Posted on 06/03/2003 5:44:34 AM PDT by SJackson
June 2, 2003 Contact: (212) 481-1500 Attn: NEWS EDITOR
ZOA TO ASHCROFT: INDICT & EXTRADITE ARAB KILLER OF U.S. CITIZEN WHOM SHARON IS RELEASING
NEW YORK- The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) is urging U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft to indict and extradite a Palestinian Arab murderer of an American, who is being released by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon as a "gesture" to the Palestinian Arabs.
The terrorist scheduled for release is Ahmad El-Sukar, who is presently serving a sentence of life imprisonment for a bombing in downtown Jerusalem's Zion Square on July 4, 1975, murdering 14 passersby. One of those murdered was U.S. citizen Rivka Ben-Yitzhak, age 35. Among the wounded were three Americans--U.S. tourist Mark Katz and "two American young women tourists" whose names were not released. (New York Times, July 5, 1975)
ZOA National President Morton A. Klein, chairman of the board Dr. Alan Mazurek, and chairman of the National Executive Committee Dr. Michael Goldblatt have sent a telegram to Attorney General Ashcroft urging: "We deplore the Sharon government's reported decision to order the release of a killer of Americans, and we urge you to intervene to ensure that El-Sukar receives the appropriate punishment for his crimes. The United States should indict El-Sukar for the murder of U.S. citizen Rivka Ben-Yitzhak, and request that El-Sukar be extradited from Israel to the U.S. in accordance with the terms of the U.S.-Israel extradition treaty. If the Sharon government is not prepared to mete out justice to this murderer of Israelis and Americans, El-Sukar, then the U.S. government must do so."
The ZOA is also urging the Attorney General to:
* Place Ahmad El-Sukar on the "terrorist watch" list so that he is not allowed to enter the United States (except to stand trial).
* Assist the family of Rivka Ben-Yitzhak, and relatives of the Americans wounded in the bombing, in filing suit against El-Sukar for violating their civil rights.
* Demand that the Palestinian Authority pledge, in writing, to refrain from providing any financial assistance to El-Sukar or his family (the PA's standard policy has been to provide salaries to released terrorists).
* Demand that the PA provide a verifiable account of how much money it has provided to El-Sukar or his family since his imprisonment, and deduct that amount from the next installment of the Bush administration's annual $150-million grant to the Palestinian Arabs.
* Post warnings in the vicinity of El-Sukar's next place of residence, alerting U.S. citizens who live in the area that a killer is about to become their neighbor--similar to warnings that are posted in American neighborhoods when convicted child molesters move into the area.
* Instruct the CIA Station Chief in Israel to monitor El-Sukar's travels and inform the Ben-Yitzhaks and the other victims' families of his whereabouts at all times.
* * *
More than 100 American citizens have been murdered by Palestinian Arab terrorists since the 1960s, 39 of them since the signing of the Oslo accords in 1993. Twenty-seven of those 39 were killed since the Palestinian Authority launched the current wave of violence in September 2000.
In response to the ongoing murders of American citizens by Palestinian Arab terrorists, the ZOA is strongly supporting the Koby Mandell Act, which was recently introduced in Congress. The Koby Mandell Act would create a special office within the Justice Department which would: gather evidence against Palestinian Arab killers of Americans; arrange to bring the terrorists to the U.S. for trial; initiate negotiations with the Palestinian Authority for financial compensation for victims' families; and maintain a liaison with the families to update them on efforts to capture the killers.
The Koby Mandell Act has been publicly endorsed by AIPAC and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.
The legislation has broad bipartisan support in Congress. In the Senate, it currently has 12 sponsors, led by Sen. Gordon Smith (R-OR) and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR). In the House of Representatives, it currently has 41 sponsors, led by Representatives Rob Andrews (D-NJ) and Jim Saxton (R-NJ). (For a complete list of the sponsors, call the ZOA at 212-481-1500.)
The ZOA recently published a powerful new booklet, The Forgotten Victims: American Citizens Murdered by Palestinian Arab Terrorists. It includes biographical entries on Americans murdered by Palestinian Arab terrorists and a "Killers at Large" section revealing the names --and, in some cases, the photos-- of Palestinian Arab killers of Americans who are being sheltered by the PA. For a free copy of The Forgotten Victims, please call the ZOA at 212-481-1500.
* * *
The Zionist Organization of America, www.zoa.org ,founded in 1897, is the oldest pro-Israel organization in the United States. The ZOA works to strengthen U.S.-Israel relations, educates the American public and Congress about the dangers that Israel faces, and combats anti-Israel bias in the media and on college campuses. Its past presidents have included Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis and Rabbi Dr. Abba Hillel Silver.
I don't know where these numbers came from but most, probably all, were Israelis with joint citizenship and a primary loyalty to Israel. They followed their loyalties to make aliyah. It is a tragedy that they died (as it is for the several times that number of Palestinians killed by Israelis). However, talking about "murdered Americans" is a cheap shot at best.
The U.S. has more legitimate case in the incident you mentioned (Sheinbein is his name, I think) than in the case of the Palestinian terrorists who are being released. In the case of the Palestinian terrorists, they committed crimes against U.S. citizens in a foreign jurisdiction -- in the Sheinbein case, the crime was committed by a U.S. citizen (I believe) against another U.S. citizen, here in the United States. He subsequently fled the country to avoid standing trial in Maryland for his crime.
What's a DU troll? Something good?
Do we have a law that says that those who have a dual citizenship is less of a citizen? What about those who are not dual citizens? You say "most", so even you admit that some of victims are exclusively American. What's up?
Followed their loyalties? Primary loyalty to Israel? But at the same time you say we should indict and prosecute the driver of the Israeli army bulldozer who killed the American girl
Well..
.
You were talking about loyalties? Bringing her in into this while talking about loyatlies (I'll quote you once again) is a cheap shot at best
Yes, it has in recent years. In the past it did not, and a HUGE mistake was made when they changed.
The LEGAL status of these people was joint citizens. Their loyalties were to Israel (that's why they were there). Israel is an occupying power (I quote its leader, the famous war criminal). Bad things happen to occupying powers.
It was an accident. You have fallen to commie-driven media reports which painted it as deliberate. Israel takes great care in protecting civilian life. Also, you may also note, Israel has characterized the International Solidarity Movement as a terrorist aider.
My,my, what a temper. Take a pill.
You don't know what you are talking about. The US government recognizes dual citizenship. Furthermore, do you say the same about an Israeli who became American? Is he less of an American as well? Also, most of the "Palestinians" which have been killed by Israeli troops have been terrorists, and the figures of 1000+ "Palestinians" killed the media spreads does not show which of those 1000 were killed while planting bombs, blew themselves up, taking arms against Israeli troops, and aiding terrorists in the act. After removing all those figures you will see a drastic change.
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