Urge Your Members of Congress: Support the Geneva Accord Resolutions

[IndianaGreen]

----- Original Message -----
From: Brit Tzedek v'Shalom
To: (listserv)
Sent: Tuesday, December 16, 2003 6:46 PM
Subject: (Btvs-general) ACTION ALERT: Urge Congress: Support the Geneva Accord Resolutions

ACTION ALERT:

Urge Your Members of Congress: Support the Geneva Accord Resolutions

Dear Members and Supporters,

This is a unique opportunity, one that we have all been waiting for a long time, to activate Congress in support of Israeli-Palestinian peace initiatives.

As we wrote to you two weeks ago, Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Lincoln Chafee (R-RI) and Representatives Lois Capps (D-CA) and Amo Houghton (R-NY) have introduced resolutions into the Senate and House in support of the Geneva Accord (Senate Res. 276, House Res. 479). Large numbers of you participated in our action alert -- via fax, telephone call, and email -- urging our Congressional representatives to co-sponsor these landmark resolutions.

We ask you to contact your Members of Congress again. As of this writing, 5 senators and 36 representatives have co-sponsored these resolutions (see the background section below for their names). Many Senators and Representatives will be making up their minds on how to vote on these resolutions during Congress' upcoming winter recess. It is important that they hear calls for support of these resolutions from their constituents, particularly from within the Jewish community.

Below are sample faxes, as well as talking points for phone calls, asking Senators and Representatives to vote in favor of Senate Res. 276/House Res. 479. And if your Senator or Representative is one of the sponsors, we urge you to write or call and congratulate him or her on their courageous stand for peace.

Please take action, and send this action alert on to others, as widely as you can. Let us know that you have responded to this action alert by sending an email to [e-mail] so that we can gauge its impact.

L'Shalom,

Steve Masters, Chair, and Diane Balser, Co-Chair
Advocacy/Public Policy Committee

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**NOTE: if at all possible, we urge you to take the time to phone or fax your Members of Congress instead of communicating by e-mail**

To look up the phone/fax numbers of your senators and representative, click here:
http://www.congressmerge.com/onlinedb/index.htm

To send an email message to your senators and representative, click here:
http://www.congressmerge.com/onlinedb/cgi-bin/mailform2.cgi?site=congressmerge

The Background Section below lists which Senators and Representatives have co-sponsored these resolutions to date.

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Sample Fax to Senators who are not yet sponsors:

Subject: Please vote in favor of S.Res. 276:

Dear Senator ___________,

I am an American Jew and supporter of Brit Tzedek v'Shalom, the Jewish Alliance for Justice and Peace, and your constituent.

I urge you to vote in favor of Senate Resolution 276 introduced by Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Lincoln Chafee (R-RI), Bill Nelson (D-FL), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), and Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ). The resolution applauds the efforts of Israelis and Palestinians working privately toward peace and urges President Bush and Israeli and Palestinian leaders to embrace these efforts.

With a real prospect for peace in the Middle East on the table, your leadership and that of your colleagues in Congress is crucial at this time.

Sincerely,

(YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS)


Sample Fax to Representatives who are not yet sponsors:

Subject: Please vote in favor of H. Res. 479:

Dear Representative ____________,

I am an American Jew and supporter of Brit Tzedek v'Shalom, the Jewish Alliance for Justice and Peace, and your constituent.

I urge you to vote in favor of House Resolution 479 introduced by Representatives Lois Capps (D-CA) and Amo Houghton (R-NY). The resolution applauds the efforts of Israelis and Palestinians working privately toward peace and urges President Bush and Israeli and Palestinian leaders to embrace these efforts.

With a real prospect for peace in the Middle East on the table, your leadership and that of your colleagues in Congress is crucial at this time.

