Brit Tzedek v'Shalom
Jewish Alliance for Justice and Peace
Action Alert
Action Alert - Completed 7/12/2003
[POSTED: June 16th, 2003]
NOW MORE THAN EVER -- IT IS TIME TO ACT
ACTION REQUESTED: Call, fax, or email President Bush and Secretary of State Powell urging them to press both the Palestinian Authority and Israel to immediately, concretely, and credibly end the violence and begin the peace process called for in the Road Map.
Dear Brit Tzedek members and supporters,
We have all watched the news of the past few days with heavy hearts. Forty-four more Israelis and Palestinians have been killed in the course of the past 10 days. Between suicide bombings and targeted assassinations, the actions of extremists on both sides have made the prospect of peace seem further away than ever. Nevertheless, there is room for optimism. John Wolf and his team are in the region, the Quartet will be meeting this week, and both Israel and the Palestinians are being urged to move beyond their comfort zones.
Recent polls show that, despite the violence, there is change in public opinion on both sides. On the Palestinian side, there is broad support (63%) for the resumption of negotiations with Israel, according to a poll conducted a few weeks ago by Bir Zeit University [read more].
In parallel, most Israelis are fed up with being occupiers. A poll in Friday's Yediot Achronot reveals that 67% of Israelis feel "the occupation is harmful to Israel." The same large majority (67%) wants to end the policy of targeted assassinations. In fact, an astonishing 40% believe that the attempt on the life of Hamas leader Abdel Aziz Rantisi was made to deliberately thwart implementation of the Road Map!
The only way that the wishes of the reasonable majority can triumph over the extremist minority on both sides is the continued and consistent intervention of the international community and, most critically, the US government. This is why we must press President Bush to keep the pressure on both parties to move the Road Map forward.
Talking points for a telephone call and a sample letter for faxing or emailing can be found below. (A telephone call or fax is preferable.)
We also ask you to circulate this Action Alert as widely as possible -- please send it to your family, friends, and colleagues, and repost it to any relevant listservs.
Please let us know that you have responded to this action alert by sending us an email at advocacy@btvshalom.org , so that we can gauge the impact of our action alerts.
L'Shalom,
Diane Balser and Steve Masters
Chair and Co-Chair of the Advocacy/Public Policy Committee
Background:
• click here for the text of the Road Map.
• Additional resources on the Road Map can be found on the Brit Tzedek v'Shalom website:
[click to read]
Suggested Talking Points for Phone Call
White House Comment Line: 202-456-1111
State Department Bureau of Public Affairs Comment Line: 202-647-6575
- You are a Jewish American.
- You applaud the President's efforts to date to bring a resolution to the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict by pursuing the Road Map and ask him to
continue to press both parties to take immediate, concrete, and credible
action on the initial steps of the Road Map -- respectively:
• • the implementation by the Palestinian Authority of effective measures to bring an immediate end to the terror attacks
• • the withdrawal from Palestinian population centers and freezing of the settlements by the government of Israel. - The targeted assassinations by the Israeli government must be brought to an immediate halt.
Sample Fax/Email Message (faxing is the most effective)
Below is a brief sample message you can send; feel free and encouraged to personalize it.
| Subject [for e-mails]:Keep Pushing on the Road Map | |
| President George W. Bush The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20500 president@whitehouse.gov Fax: 202-456-6218 |
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Mr. President: As a Jewish American, I have been pleased to see you placing a strong priority on moving the Middle East peace process forward. The current explosion of violence on both sides -- the suicide bombings and targeted assassinations -- make your personal intervention all the more necessary. Your Road Map represents the best chance for peace for the Israelis and Palestinians, and therefore it is vitally important that both parties be pushed to follow up on the implementation of the first steps it calls for -- respectively withdrawal from Palestinian population centers and freezing of all settlements on the part of the government of Israel, and implementation by the Palestinian Authority of effective measures to end terror attacks. The latter cannot hope to succeed without the former. In addition, there needs to be an immediate cessation of targeted assassinations by the Israeli government. I therefore strongly request that you use all your influence to insist that both parties take immediate and effective action on the Road Map and to bring the current cycle of violence to an immediate halt. A peaceful solution to the crisis in the Middle East is crucial not only to the well-being of Israelis and Palestinians, but also ultimately to the United States and the whole world, now more than ever. Insisting on both parties' immediate implementation of the Road Map, in its present form, will be a major step towards peace. Sincerely, [SIGN YOUR NAME] cc: Secretary of State Colin Powell U.S. Department of State 2201 C Street NW Washington, DC 20520 Fax: 202-261-8577 |
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Emails to Secretary of State Powell must be sent by pasting them into the response page of the State Department website. They cannot be sent directly from your email program. To send him an email message, go to:
http://contact-us.state.gov/
Then click on "Send a Message to the Secretary of State" near the bottom of the page. Although many people reported successfully sending messages to the Secretary of State via this web form, some have reported problems using it. In the latter case, we encourage you to send a fax.