Washington, DC — The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) today called for Israeli troops to be immediately withdrawn from the West Bank town of Tulkarem, which was seized by Israeli troops this morning. ADC urged the Bush Administration to urgently intervene and secure the removal of Israeli occupation forces from the Palestinian town. According to Palestinian-Israeli agreements, Tulkarem is supposed to be under Palestinian control and off limits to Israeli forces.
ADC President Ziad Asali said “This outrageous aggression is only the latest provocation by the Sharon government designed to intensify the conflict and destroy any chances of a peaceful settlement. This military escalation by Israel seems intentionally designed to foreclose any potential for renewed negotiations. The seizure of Tulkarem poses a serious challenge to the stated policies of the Bush Administration, and requires a firm and prompt response from the United States. Serious intervention by the United States and the international community is required to break the cycle of violence, which threatens American interests in the region.”
The attack on Tulkarem is not only a violation of Israeli-Palestinian agreements, it is a major violation of the 4th Geneva Convention, insofar as it constitutes a collective punishment against an entire town. Israel‘s policy of collective punishment of Palestinians has never brought increased security to Israelis and constitutes a massive human rights abuse and aggression against the Palestinian people.