Sincerely,

(SIGN YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS)


Sample Fax to Senators who have already cosponsored S. Res. 276:

Subject: Thank you for co-sponsoring S. Res. 276

Dear Senator ___________,

As an American Jew and supporter of Brit Tzedek v'Shalom, the Jewish Alliance for Justice and Peace, and your constituent, I was heartened to learn of your co-sponsorship of Senate Resolution 276 applauding the efforts of Israelis and Palestinians working privately toward peace and urges President Bush and Israeli and Palestinian leaders to embrace these efforts.

With a real prospect for peace in the Middle East on the table, your leadership and that of your colleagues in Congress is crucial at this time, and I therefore congratulate you on your co-sponsorship of this important resolution.

Sincerely,
(SIGN YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS)


Sample Fax to Representatives who have already cosponsored H. Res. 479:

Subject: Thank you for co-sponsoring H. Res. 479

Dear Representative ____________,

As an American Jew and supporter of Brit Tzedek v'Shalom, the Jewish Alliance for Justice and Peace, and your constituent, I was heartened to learn of your co-sponsorship of House Resolution 479 applauding the efforts of Israelis and Palestinians working privately toward peace and urges President Bush and Israeli and Palestinian leaders to embrace these efforts.

With a real prospect for peace in the Middle East on the table, your leadership and that of your colleagues in Congress is crucial at this time, and I therefore congratulate you on your co-sponsorship of this important resolution.

Sincerely,

(SIGN YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS)


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TALKING POINTS FOR TELEPHONE CALLS TO SENATORS:

* You are an American Jew.

* You are a supporter of Brit Tzedek v'Shalom, the Jewish Alliance for Justice and Peace, and one of the senator's constituents.

* You ask that (your Senator _____________) vote in favor of the Senate Resolution 276 introduced by Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Lincoln Chafee (R-RI), and others in support of the efforts of Israelis and Palestinians working privately toward peace and urging the President and Israeli and Palestinian leaders to embrace these efforts.

OR
* You congratulate (your Senator _____________) for co-sponsoring Senate Resolution 276 in support of the efforts of Israelis and Palestinians working privately toward peace and urging the President and Israeli and Palestinian leaders to embrace these efforts.


TALKING POINTS FOR TELEPHONE CALLS TO REPRESENTATIVES:

* You are an American Jew.

* You are a supporter of Brit Tzedek v'Shalom, the Jewish Alliance for Justice and Peace, and one of the representative's constituents.

* You ask that (your Representative ______________) vote in favor of the House Resolution 479 introduced by Representatives Lois Capps (D-CA) and Amo Houghton (R-NY) and others in support of the efforts of Israelis and Palestinians working privately toward peace and urging the President and Israeli and Palestinian leaders to embrace these efforts.

OR

* You congratulate (your Representative _____________) for co-sponsoring House Resolution 479 in support of the efforts of Israelis and Palestinians working privately toward peace and urging the President and Israeli and Palestinian leaders to embrace these efforts.

The Background Section below lists which Senators and Representatives have co-sponsored these resolutions to date.

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BACKGROUND

Senate Resolution 276:
http://thomas.loc.gov/ Search criteria: S.RES.276

House Resolution 479:
http://thomas.loc.gov/ Search criteria: H.RES.479

Brit Tzedek v'Shalom Geneva Accord page:
http://www.btvshalom.org/geneva/

Haaretz Geneva Accord page:
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=349832

List of Co-Sponsors of S. Res. 276:

Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Lincoln Chafee (R-RI), Bill Nelson (D-FL), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), and Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ).

List of Co-Sponsors of H. Res. 479:

Lois Capps (D-CA), Amo Houghton (R-NY). Edward Markey (D-MA), James Leach (R-IA), James McGovern (D-MA), James Walsh (R-NY), David Price (D-NC), Robert Simmons (R-CT), Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-IL), Joseph Pitts (R-PA), John Dingell (D-MI), Sam Farr (D-CA), Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), Mark Udall (D-CO), Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), Charles Gonzalez (D-TX), Mr. George Miller (D-CA), James Moran (D-VA), Bill Pascrell Jr. (D-NJ), Nick Rahall II (D-WV), Betty McCollum (D-MN), Peter Defazio (D-OR), William Delahunt (D-MA), Ron Kind (D-WI), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), Jim McDermott (D-WA), Brian Baird (D-WA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY), Tom Udall (D-NM), Hilda Solis (D-CA), and Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC).

