THE GREEN PARTY OF THE UNITED STATES
MEDIA RELEASE
For immediate release:
Friday, March 21, 2003
GREENS CALL FOR AN INVESTIGATION OF THE MURDER OF AMERICAN PEACE ACTIVIST RACHEL CORRIE BY ISRAELI FORCES
As Israeli military forces attack a memorial service for Corrie, Greens renew the call for suspension of U.S. aid to
Israel, and warn that the Sharon government, taking advantage of the U.S. invasion of Iraq and U.N. turmoil, might try
to evict Palestinians from the occupied territories.
WASHINGTON, DC -- Members of the Green Party of the United States, outraged at the murder of American peace activist
Rachel Corrie and disruption by the Israeli military of a memorial service for her, demanded an investigation and
decisive measures by the U.S. government to stop the Sharon government's violent treatment of Palestinian civilians,
destruction of Palestinian homes and infrastructure, and illegal occupation of the Palestinian territories.
Greens reaffirmed their support for American, European, and Israeli peace activists who continue to risk their lives in
nonviolent resistance to the occupation and defense of Palestinian civilians. The Green Party has also called for an
international protection force in the territories to insure the safety of Palestinian and Israeli civilians and
adherence by Israel to the Geneva Conventions Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War.
"A simple threat to cancel all American aid to Israel would probably stop Sharon's incessant and illegal attacks on
occupied Palestine and brutal treatment of the Palestinian people," said Justine McCabe, co-chair of the Green Party of
Connecticut who has done relief work in Palestine. "Let the death of Rachel Corrie, who called herself a 'witness for
peace,' be the occasion for the Bush Administration to cease all military aid to Israel, until Israel complies with U.S.
laws governing arms transfers, U.N. resolutions, and international laws and agreements."
Corrie, a 23-year-old activist with the International Solidarity Movement, was crushed by a bulldozer on March 16 while
trying to block the demolition of Palestinian homes in Gaza by Israeli forces. The driver of the bulldozer drove forward
over Corrie after she had climbed down from speaking with him, which suggests that the driver probably knew she wasn't
Palestinian. On March 18, a memorial service at the site of her death was disrupted by Israeli forces using teargas,
stun guns, and tanks.
"The government of Israel has been evicting Palestinians from their homes, destroying their orchards and farms,
restricting their access to food, schools, and medical care, imposing economic ruin and unemployment, attacking refugee
camps, and visiting violence and death on children," said Holly Hart, Iowa Green, co-chair of the party's national
platform committee, and member of People for Justice in Palestine. "Israel has leveled over 3,000 homes in the past two
years."
"Sharon makes little secret of his desire to clear the West Bank and Gaza of all Palestinians and extend Israel's border
to the Jordan River," add Hart. "Sharon is indulged at every step by the Bush Administration. Bush has ignored the fact
that Sharon's Government includes the National Union, an alliance of three parties which explicitly calls for the ethnic
cleansing of Palestinians. The murder of an American citizen and disruption of a memorial service for her display new
extremes of state-sponsored terrorism, and Bush must treat it as such."
Greens also warned that the U.S. invasion of Iraq, which the party strongly opposes, will cause further deterioration of
the crisis in Israel and Palestine.
"It's quite possible that the Sharon government might use the invasion of Iraq and the turmoil in the U.N. as an
opportunity to expel Palestinians from the occupied territories," said Stan Heller, Connecticut Green and chair of the
Middle East Crisis Committee in New Haven.
"The hypocrisy of the U.S. invasion of Iraq for alleged noncompliance with Resolution 1441 is revealed by the fact that
the U.S. has vetoed 41 resolutions, over the last three decades that sought to hold Israel accountable for violations of
international law."
MORE INFORMATION
The Green Party of the United States http://www.gp.org National office: 1314 18th Street, NW Washington, DC 20036
202-296-7755, 866-41GREEN
Contacts: Nancy Allen, Media Coordinator, 207-326-4576, nallen@acadia.net
Scott McLarty, Media Coordinator, 202-518-5624, scottmclarty@yahoo.com