(WASHINGTON, D.C., 4/19/2023) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today called on House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to meet with Palestinian leaders and human rights groups during his upcoming trip to Israel.
SEE: Kevin McCarthy to make Israel first foreign trip as House speaker (CNN)
https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/18/politics/mccarthy-israel-foreign-trip/index.html
In a statement, CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell said:
“During his trip, Speaker McCarthy should meet with Palestinian families, activists and faith leaders from both the Palestinian Christian and Muslim communities who can detail the abuses Palestinians are suffering under Israeli occupation.
“Speaker McCarthy should not embrace the racist, far-right extremists in the Israeli government who are hell-bent on destroying any possibility of peace. Instead, Speaker McCarthy should meet with Israeli and Palestinian human rights groups tracking and countering the injustice of the occupation.
“As a leader in Congress, Speaker McCarthy has a responsibility to listen to all voices. We hope that he will take the time to meet with Palestinian leaders and human rights groups during his trip and to use his platform to promote justice for all people in the region.”
He noted that last week, CAIR welcomed a congressional letter led by Representative Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) and Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), joined by 12 members of Congress, urging President Biden to better ensure the human rights of Palestinians and guarantee that U.S. military funding to the extreme right-wing apartheid Israeli government does not support human rights violations.
CAIR has previously called on the Biden administration to stand up to the new Israeli government composed of openly racist and genocidal far-right politicians.
Last year, CAIR welcomed an investigation by a UN commission of inquiry into the Israeli government’s system of apartheid against Palestinians.
In an open letter, five former European ministers labeled Israel’s policies against Palestinians as “the crime of apartheid.” Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the Presbyterian Church USA have labeled Israel an apartheid state. The UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Adequate Housing also recognized that Israel is committing apartheid against Palestinians.
A group of Israeli law professors says changes introduced by the current far-right Israeli government “validate the claim that Israel practices apartheid.”
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, [email protected]; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, [email protected]; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, [email protected]; CAIR National Communications Coordinator Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, [email protected]