******** End of Brit Tzedek v'Shalom Action Alert **************

Expressing the sense of the Senate regarding fighting terror and embracing efforts to achieve Israeli-Palestinian peace. (Introduced in Senate)

SRES 276 IS

108th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. RES. 276

Expressing the sense of the Senate regarding fighting terror and embracing efforts to achieve Israeli-Palestinian peace.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

November 25, 2003

Mrs. FEINSTEIN (for herself, Mr. CHAFEE, Mr. NELSON of Florida, Mr. LEAHY, and Mr. LAUTENBERG) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

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RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the Senate regarding fighting terror and embracing efforts to achieve Israeli-Palestinian peace.

Whereas ending the violence and terror that have devastated Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza since September 2000 is in the vital interests of the United States, Israel, and the Palestinians;

Whereas ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict strengthens extremists and opponents of peace throughout the region, including those who seek to undermine efforts by the United States to stabilize Iraq and those who want to see conflict spread to other nations in the region;

Whereas more than 3 years of violence, terror, and escalating military engagement have demonstrated that military means alone will not solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict;

Whereas despite mutual mistrust, anger, and pain, courageous and credible Israelis and Palestinians have come together in a private capacity to develop serious model peace initiatives, like the People's Voice Initiative, One Voice, and the Geneva Accord;

Whereas those initiatives, and other similar private efforts, are founded on the determination of Israelis and Palestinians to put an end to decades of confrontation and conflict and to live in peaceful coexistence, mutual dignity, and security, based on a just, lasting, and comprehensive peace and achieving historic reconciliation;

Whereas those initiatives demonstrate that both Israelis and Palestinians have a partner for peace, that both peoples want to end the current vicious stalemate, and that both peoples are prepared to make necessary compromises in order to achieve peace;

Whereas each of the private initiatives addresses the fundamental requirements of both peoples, including preservation of the Jewish, democratic nature of Israel with secure and defensible borders and the creation of a viable Palestinian state; and

Whereas such peace initiatives demonstrate that there are solutions to the conflict and present precious opportunities to end the violence and restart fruitful peace negotiations: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Senate--

(1) applauds the courage and vision of Israelis and Palestinians who are working together to conceive pragmatic, serious plans for achieving peace;

(2) calls on Israeli and Palestinian leaders to capitalize on the opportunity offered by these peace initiatives; and

(3) urges the President of the United States to encourage and embrace all serious efforts to move away from violent military stalemate toward achieving Israeli-Palestinian peace.

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query

[corporatewhore]

1. I thought this was a good idea until

i learned from my dear friend who is a palestinian refugee that it stipulates that the refugees do not have a right to return. i its creators have tried to sell the Geneva Accord as some sort of breakthrough, it is nothing of the sort. A Palestinian "state" would be established in the West Bank and Gaza, but without sovereignty or control of its own borders or airspace. Israel would be permitted to keep military forces in it forever, while the Palestinian "state" would not be allowed to defend itself. The Palestinian state would be occupied by a "Multinational Force" that could only be withdrawn with Israeli agreement, and so on.

Israel would annex most of its West Bank settlements, including vast swathes of territory in and around Jerusalem and other major cities, a simple endorsement of most of the illegal territorial conquests Israel made since 1967. Crucially, the document completely cancels the basic rights of Palestinian refugees by giving Israel an absolute veto on the return of even a single person to his or her home
remind me of the "peace talks"that we negociated w/ the native americans