Why Obama's Mideast Envoy Should Meet With Palestinian Women, Face to Face

Code Pink Women For Peace will be traveling to Gaza on March 6. The purpose of their mission is to provide "humanitarian and emotional support to women and women's organizations and exert pressure on U.S., Egyptian and Israeli governments to lift the blockade and promote peace and human rights in the region."

In advance of its trip, Code Pink has created a petition that asks signers to write to George Mitchell, President Barack Obama's special envoy to the Middle East, to request that he meet with the women of Gaza. As an American Jew who opposes Israel's inhumane treatment of Palestinians, I answered Code Pink's call, signed the petition, and wrote a letter to Mr. Mitchell.

The letter that follows is my personal statement to Mr. Mitchell and not the statement of Code Pink.

Dear Mr. Mitchell,

American corporate media and special-interest groups who favor Israel have hidden the suffering of Palestinians from the American public for far too long. But now, thanks to valiant journalists and a new global media that disseminates truth not controlled by America and Israel, AIPAC, Christian Zionists and myopic U.S. Jews, more Americans are learning the truth about Israel's brutality toward the Palestinians.

More Americans are realizing every day that tens of billions of their hard-earned dollars are being awarded to a nation whose primary intent is to exterminate the Palestinians and enjoy sole domain over a historically shared land.