Targetting the Palestinians Nazi-style--- Legislation introduced in Cong

"NUREMBERG-STYLE" LEGISLATION INTRODUCED IN CONGRESS

Proposed bill requires Justice Department to target Palestinians
(WASHINGTON, DC - 11/30/2000) - Legislation recently introduced in the
House would require the Justice Department to set up a special office
exclusively targeting Palestinians. 

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a Washington-based
Islamic advocacy group, today called the Justice for American Victims of
Terrorism Act of 2000 (H.R. 5500) "Nuremberg-style" legislation. (Nazi
Germany's infamous "Nuremberg Laws" targeted the Jewish community in that
country from 1935 to the end of World War II. To view the text of H.R.
5500, go to http://thomas.loc.gov and search using the bill number.) 

H.R. 5500, introduced by Rep. Robert Andrews (D-NJ), would "require the
Attorney General to establish an office in the Department of Justice to
monitor acts of international terrorism alleged to have been committed by
Palestinian individuals or individuals acting on behalf of Palestinian
organizations and to carry out certain other related activities." 

One of the bill's three co-sponsors is Rep. Rick Lazio (R-NY). During his
unsuccessful Senate campaign, Lazio attempted to link American Muslim
leaders and groups to acts of violence in the Middle East. Muslims say
this tactic amounted to Islamophobic "McCarthyism." 

Another co-sponsor, Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY), has been a key supporter
of the use of secret evidence in INS deportation hearings. (Secret
evidence is used almost exclusively against Muslims and Arabs.) He has
also called on President Clinton to free Jonothan Pollard, a naval analyst
who was convicted in 1986 of transferring classified information to
Israel. 

Weiner has been quoted as saying: "The potential for positive developments
in the Middle East peace process that would result from releasing Pollard
cannot be understated." He recently sponsored legislation to cut U.S. aid
to the Palestinians. In a 1999 commentary, Weiner wrote: "It is time that
the House of Representatives takes steps to demonstrate our loyalties to
Israel." 

Vaguely-worded provisions in the legislation include a requirement that
the Justice Department permanently station "an appropriate number of
United States officials in Israel, in territory administered by Israel, in
territory administered by the Palestinian Authority, and elsewhere, to the
extent practicable." 

"Considering the political background of those involved with this
legislation, we believe an inevitable result of the bill's passage would
be government monitoring of non-violent critics of Israel in this country.
H.R. 5500, by placing American personnel in Palestinian territories, would
also put America in the position of helping to enforce Israel's brutal
occupation. It is unconscionable to propose legislation that targets a
specific religious and ethnic group," said CAIR Board Chairman Omar Ahmad. 

Ahmad added that if the true intent of the legislation were to monitor
foreign terrorists, it would impose requirements on the State Department
or the CIA, not the Department of Justice. He said any Justice Department
office created by the bill should also monitor the documented torture of
American citizens in Israeli prisons and the use of American weapons to
kill Palestinian civilians.

Council on American-Islamic Relations
News Release 11/30/00 
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Tel: 202.488.8787
Fax: 202.659.2254
Page: 202.490.5653
E-mail: cair1@ix.netcom.com
URL: http://www.cair-net.org/