PUSH FOR ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN PEACE NOW

A small window of opportunity has opened for peace in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. 

A  Palestinian unity government has formed, the Saudis have reissued their comprehensive
peace plan from 2002, the European Union is reengaging in pressing for peace and both Israelis and Palestinians overwhelming support making peace.  Yet, the Bush administration is backing Israel’s right-wing government’s rejection of peace talks and making unreasonable preconditions for negotiations.  Nevertheless, the Bush administration is under high pressure to make a break through.

NOW IS THE TIME TO PUSH FOR PEACE.

Act now or on the Statewide Call-in Day, WED April 11th.

CONTACT THE WHITE HOUSE

WRITE LETTERS TO NEWSPAPERS, SENATORS & CONGRESSMAN

For contact information & talking points click on READ MORE

Push for Israeli-Palestinian Peace Campaign

Contents

A. ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN

B.  CALLING-IN

C.     WRITING LETTERS

D.     TALKING POINTS

E.      CONTACT THE CAMPAIGN

A.  ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN

We are asking people to do a few simple things.

1. Make a few phone calls on WED April 11th or sooner, at your convenience.2. Write a letter and send it to Congressmen and/or newspapers.3. Let us know what you’ve done by emailing: 
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B.  CALLING-IN 

STATEWIDE CALL-IN DAY: Wed. April 11th

Call on WED April 11th or sooner, at your convenience.To concentrate our efforts and our effectiveness, we are asking folks to focus on these elected representatives.

CONTACT (in descending order)

White House, PHONE  (202) 456-1414; FAX: (202) 456-2461

Senator Lindsay Graham: Washington Office, PHONE  (202) 224-5972, FAX (202) 224-3808

Congressmen Jim Clyburn (Majority Whip)  (House in recess until 4/15)Main District Office, PHONE (803) 799-1100, FAX (803) 799-9060 

Senator Jim DeMint: Washington Office, PHONE (202) 224-6121, FAX (202) 228-5143

Your House Representative or More Info: http://capwiz.com/fconl/directory/congdir.tt

C.  WRITING LETTERS

If you feel comfortable writing a letter, make that time you put into writing your letter count: send it to all your representatives by email and snail mail, fax them if you have access toa fax.  Likewise, if  you write a letter to a newspaper, consider sending it to more than one paper.  If you need help writing your letter or want someone to proof it, contact 
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  or call Dave at 803-215-3263.  Addresses are below.

President Bush/ White House: Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ; Address: President George W. Bush, The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, Washington DC 20500

Senator Lindsay Graham-RForm Email: http://lgraham.senate.gov/index.cfm?move=contactform; Washington Address:  290 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510-4001Main District Office: 101 East Washington St, Suite 220, Greenville, SC 29601 

Senator Jim DeMint-R
Form Email: http://demint.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContactHome
Washington Address:  340 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510-4002
Main District Office: 105 North Spring St, Suite 109, Greenville, SC 29601

Congressman Jim Clyburn-D (House Majority Whip)Email: 
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 Washington Address:  2135 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515-4006Main District Office: 1703 Gervais St., Columbia, SC 29201

For a list of SC newspapers, go to: http://www.usnpl.com/scnews.php

D. TALKING POINTS

The US should…

RECOGNIZE the democratically elected and newly formed Palestinian Unity government 
as a legitimate partner for peace.

DEMAND IMMEDIATE UNCONDITIONAL PEACE TALKS  between the Israeli and 
Palestinian governments without preconditions.

DROP UNREASONABLE PRECONDITIONS TO PEACE TALKS  As preconditions to
negotiations, Israel is demanding Palestinians renounce violence, recognize the right of  
Israel, and uphold all previous agreements.

While these things sound reasonable,  Israel is not being held to that same standard.  
Israel refuses to renounce the violence of the Occupation, refuses to recognize the right 
of Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza to exist, and has not upheld its previous
agreements.  These concerns can be readily addressed through the quid pro quo of 
direct bilateral peace talks, not by one side dictating to the other.

LIFT THE ECONOMIC SIEGE of the Palestinian Territories.  Since Hamas won a 
majority of seats in the Palestinian parliamentary election in January 2006 against the 
notoriously corrupt ruling Fatah party, the US government has engaged in an economic 
boycott of the Palestinian government, punishing the Palestinian people for their 
democratic choice and refusing to provide desperately needed aid money to a
Palestinian economy heavily dependent on foreign aid due to the Israeli occupation.
The US uses its listing of Hamas as a terrorist group as its rational.  While Hamas has 
engaged in violent resistance in the past including suicide bombings, it had desisted 
in launching attacks against Israel and engaged in 18-month long truce to participate in 
the Palestinian elections.  The US & European economic boycott of Palestine has added 
to Israel’s systematic economic warfare against the Palestinian civilian population, a policy 
that is part and parcel of its colonization of the West Bank and siege of Gaza.  

FREEZE US TAX MONEY FOR SETTLEMENTS.  US aid money, approximately $3 billion 
per year since the mid 1970s, has funded the Israeli occupation and its policy of colonizing 
the West Bank through building settlements and Israeli-only bypass roads.  Until the Bush 
administration, successive US presidents had categorized the confiscation of Palestinian 
land and building of Israeli settlements as “obstacles to peace,” but US aid money used for 
their construction has never been cut off.  The resulting situation in the West Bank has been 
described as apartheid by President Jimmy Carter, Nelson Mandela and Archbishop 
Desmond Tutu.  Now a “separation barrier” alternately called the Apartheid Wall has been 
added to the mix, further dividing the existing Palestinian communities for the benefit of Israeli 
settlers.  Israel’s prime minister, Ehud Olmert seems to be stalling for time to annex as much 
Palestinian territory as possible, creating “facts on the ground” that will prevent a viable 
Palestinian state from emerging.

The US should not be supporting apartheid or Israeli policies that undermine a future peace.

E.  CONTACT THE CAMPAIGN

For any questions or concerns, contact:  
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   or call Dave at 
803-215-3263