Congressional opponents of the Iran nuclear deal snuck provisions into the visa waiver reform bill that could interfere with the nuclear agreement with Iran. These provisions would exclude European citizens who travel to Iran for business purposes from the visa waiver program, thus interfering with the lifting of European sanctions on Iran, as agreed to in the deal in exchange for Iran's cooperation in limiting its nuclear program. [1] Secretary of State Kerry has written that he is confident that the changes in visa requirements passed in Congress, which the Administration has the authority to waive, will not prevent the U.S. from meeting our commitments under the agreement, and that the Administration will implement them so as not to interfere with legitimate business interests of Iran. [2] Urge President Obama and Secretary of State Kerry to ensure that the implementation of the visa waiver bill does not interfere in any way with the Iran nuclear agreement by signing our petition. References: 1. https://uk.news.yahoo.com/us-law-iran-visits-sends-wrong-signal-french-124013594.html 2. http://www.niacouncil.org/text-sec-kerry-letter-to-zarif-regarding-visa-waiver-reform/

A new House resolution [1] threatens to put Congress on record defending Israeli settlements in the West Bank. This resolution is opposed by J Street [2]. The resolution would erase the Green Line by blurring the distinction between Israel and the territory it occupies. The proposed language breaks from longstanding US policy of opposing the expansion and entrenchment of settlements, and of not recognizing the settlements as Israeli territory. The US government requires that settlement products not be identified as “made in Israel.” This resolution claims to support a diplomatic resolution to the conflict, but in practice it does exactly the opposite. Erasing the Green Line between Israel and the territory it occupies undermines the starting point for negotiating a diplomatic resolution. By making it more difficult to distinguish between Israel and the land it occupies, this resolution empowers far-right settlers who oppose any diplomatic compromise. It sets a dangerous precedent that undermines diplomacy and expressly violates existing US policy. Tell Congress to oppose this dangerous resolution by signing our petition. References: 1. https://lowey.house.gov/sites/lowey.house.gov/files/documents/Resolution_EU_Israel_Labeling_12.16.15.pdf 2. http://act.jstreet.org/sign/moment_of_truth_on_settlements

Honourable Stéphane Dion and Ambassador Vivian Bercovici, On December 11, Rehab Nazzal, a Canadian citizen and a doctoral candidate at the University of Western Ontario's Visual Arts department, was shot in the leg while in Bethlehem. She is in the West Bank conducting research for her doctoral thesis and teaching at a local university. At the exact time of the shooting she was documenting a "skunk" weapon, a tank used by the Israeli military to spray a foul-smelling mist as a form of crowd control. Nazzal states that she "was alone, with no clashes, no stone throwers, absolutely no one around me, and yet I was intentionally shot by a sniper. This was not an accident." Examination at the hospital indicated that a bullet had entered and exited Nazzal's leg. The bullet was identified as being .22 calibre which, according to the Israeli human rights organization B'tselem, is a type of ammunition that is prohibited for live fire against unarmed civilians. In direct contravention of international law, the Israeli military consistently uses live ammunition against unarmed protesters and even non-protesters (such as Nazzal), the targeting of photojournalists, attacking of ambulances, executing youth in the streets and leaving the injured to bleed to death while preventing paramedics from reaching them, and Israeli soldiers disguised as Palestinians to infiltrate and even kill suspected protesters. These illegal practices cannot be allowed to continue without comment in the strongest possible terms. The new Liberal government has indicated a new era for Canada's foreign policy. The recent mandate letter from Prime Minister Trudeau to the Honourable Stéphane Dion stated that : "As Minister of Foreign Affairs, your overarching goal will be to restore constructive Canadian leadership in the world and to advance Canada's interests. This renewed leadership will serve our security and economic interests, but it will also support the deeply held Canadian desire to make a real and valuable contribution to a more peaceful and prosperous world." In the spirit of your mandate , we expect Canada to voice its strong opposition to criminal or illegal acts by any state, particularly when those acts target innocent civilians, like Canadian Rehab Nazzal. We call on you, as the Canadian Foreign Minister and as the Canadian Ambassador to Israel, to publicly condemn Israel's shooting of a Canadian citizen and to demand that Israel stop using prohibited weapons against unarmed civilians and cease violence targeting paramedics, journalists and photojournalists.

