[psych-hr] PsySR Sends Letter to Bush on Middle East

November 6, 2001

President George W. Bush
1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, DC 20050

Dear Mr. President,

Psychologists for Social Responsibility is an organization of social
scientists and mental health professionals devoted to peace and social
justice. Along with people of good will throughout this country and the
world, we are shocked and saddened by the killing of innocent civilians in
New York, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania. We, like everyone else, are
concerned about the spread of violence here and overseas.

As psychologists we recognize that great disparity of power between people
can breed violence. Poverty and deprivation of civil liberties lead to
hopelessness. In the resulting social alienation, violent solutions, no
matter how simplistic, are seductive. People who feel they have no other way
to correct injustices are prone to support terrorist attacks against those
they believe are causing their suffering and
humiliation.

One of the grievances in the Muslim world has been American support for
Israel at the expense of Palestinians.  Though this issue did not motivate
the attack on the United States and certainly cannot justify it, it has been
exploited by the perpetrators to gain support among Arab and Muslim
populations.  Hence, pursuit of a just solution to the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict--important in its own right--can also foster international unity in
combating terrorism.

In the pursuit of Israeli-Palestinian peace, we urge the U.S. government to
adopt an even-handed approach that promotes the human and political rights of
both peoples.  We advocate such an approach, not because it will gain
popularity in the Arab world, but because it is consistent with the
principles of justice and the achievement of a durable peace.  Ultimately,
peace and security for Israel can be
attained only by a solution that also ensures justice and security for the
Palestinian people.

In this spirit, and in the interest of reducing tension in the region,
bolstering the sense of security of both parties, restoring their hope for a
peaceful solution, and ending the sense of humiliation of the Palestinian
people, we urge the U.S. government:


         Psychologists for Social Responsibility  Page 2


1.  To take an active role in encouraging both parties to return to the
negotiating table and to negotiate a final agreement based on the following
principles:

(a) Establishment of a sovereign, viable and secure Palestinian state in the
West Bank and Gaza Strip, alongside of an equally sovereign, viable, and
secure state of Israel;

(b) Sharing of Jerusalem as an open city, containing the capitals of both
states, and ensuring free access to the holy sites of all three religions;

(c) Development of cooperative arrangements between the two states (with
international participation, as necessary) for the fair and equitable
distribution of water and other resources, and for pursuing their mutual
interests in economic, security, environmental, and other spheres.

2.  To insist that Israel freeze all settlement activities and associated
road construction in the occupied territories and, if it fails to do so, to
cut economic assistance to Israel by the percentage it spends on such
settlement activities

3.  To call on Israel to end oppressive occupation practices in the West Bank
and Gaza, such as house demolitions, closures, uprooting of trees,
restriction of movement, and confiscation of land, which do damage to the
Palestinian economy, quality of life, dignity, and hope for the future.

4.  To call on both parties to prevent and punish violence against civilians
and to eliminate the rhetoric of hatred, contempt, and delegitimization of
the other in their media, schools, and government pronouncements.

5.  To support the use of United Nations observers and peacekeeping forces
until hostilities end.

                                 Sincerely,

                                 Deborah DuNann Winter, Ph.D.
                                 President


Anne Anderson
National Coordinator
Psychologists for Social Responsibility
2604 Connecticut Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20008
(202) 745-7084
(202) 745-0051 fax
psysripn@aol.com or psysrusa@cs.com
website:  www.psysr.com



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