Congressional Candidate Jose Vega Endorses Statement by Dr. Chandra Muzaffar
The reckless actions now being taken in the name of revenge have put the world on the precipice of an out-of-control regional war being unleashed in the Middle East. Namely, the two assassinations this week, of a senior Hezbollah commander in Beirut, along with Ismail Haniyeh, the Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip by the Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu.
We must act now to prevent the ongoing genocide in the Gaza Strip and a wider conflagration in the Middle East. Possibly up to 186,000 innocent Palestinians have been killed, according to a report by the Lancet.
To start, I am endorsing the statement by Chandra Muzzafar of the International Movement for a Just World (JUST) based in Malaysia, which is addressed to all member states of the United Nations and calls for them to invoke Resolution 377 or the “Uniting for Peace” resolution. That resolution “resolves that if the Security Council, because of lack of unanimity of the permanent members, fails to exercise its primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security in any case where there appears to be a threat to the peace, breach of the peace, or active aggression, the General Assembly shall consider the matter immediately with the view to making appropriate recommendations to members for collective measures, including, in the case of a breach of the peace or active aggression, the use of armed force if necessary, to maintain or restore, international peace and security.” Please circulate the following statement to as many people as possible, including representatives of nations, NGOs, human rights groups, and others:
Statement by Dr. Chandra Muzaffar, Founder of the International Movement for a Just World
“Dear Ambassador,
Peace. I am writing on behalf of an international NGO committed to human dignity and social justice based in Malaysia. Like many other citizens groups, the International Movement for a Just World (JUST) is deeply concerned about the continuing catastrophe in Gaza and Palestine.
In spite of numerous calls made by people everywhere to Israel to implement an immediate ceasefire and to facilitate the unhindered flow of essentials — water, electricity, food,fuel and medicines — to Gaza, the Israeli government is impervious to any suggestion that it should end immediately the wanton massacre of civilians especially children and women who constitute the majority of those killed and ensure that famine does not claim any more lives in that narrow, congested strip of land.
Since it does not seem to be possible to restrain the Israeli government, we are now hoping that the UN General Assembly and Resolution 377 can be harnessed to curb Israel. The UNGA as you know can be asked to act if the UN Security Council has failed to overcome a prolonged conflict.
A special session of the GA can be convened and it can take a vote on the catastrophe in Gaza and Palestine in general. It is our hope and the hope of many other citizens groups all over the world especially the NGO, World Beyond War, the initiator of this global campaign, that your government will give wholehearted support to the proposal to adopt 377 or the ‘Uniting for Peace’ Resolution. It will give a pivotal role to the UNGA in bringing to an end the genocide in Gaza. Uniting for Peace can not only impose an embargo upon the flow of arms to both Israel and Hamas, the Palestinian resistance group. It can also disarm both parties to the conflict and send a huge number of unarmed peacekeepers to Gaza,the West Bank, and East Jerusalem. They will ensure that there is no armed clash in all parts of Palestine and even in Israel until a conference of all parties involved directly or indirectly in the conflict reach an agreement on restoring the full rights of the Palestinians, establishing a state where there is equality for all its citizens regardless of religion or ethnicity and the right of return of all Palestinian refugees is recognized and implemented.
JUST is confident given your commitment to peace that you will bring 377 to fruition in the coming session of the GA and help the land of the three faiths to enjoy tranquility and harmony once again.”
In solidarity,
Dr Chandra Muzaffar,
President, International Movement for a Just World (JUST)