NOW IS THE TIME TO PUSH FOR PEACE.

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

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. CONTACT THE WHITE HOUSE WRITE LETTERS TO NEWSPAPERS, SENATORS &REPRESENTATIVES. For contact information & talking points read more or contact Dave at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 803-215-3263.

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 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

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 LETTERSIf 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 to a 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 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call Dave at 803-215-3263. Addresses are below. President Bush/ White House Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Address: President George W. Bush The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave Washington DC 20500 Senator Lindsay Graham-R Form Email: http://lgraham.senate.gov/index.cfm?move=contactform Washington Address: 290 Russell Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510-4001 Main 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: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Washington Address: 2135 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20515-4006 Main 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 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call Dave at 803-215-3263.

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