<DIV class='Msonfiltered="MARGIN:' auto? mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: 0pt; 0in><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">From the Arab-American Insitute (message text, though not color, slightly edited). Please forward. </SPAN></DIV> <DIV class='Msonfiltered="MARGIN:' auto? mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: 0pt; 0in><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV class='Msonfiltered="MARGIN:' auto? mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: 0pt; 0in><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Youssef</SPAN></DIV> <DIV class='Msonfiltered="MARGIN:' auto? mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: 0pt; 0in><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV class='Msonfiltered="MARGIN:' auto? mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: 0pt; 0in><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black;
FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">On July 31, Senator <STRONG><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Chuck Hagel</SPAN></STRONG> (R-NE) gave a thoughtful and passionate speech on the Senate floor calling for an immediate cease-fire in Lebanon. Hagel, a leading voice on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, displayed the kind of leadership and courage Americans have been yearning for since this crisis began. </SPAN></DIV> <DIV class='Msonfiltered="MARGIN:' auto? mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: 0pt; 0in><B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"></SPAN></B> </DIV> <DIV class='Msonfiltered="MARGIN:' auto? mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: 0pt; 0in><B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">"The sickening slaughter on both sides must end now. President Bush must call for an immediate </SPAN></B><B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY:
Verdana"></SPAN></B><B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">cease fire. This madness must stop…The United States must focus all of its leadership and resources on ending this madness in the Middle East— now!"</SPAN></B></DIV> <DIV class='Msonfiltered="MARGIN:' auto? mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: 0pt; 0in><B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"></SPAN></B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV class='Msonfiltered="MARGIN:' auto? mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: 0pt; 0in><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Senator Hagel also called for the Administration as well as the whole United States government to take a more balanced approach to Foreign Policy concerning the Middle East</SPAN></DIV> <DIV class='Msonfiltered="MARGIN:' auto? mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: 0pt; 0in><STRONG><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"></SPAN></STRONG> </DIV> <DIV class='Msonfiltered="MARGIN:' auto? mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: 0pt; 0in><STRONG><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">"Our relationship with Israel is a special and historic one. But, it need not and cannot be at the expense of our Arab and Muslim relationships. That is an irresponsible and dangerous false choice </SPAN></STRONG><STRONG><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">…</SPAN></STRONG><STRONG><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"> It is in Israel's interest, as much as ours, that the United States be seen by all states in the Middle East as fair. This is the currency of trust."</SPAN></STRONG></DIV> <DIV class='Msonfiltered="MARGIN:' auto? mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: 0pt; 0in><SPAN></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV class='Msonfiltered="MARGIN:' auto?
mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: 0pt; 0in><STRONG><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: red; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">It is vitally important that Senator Hagel hear from Arab Americans and all those who support a just peace. </SPAN></STRONG><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: red; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"> </SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"></SPAN></DIV> <DIV class='Msonfiltered="MARGIN:' auto? mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: 0pt; 0in><STRONG><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"></SPAN></STRONG> </DIV> <DIV class='Msonfiltered="MARGIN:' auto? mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: 0pt; 0in><STRONG><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Call and tell Senator Hagel:</SPAN></STRONG> <SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"></SPAN></DIV> <OL type=1> <LI class='Msonfiltered="MARGIN:' level1
mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: 0pt; 0in .5in? list tab-stops: lfo1; l0 mso-list: black; COLOR:><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma">I would like to thank you for your leadership and call for an immediate ceasefire; </SPAN> <LI class='Msonfiltered="MARGIN:' level1 mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: 0pt; 0in .5in? list tab-stops: lfo1; l0 mso-list: black; COLOR:><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma">Thank you for advocating for a fair and just American foreign policy; </SPAN> <LI class='Msonfiltered="MARGIN:' level1 mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: 0pt; 0in .5in? list tab-stops: lfo1; l0 mso-list: black; COLOR:><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma">Thank you for acknowledging the suffering of Iraqi, Palestinian, and Lebanese civilians</SPAN></LI></OL> <DIV class='Msonfiltered="MARGIN:' auto?
mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: 0pt; 0in><B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">If you are not a Nebraska resident</SPAN></B> <SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">, please call Sen. Hagel's Washington office at (202) 224-4224 and ask to speak with his foreign affairs staff.</SPAN></DIV> <DIV class='Msonfiltered="MARGIN:' auto? mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: 0pt; 0in><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV class='Msonfiltered="MARGIN:' auto? mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: 0pt; 0in><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Call us and let us know about your success at (202) 429-9210. Ask for <STRONG><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Rebecca Abou-Chedid</SPAN></STRONG> or <STRONG><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Ryan Dunigan</SPAN></STRONG> in Government
Relations or e-mail us at <A title=mailto:rabouchedid@aaiusa.org href="http://by18fd.bay18.hotmail.msn.com/cgi-bin/compose?mailto=1&msg=MSG1154554515.21&start=878684&len=68619&src=&type=x&to=rabouchedid@aaiusa.org&cc=&bcc=&subject=&body=&curmbox=F000000001&a=f459dfbed74bf4002ffd6398ee70fb40a79b558d366e0e7d61a92b3d924778ce" target=_blank><SPAN style="mso-ansi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Verdana; mso-hansi-font-family: Verdana"><U><FONT color=#003399>rabouchedid@aaiusa.org</FONT></U></SPAN></A> </SPAN></DIV><p> 
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