His autobiography is called "Warrior"; his nickname is "Bulldozer"; he is also known as "Sharon Rotzeach" ("Sharon the Murderer"); he is the single biggest obstacle to peace in the Middle East. He is famous around the world for the quantity of blood on his hands.

In 1953 Sharon led a raid on the Palestinian village of Qibya, during which his men massacred 69 civilians. Later, as many as 20,000 people died in Israel's invasion of Lebanon, which the then prime minister Begin claimed Sharon ran like a personal project. And most notoriously, he was held partially to blame for the massacre at the Shatilla and Sabra refugee camps in southern Lebanon. In 1982, Sharon was defense minister when Christian militias were allowed to enter the camps to root out "terrorist factions". They wound up killing at least 800 innocent civilian men, women and children. Some account put the death toll as high as 2,000. How is that not an unforgivable targeting of civilians? An inquiry found him responsible for the slaughter, and he was forced to resign as defense minister under Menachem Begin in 1983.

Now he is prime minister, and it's been said that he is a "doer". "Doing", in this context, should be taken as a euphemism for violence. And since September 11, Sharon has been "doing" more than usual. While the world's eyes were on the smouldering ruins of downtown Manhattan, his soldiers and agents were carrying out a string of brutal attacks on targets in Gaza and the West Bank. After the assasination of his friend, the rightwing tourism minister, Rehavam Zeevi, the tanks were rolling again, this time into the heart of four West Bank towns, in the biggest occupation of Palestinian territory since the post-Oslo withdrawal of the early 1990s.

Israel receives at least $3 billion in US foreign aid every year. That's YOUR tax money. The majority of this money is used by Israel to buy arms from US manufacturers. Presently, as it has often been in the past, Israel is in clear violation of US law covering "end use" for our weapons sales. Israel is using US-provided F-16 Fighter Jets and US-provided Apache Attack Helicopters against Palestinians. Israel is sending US-made Stinger Missiles smashing into Palestinian homes. Very recently, a 21-year old US Citizen, Suraida Saleh, was gunned down by Israeli soldiers in Ramallah, with her 9 month old baby on her lap. The State Department knows about this, but does nothing. Her father had to bury her in the hospital parking lot, because the electricity is cut off to the hospital (no refrigeration for the corpses), the morgue is overflowing and under the state of siege no one can get to the cemetery. When an American citizen has died in Israel, we hear about it on all our media. Have you heard about this incident. It's not the first time an American Arab has been killed by Israelis... that information is generally kept very quiet.

As American tax payers, WE ARE COMPLICIT in this occupation, murder and ethnic cleansing. It's our responsibility to stop it. President Bush has just decided to send Colin Powell to negotiate a cease-fire. But is it a real change in US policy, or just a facelift?. CLICK HERE to learn about who is really making a killing from war. I urge you to do your own research, to learn what is happening that is not being told through the mainstream media. Here are a few internet links that are very useful:

THE WALL OF HATE   (Please watch this film.)

Seven Pillars of Jewish Denial (analysis by Kim Chernin)

An Open Letter to American Jews (by Assaf Oron)

Please, Dad, Tell Me: How do I stop being complicit? (letter by Sarah Shields)

Why I Refuse to Fight for Sharon's Settlements

"Courage to Refuse" Pledge signers

I Criticize Israel Because I Am Jewish

A Letter from Israel

The Myth of the Generous Offer

Why Israel is Not a Democracy

Israel's Threat to World Peace (by U.S. General James J. David)

The Silent Jew - An Open Letter by Rabbi Joel Timmerman

A Remarkable Jewish Woman Speaks Out: Shulamit Aloni

A Jewish Plea (How Can Children of the Holocaust Do Such Things): Sarah Roy

Propaganda and war (by Edward Said)

Anti-Semitism, Real And Imagined

International Campaign for Justice for the Victims of Sabra & Shatila

Murder Of A Population Under Cover Of Righteousness

If Americans Knew: What every American needs to know about Israel/Palestine

The "Separation Wall" - Separating Palestinians from their land...

A letter to Senator Rodham Clinton from Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb of Bethlehem

Jewish Voice for Peace" - Israelis and Palestinians. Two Peoples, One Future

What 'peace' really means to Israelis

Study: Young Jews less linked to Israel

A video Israel does not want you to see

Common Dreams News Center

Human Rights Watch

AlterNet.org

Democracy NOW!

Project Censored

Peace Protest Net (Upcoming Protests)