My Question
Although it is unlikely that any of these senators will ever read this question, it may draw the attention of one or several staff members. If a sufficient number of citizens write, the substance of this message might even reach a senator.  Were the interest of this senator sufficiently piqued, the message could reach the entire senate committee.

Hamas rockets aside, why has the United States government not applied more pressure on Israel to retreat to its 1967 borders and thereby prove to the Palestinian people and the Arab world that the United States is serious about brokering a peace in the Middle East?

Before you answer my question please address the issues found in the document for which a link has been provided.

http://homepage.mac.com/moogoonghwa/viewpoint/markdeeds.pdf

Also, please feel free to distribute the document among those who could likely benefit from it most in the Washington, D.C. community.

CAUTION
If you find it difficult to answer my question, because I am not a member of your voting constituency, then perhaps you could do so as a concerned US citizen with far more power to determine the fate of my country than I, myself. If, as a federal public servant, you are still reluctant to respond to me directly, then perhaps you could answer the question for yourself on behalf of our country, for I am deeply shamed by my government's behavior in the Middle East and deeply fear that change will never come.

Committee Contact Information

U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations

http://foreign.senate.gov/about.html

Chairperson: John Kerry
US Senator for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
http://kerry.senate.gov/contact/email.cfm

Ranking Member: Richard G. Lugar
US Senator for the State of Indiana
senator_lugar@lugar.senate.gov

Membership by State or Commonwealth of Representation

Lisa Murkowski
US Senator for the State of Alaska
http://murkowski.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContactMe.EMailLisa

Barbara Boxer
US Senator for the State of California
https://boxer.senate.gov/contact/email/policy.cfm

Chris Dodd
US Senator for the State of Connecticut
http://dodd.senate.gov/index.php?q=node/3128

Bill Nelson
US Senator for the State of Florida
http://billnelson.senate.gov/contact/email.cfm

Johnny Isakson
US Senator for the State of Georgia
http://isakson.senate.gov/contact.cfm

David Vitter
US Senator for the State of Louisiana
http://vitter.senate.gov/?module=webformiqv1

Benjamin L. Cardin
US Senator for the State of Maryland
http://cardin.senate.gov/contact/email.cfm

Norman Coleman
US Senator for the State of Minnesota
http://coleman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.ContactForm

Robert Menendez
US Senator for the State of New Jersey
http://menendez.senate.gov/contact/contact.cfm

George V. Voinovich
US Senator for the State of Ohio
http://voinovich.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.ContactForm

Robert P. Casey, Jr.
US Senator for the State of Pennsylvania
http://casey.senate.gov/contact/

Jim DeMint
US Senator for the State of South Carolina
http://demint.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.Home

Jim Webb
US Senator for the State of Virginia
http://webb.senate.gov/contact/

Russ Feingold
US Senator for the State of Wisconsin
http://feingold.senate.gov/contact_opinion.html

John Buarrasso
US Senator for the State of Wyoming
http://barrasso.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContactUs.ContactForm

I would like to thank you for your recent visit to Gaza. It was a long awaited first step that I would like other Congressmen and -women to make. Please encourage them to do so.

Peace will never take place in Palestine until the United States government stops its unilateral support of Israel. Israel's relentless policy of containment, encroachment, displacement, and attrition through collective punishment are at the root of Palestinian poverty and agression. It is important that the United States government understand this and stops blaming the Palestinian people for doing what they must to defend themselves and their homeland. Be it suicide bombers, tin-can Hamas rockets, or rocks hurled at Israeli tanks and soldiers by young Palestinian boys, the root of the frustration is the Israeli occupation and Israel's refusal to return what it has taken. The League of Arab Nation already agreed in 2003 to normalize diplomatic relations with Israel, if only Israel would return to its 1967 borders, allow Palestinian refugees to return to their homeland, and adequately compensate those who do not. The Hamas are in constant communication with their Arab neighbors and are not the irrational terrorists that the Israelis portray them to be. Certainly they are no worse than the many radical and often corrupt elements that constitute Israeli politics.

Indeed, Israel does have a right to its own security, but not by the means that it has set about.

The United States must withdraw all aid both economic and military until it makes the concessions necessary to bring about peace. If this proves insufficient, then it must call for an international embargo against Israel, until Israel sits down with all parties invovled and agrees to peace. I am sure that we can live without the Israeli spy network, and we do not need Israel to perform our dirty work, while we hide under the radar of international law.

My heart is with you, and I look forward to more good news from Washington and the Middle East. Simply take a firm stand against Israel, so that peace can finally be achieved.

Brian Baird
US Representative for the State of Washington
Middle East Economic Partnership Caucus
http://www.house.gov/baird/IMA/email.shtml

Keith Ellison
US Representative for the State of Minnesota
Congressional Human Rights Caucus, Congressional Anti-Terrorism Caucus
http://ellison.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=87