ISRAEL-PALESTINE: Tell your representative – “Don’t vote for Israeli settlements”

from the Faith Forum on Middle East Policy

NOTE: Pax Christi USA is a member of the Faith Forum. This is the “Third Thursday for Israel-Palestine” action for January. 

A resolution that would support illegal Israeli settlements by conflating the occupied territories with Israel has been introduced in the House and is currently gaining co-sponsors.

H. Res. 567 opposes recently adopted E.U. guidelines which call for products made in Israeli settlements to be labeled as such rather than with the tag, “Made in Israel.” Such labeling should be supported by the U.S. government which has a decades-long policy of opposition to Israeli settlements. Instead, H. Res. 567 opposes the E.U. labeling requirements and furthermore, blurs the line between Israel and the occupied territories using the language, “Israel or Israeli-controlled territory.”

As Lara Friedman of Americans for Peace now explains:

This conflation flies in the face of nearly 5 decades of unbroken U.S. policy opposing settlements. Since 1967, every president, regardless of party, has maintained this policy.  And until recently, every Congress, regardless of which party was in control, supported this policy, including in law (e.g., legislation barring Israel from using U.S. loan guarantees in areas occupied in 1967).  Indeed, never before in the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, until now, has there been any serious effort in Congress to legislate U.S. support for settlements.

Contact your representative today (click here to find your representative) and ask them not to co-sponsor H. Res. 567. Urge them to support peace, not settlements. See the sample script below.

For more:

• The Stealth Campaign in Congress to Support Israeli Settlements, by Lara Friedman
• Correcting the Record on EU settlement labeling, by Mitchell Plitnick

Sample letter/email/script for phone call:

Dear Representative _____________________,

I am writing to urge you not to co-sponsor H. Res. 567 which goes against U.S. policy regarding Israeli settlements.

As a person of faith who supports a just peace for Israelis and Palestinians, I am disturbed by this resolution that would support illegal Israeli settlements by conflating the occupied territories with Israel.

H. Res. 567 opposes recently adopted E.U. guidelines which call for products made in Israeli settlements to be labeled as such rather than with the tag, “Made in Israel.” Such labeling should be supported by the U.S. government which has a decades-long policy of opposition to Israeli settlements. Instead, H. Res. 567 opposes the E.U. labeling requirements and furthermore, blurs the line between Israel and the occupied territories using the language, “Israel or Israeli-controlled territory.”

I urge you not to add your name to H. Res. 567.

Thank you for your consideration,

[Name]