| Paul Findley speaking at the 2015 Israel Lobby conference. |
| Rep. Paul Findley, who served the 20th District of Illinois in the House of Representatives from 1961-1983, died at the age of 98 on August 9. Both during and after his time in office, Findley courageously challenged Washington’s unflinching support for Israel and urged the U.S. to dramatically rethink its Middle East policy. He was also a vocal critic of the Vietnam War, and a leader in fighting racial discrimination. After his district was redrawn, Findley narrowly lost his 1982 reelection campaign to current senator Dick Durbin, who was backed by AIPAC and received hundreds of thousands of dollars from supporters of Israel. After he left Congress, Findley co-founded the Council for the National Interest, where he continued to fight for a just and rational U.S. approach to the Middle East. Findley also wrote prolifically, and published more than 90 articles for the Washington Report. He additionally authored three books about the Middle East and the Israel lobby: Deliberate Deceptions: Facing the Facts About the U.S.-Israeli Relationship,Speaking Out: A Congressman’s Lifelong Fight Against Bigotry, Famine, and War and They Dare to Speak Out: People and Institutions Confront Israel’s Lobby. The courage and dedication of leaders such as Findley inspired a generation of Americans to fight for justice in Palestine and the Middle East. We encourage everyone to take some time to reflect on the leadership and courage displayed by Findley and ask how they can better commit themselves to advancing the struggle toward justice. |
