De Pro Israel Lobby 180

From: ramy55@yahoo.com>

Date: 14 februari 2010 10:59:00 GMT+01:00

To: Palestinian-eForum@yahoogroups.com

Subject: Urgent Please

Reply-To: Palestinian-eForum@yahoogroups.com

Dear Friends, Baroness Jenny Tonge, a member of the House of Lords in the UK, has been under attack for the past few years as she supports freedom and justice for Palestinians. Just this week, she was dismissed from her position as spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats' shadow health minster. She was fired after she commented on a media report that the Israeli medical team working in Haiti was once again implicated in organ theft. (You may recall that late last year, after widespread media reports exposing the crimes, the Israeli government reversed its earlier denials and admitted that organs had been stolen in the 1990s from dead or wounded Palestinian prisoners.) Baroness Tonge responded in a highly fair and ethical fashion, telling the Jerusalem Chronicle that, "Israel should investigate such claims and clear its reputation." How much more measured and impartial could she be? Please demonstrate your support of Baroness Tonge, and insist on an end to the "hands-off" treatment of Israel. Please sign the petion through the link below, forward it to your friends and send a copy to Mr.Nick Clegg, the leader of the liberal Democrats Party. Let's stand for justice, freedom and peace! Dear Mr. Clegg, I was shocked to learn that the Liberal Democrats have fired Baroness Jenny Tonge as their health spokesperson simply because she suggested that Israel investigate charges made against it. Your action is a serious threat to the principles for which our country is known -- democracy and free speech. Even more specifically, you have made a mockery of your party's claim to "give power back to people." Instead of encouraging openness and the search for truth no matter how uncomfortable the accusation or who is accused, you are demonstrating to your constituents that the powerful and the "status quo" will be protected. The comment for which you are punishing Jenny Tonge merely illustrated her commitment to your party's founding principles. She suggested that an independent investigation would be the most ethical response to serious charges that Israel is continuing to practice an illegal act (organ theft) that it had already admitted to committing in earlier years. As you should know, media around the world reported accounts of Israeli medical officials taking organs from dead or wounded Palestinians and others. For weeks, the Israeli government denied these charges, only to admit in December of last year that indeed they were true. Although the Israeli government said the illegal thefts occurred in the 1990s and are no longer taking place, is it not wise -- and in fact, in Israel's own best interest, in light of its now tarnished reputation -- to investigate any new charges that the practice is continuing? By firing Baroness Tonge instead of backing her call for an investigation, or at least supporting her decision to do so, you have made evident that you only believe in the search for truth when powerful allies are not involved. Clearly, you cannot distinguish between anti-semetism and legitimate concerns about government policy. Despite its tortured past, Israel must expose itself to the same scrutiny to which all governments must submit if they are to be a democratic representative of their constituents and member of the "free world." Please demonstrate that the Liberal Democrats are indeed -- as your Web site states -- "brave enough to make a fresh start." Reverse your decision and reinstate Jenny Tonge. Best Wishes, your name here....... Ramy S. Abdu PhD Student (Finance and Law) Centre for Professional Accounting and Financial Services Manchester Metropolitan University, MMU Aytoun Building, Aytoun Street Manchester, M1 3GH, UK Ramy.abdu@student.mmu.ac.uk