Tell Congress to Support Peace Between Israel and Palestine!

On December 23, 2016, the United States abstained from a vote on the United Nations’ Security Council Resolution 2334. This resolution called for a halt to Israel’s settlement building activity in occupied Palestinian territory. Congress has taken steps to push back against the U.S.’s action on this resolution by passing a resolution objecting to the UNSC resolution in both the House and the Senate.

Urge your members of Congress to support, not undermine, peace between Israelis and Palestinians today!

UNSC 2334 reaffirms that Israeli settlements are a violation of international law and an obstacle to peace. It calls on Israel to cease all settlement building in occupied Palestinian territory, and highlights that the Security Council would not recognize any changes to the June 4, 1967 lines.

The resolution calls for immediate action to prevent all acts of violence against civilians. It also encourages increased efforts to come up with “comprehensive, just, and lasting peace.” The US abstention from this vote allowed the resolution to be passed unanimously by the other 14 members of the Security council.

Of even greater concern, a bill introduced in the US Senate on January 12, called the “Safeguard Israel Act”, would stop US contributions to the UN “until the President certifies to Congress that United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334 has been repealed.” Not only would this bill undermine efforts by the US and international community to hold Israel accountable for its settlement building activity, it would be detrimental to a broad spectrum of work by the UN around the world.

In addition to the efforts to rescind UNSC 2334, a number of initiatives are underway in Congress to support quick action on moving the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Outside a comprehensive peace agreement, such a unilateral move by the US would be dangerous as it would undermine prior agreements. A presidential waiver allows each new president to stop this potentially volatile move from taking place, but new efforts in Congress would remove the waiver.

Urge your members of Congress to support, not undermine, peace between Israelis and Palestinians today! Let them know you oppose all efforts to weaken USNC 2334 and tell them to halt all efforts to move the US embassy to Jerusalem outside a comprehensive peace agreement.

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Tell Congress to Support Peace Between Israel and Palestine!

Subject:

Support Peace Between Israel and Palestine!

Dear Official,

I am writing to express my concern about several Congressional initiatives that I believe would undermine peace between Israelis and Palestinians and which I therefore urge you to oppose.

First, I am concerned by Congressional attempts to criticize, condemn or undermine UNSC 2334, a resolution that is in keeping with US policy on Israeli settlements.

UNSC 2334 reaffirms that Israeli settlements are “a flagrant violation under international law and a major obstacle” to peace, calls on Israel to “immediately and completely cease all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territory,” and stresses that the Security Council “will not recognize any changes to the 4 June 1967 lines, including with regard to Jerusalem, other than those agreed by the parties through negotiations.”

The resolution also calls for “immediate steps to prevent all acts of violence against civilians including acts of terror,” addresses other concerns including “incitement and inflammatory rhetoric,” and urges intensified efforts to achieve “without delay a comprehensive, just and lasting peace…”

I urge you to oppose all efforts to undermine this resolution, along with efforts to cut off US funding of the UN in response to it. Cutting off funding to the UN would harm efforts across a broad spectrum of UN work that benefits the US and countries around the world.

Finally, I urge you to oppose all efforts, outside of a comprehensive peace agreement, to move the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem as such move would be potentially volatile and dangerous.

I write as a person of faith, seeking peace, hoping and praying for the welfare of Israelis and Palestinians alike, and searching for positive US actions to that end. For this work, and all the efforts of the new Congress, you have my prayers.

Regards, Your Name

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