.

Right now, elected officials are used to hearing primarily from the pro-Israel lobby.  We need to turn the tide so that elected officials who stand against freedom feel the heat — and officeholders who do the right thing earn our praise.

Members of Congress are calling on Palestinian leaders to drop their UN efforts and return to direct negotiations with Israel.  But Israel has already stalled peace talks and rejected compromises for a “two-state” solution.  Meanwhile, the Israeli government continues to build Jewish-only settlements in the West Bank that are illegal under international law.  These settlements are making a “two-state solution” less and less possible.

UN recognition of a Palestinian state does not prevent future negotiations.  It just makes the Palestinian call for freedom even louder.  As Palestinians push for their freedom, the United States Congress needs to get on the right side.

Click here to take action:
http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/6756/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=8182

Sincerely,

Alexandra Robinson
Freedom Forward Campaigner

Mubarak may be gone, but his laws are still here.

Click here to tell Egypt’s transitional government to end the State of Emergency laws.

Egypt’s new military ruler, Field Marshal Muhammad Tantawi,  is supposed to be the head of a transitional military government.  Unfortunately, he has kept Mubarak’s system of control.  Just last weekend, Tantawi’s government renewed the State of Emergency laws for yet another six months.

The old dictatorship may be over, but US taxpayers continue subsidize 25% of Egypt’s military budget.  We should not be forced to fund a new military government that keeps anti-democratic laws in place.

Urge Field Marshal Tantawi to end the State of Emergency laws.

Field Marshal Tantawi and his military government are supposed to be “transitional” – a caretaker government that will give way to democratic elections.  But since the former dictator Hosni Mubarak was removed from power, the new government has tried some 10,000 Egyptians in military courts.

Click here to tell Egypt’s current military rulers that the Egyptian people deserve freedom – not military control.  Tell Field Marshal Tantawi to end the State of Emergency laws and stop trying civilians in military courts.

The Egyptian transitional military government announced that it was renewing the State of Emergency laws after Egyptian protestors surrounded and stormed the Israeli Embassy in Cairo.  But this is no justification for perpetuating a former dictator’s system of control.  Governments around the world provide security to foreign embassies without resorting to such extremes.

Regardless of whether or not Egypt’s current government maintains diplomatic relations with Israel, the State of Emergency laws must go.  The Egyptian people have waited long enough for freedom.

Please tell Field Marshal Tantawi that Mubarak’s rules should be removed, once and for all.

We are looking for a few good volunteer writers who can research and write “Take Action” pieces for our thousands of members.

To make it worth our while and yours, we think the ideal candidate should be comfortable devoting 10 hours a month.   In return, your words will be read by Freedom Forward activists worldwide.  With your help, thousands of people will take action to change US foreign policy for the better.

To apply to be a Freedom Forward writer, click here.

Our approach is simple:  What is the problem?  What is the solution?  And when a Freedom Forward subscriber clicks <send>, what message are you are asking them to say?

If you are a good writer, if you can communicate with diverse audiences, and if you are comfortable receiving feedback and edits, we want to hear from you.

Click here to fill out our brief online application.

You’ll need a couple of writing samples – published or not.  If your application is accepted, we will give you the training and support necessary to make a successful contribution to our campaigns.

Click here to apply.

“The Government of Israel flatly rejects the establishment of a Palestinian Arab state west of the Jordan river.”

This sentence comes from the official platform of Netanyahu’s political party, Likud.  (PDF version)  Scroll down to the section called “Self-Rule” to see for yourself.

The meaning is simple:  Likud and its political leaders are opposed to a Palestinian state.

Click here to urge the US media to report on Netanyahu’s political platform.

While in Washington, Netanyahu is likely to demand once again that all Palestinian factions recognize Israel.  But what will it take for his own political party to acknowledge the right of Palestinians to live free of Israeli military occupation?

For all the money that US taxpayers are required to give to Israel, isn’t it time that American voters learned about Netanyahu’ political platform?

Click here to urge US media to report on Netanyahu’s platform — not just his rhetoric.

14 of the 15 members of the UN Security Council supported the resolution.  Only the US said no.  Because the US is one of five permanent members of the Council, it has veto power.

Click here to tell the Obama Administration that you oppose their decision.

Israeli settlements turn what is left of Palestinian land into Jewish-only neighborhoods guarded by Israeli  troops.  US taxpayers are forced to subsidize this activity through billions of dollars of aid to Israel.

In her statement to the UN Security Council, US Ambassador Susan Rice stated, “We reject in the strongest terms the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlement activity.”  But by protecting Israel from international criticism, the Obama Administration reduces the pressure on Israel to change its behavior.

This is not the path to peace.

Please tell the Obama Administration that you oppose their decision.  Click here.