Honorable Senator and Congressman: As a constituent, I am writing to you about the troubling events unfolding in Haiti following the series of elections this year that have triggered waves of demonstrations and violence. Specifically, I write to ask your office to request that the Obama Administration communicate to Haitian President Michel Martelly and Prime Minister Evans Paul to permit independent observers (Haitians and International) to recount the votes and to stop the violence directed at peaceful protesters. Historically, the United States has always been the strongest supporter of Haiti as evidenced by the $33 million of taxpayers’ money elections spent by the U.S. State Department on Haiti’s election. Despite that expenditure, Catholic Bishops, Protestant pastors, human rights groups, thirty Haitian presidential candidates, Vodou organizations, and the private sectors have reported on the fraud and irregularities by the current Haitian Administration in this year’s elections. Notwithstanding Secretary of State John Kerry’s visit to Haiti in October and Under Secretary Kenneth Merten's visit in December Haitian elections officials rejected requests from the majority of Haitians to form an independent commission to verify the preliminary presidential and legislative election results. There are three critical examples of fraudulent activities that have been documented by national and international media. 1) An exit poll conducted by an independent Brazilian firm published on November 19 reported that Jovnel Moise, candidate backed by the current Haitian administration, came in fourth, not first, with 6 percent of the vote, not 34 percent as reported by the Provisional Electoral Council. 2) On November 24, officials announced that an audit of a sample of 78 tally sheets found fraud or irregularities in all 78 sheets. The Electoral Council discarded the 78 sheets, but refused further investigations. Meanwhile in note number 101, The Provisional Electoral Council admitted fraud and irregularities by stating in that note staff members involved in fraud and irregularities will be turned over to the Justice Department. 3) On November 30, 2015, a popular independent radio station, Radio Kiskeya, was fired upon overnight. To date, President Martelly’s Administration has not condemned that act of aggression on free speech and there have been no arrests. As a result of the irregularities and impunities, pro-democracy activists have engaged frequent and large demonstrations, shutting down major cities in Haiti almost daily. The police have responded with arrests, rubber bullets and even live ammunition fired at peaceful protestors. Meanwhile, regime supporters attacked peaceful protesters with rocks and machetes. During one of these protests, current Senator Stephen Benoit and former Senator Moise Jean-Charles, both opponents of the current administration, were shot with rubber bullets while participating in a peaceful protest. As a result of the escalating violence and unrests, there are increased concerns that there will be an influx of refugees to the USA. I look forward to your reply expressing your opinions, and your current stance on the issue. Thank you for your consideration of my opinion on this matter. I believe it is an important issue, and would like to see quick actions to this urgent matter. Sincerely,

Our Granny Peace Brigade Philadelphia circulated a similar petition to celebrate International Human Rights Day on December 10th. I wanted to share this with you.

Since the illegal takeover of power from the then democratically elected government of Sir Dawda Jawara on July 22, 1992 by President Yahya Jammeh, The Gambia has known anything but peace -- Gambia was regarded as "the smiling coast of Africa" by the international community. Therefore, the recent announcement by Jammeh to turn this once beacon of freedom into an Islamic State is a continuation of the abuse of the constitution that has been his Modus Operandi from the onset. What makes this move more alarming than the pervasive killings, disappearances, and tortures of the citizens for all these years is that it is an attempt to change the very character and history of The Gambia. Sharia could become the law of the land, the already traumatized Christian and other religious minorities could be pushed further into isolation, the country’s pariah State status will be further worsened. All these circumstances will only allow for far worse human rights abuses than we have already witnessed, and the country can erupt into a violence that could threaten the entire sub-region. In light of these potential dire consequences, We the citizens and friends of The Gambia, hereby make the following declarations: -Because this action is unconstitutional, it will not be done in our name -Because this could encourage Boko Haram and ISIS type organizations to use Gambia as a base, we are totally opposed to it -Because Gambia is a Secular State, any religious interference into state matters will compromise the core principle of Separation of Church/Mosque and State that this country was founded on -Because this action will only worsen the human rights abuses that have been pervasive in this country, it cannot be accepted -Because the minority Christians and people of other faiths will see it as an effort to further isolate them, it will only divide our people. That makes it unacceptable -Because President Yahya Jammeh's pronouncement is unconstitutional and does not represent the core values of Gambians who have inter-generational relations between Christians, Muslims and Pagans, this will breed divisiveness within those sects.

Democratic Senator Tim Kaine is renewing his push for Congress to debate and vote on an authorization for the use of military force against ISIS, the Washington Post reports. [1] “The British Parliament, the French National Assembly, the German Bundesrat and even the Duma in Russia, for God’s sake, are having a debate and having a vote,” Sen. Kaine told the Post. “The spotlight is getting bigger and bigger on congressional inaction and indifference.” President Obama called for Congress to vote in his Oval Office address. But Congress has refused to vote. “They want to criticize the president, but if they can avoid voting to authorize or stop him … then they feel they can be completely scot-free and they’re not going to be held accountable,” said Sen. Kaine. Urge Congress to debate and vote on an authorization of force against ISIS by signing our petition. References: 1. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2015/12/14/the-daily-202-tim-kaine-possible-hillary-running-mate-is-madder-than-ever-congress-hasnt-declared-war-on-isis/

Definition of DISCRIMINATION for Kids: the practice of unfairly treating a person or group differently from other people or groups of people. In my experience kids have no trouble understanding this definition, but it seems our representatives sometimes struggle with believing and upholding it. This is exactly what the Visa Waiver Program “Improvement” Act of 2015, known as H.R 158, will do if we do not take immediate action. It will subject millions of law abiding American citizens to be treated with suspicion and be subjected to hardships in exercising their basic rights such as traveling abroad. Debate and media exposure about H.R 158 has been very limited. Under the shadow of the Paris Climate Summit , the issue has not captured enough attention and has not had solid public debates . The bill, as early as next week, could become the law. We have to act now. I am asking the MoveOn members to read and carefully consider the negative impact of H.R 158 on millions of our fellow citizens. Then, contact your senators and let them know that such thoughtless measures do not improve the security of our country, but further divide our society. In case H.R 158 comes to pass next week, a new chapter in violation of civil liberties of many of our fellow citizens will open, which subsequently will require many struggles to rectify. White House web site: https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/take-action-against-discriminatory-repercussions-visa-waiver-program-improvement-act-2015-hr-158

On December 8, the House voted to tighten the Visa Waiver Program that lets people from certain countries travel to the U.S. without first obtaining a visa. Democrats Mike Honda, Barbara Lee, John Conyers, Jan Schakowsky, Raul Grijalva, and Keith Ellison were among the Democrats who voted no [1], citing discriminatory and overbroad provisions, and the lack of a time limit on these provisions. Rep. Honda said that he voted against this bill “because it unjustly targets individuals based on their nationality" and that he could not "vote for a bill that categorically bars access to the Visa Waiver Program for dual nationals of Iraq, Syria, Sudan, and Iran and people who have traveled in the last 5 years to Iraq and Syria, including humanitarian workers…Under this bill, a French citizen of Syrian descent who has never been to Syria would still fall into this blanket category.” [2] Rep. Lee said she shares “the concerns of the ACLU, AILA, the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and others that this bill would allow for the discrimination of individuals based on their nationality." [3] Rep. Conyers said, "I believe the provisions in the legislation restricting the use of the visa waiver program to individuals who have traveled to Syria or Iraq or are dual nationals of these or other covered nations – are discriminatory…I also believe the provision should have included a sunset date so we can assess its efficacy." [4] Like Rep. Conyers, the ACLU has called for the discriminatory provisions of the legislation to have a sunset provision [5], meaning that they would expire and have to be reconsidered and reauthorized to remain in force - just like the Patriot Act, passed after the September 11 attacks, had a sunset provision so it would have to be reconsidered. Likewise, every major Democratic proposal for an authorization for the use of force against ISIS, including President Obama's proposal [6], has a sunset provision, so that it could not continue indefinitely without Congress having to reconsider it. It is very likely that some version of the bill will be included in the omnibus spending package expected to be passed by December 18. Urge President Obama and Congress to sunset the nationality-based restrictions of the visa waiver reform bill by signing our petition. References: 1. http://bigstory.ap.org/article/326f7ca541d945259e5cff4031264201/house-roll-call-visa-waiver 2. http://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/2015/12/08/30868/ 3. http://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/2015/12/08/30868/ 4. http://democrats.judiciary.house.gov/press-release/statement-honorable-john-conyers-jr-hr-158-visa-waiver-program-improvement-and 5. http://www.politico.com/story/2015/12/obama-visa-waiver-changes-backlash-215875; https://www.aclu.org/letter/aclu-letter-house-re-visa-waiver-program-improvement-and-terrorist-travel-prevention-act-2015 6. http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2015/03/11/senators-split-on-obamas-war-powers-authorization

On November 14, countries of the International Syria Support Group meeting in Vienna, including the United States, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Iran, agreed to push for political negotiations between opposition forces and representatives of the government of President Bashar al-Assad by January 1, to be followed by an immediate, UN-monitored cease-fire. [1] The next session of the international Syria peace talks is tentatively scheduled for Dec. 18, possibly in New York City. [2] As Secretary of State Kerry has said, the ceasefire between the Syrian government and opposition groups backed by Saudi Arabia and Turkey will significantly strengthen international efforts to confront ISIS. [3] Urge President Obama to pursue, and Congress to support, all diplomatic tools to ensure the implementation of a ceasefire in Syria by January 1 by signing our petition. References: 1. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/paris-attacks-overshadow-meeting-of-global-leaders-on-syria/2015/11/14/5e2eb89a-8ac2-11e5-9a07-453018f9a0ec_story.html; http://www.un.org/undpa/Speeches-statements/14112015/syria 2. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/02/world/middleeast/new-peace-talks-on-syria-could-be-held-this-month.html 3. http://bigstory.ap.org/article/498cf8d5a3384728af0eaa449e366867/kerry-paris-consult-french-leaders-attack

In mid-November, the Obama administration quietly announced a $1.29 billion deal to sell 19,000 laser-guided and general purpose bombs to Saudi Arabia, to resupply its controversial bombing campaign against Houthi rebels in Yemen. In addition, a separate sale of $380 million of U.S. JDAM bomb guidance kits was also approved for the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which is part of the Saudi-led military coalition. More than 1,000 civilians have been killed by Saudi air strikes since the war began in March, adding to the overall death toll of 5,300 people killed in the war. Thousands of houses have been destroyed in rebel-held areas, and 1.4 million people are now internally displaced. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International oppose the international resupply of the Saudi military coalition to continue the air war. The two groups have documented many air strikes that fail to discriminate between civilians and combatants. For example, Saudi bombs were dropped on a school, two wedding parties, in crowded markets where no military targets are present, and on a hospital operated by MSF/Doctors Without Borders. The Saudi government has refused requests by Human Rights Watch and other groups to investigate these and other specific incidents where civilians were killed. Under U.S. law, Congress has 30 days to pass legislation to reject the two arms sales. It can also act to terminate the sales at any point up to the point of delivery.

Students of the University of Florida have felt this impact of the Syrian refugee crisis on a personal level. Many students within the Arab Students' Association have friends and family in Syria that are being put in danger or have already lost their lives due to circumstances on the ground there. Instead of shutting off our borders due to largely unfounded fears of terrorism, we should increase the United States' intake of Syrian refugees and welcome these refugees with love and compassion.