To: President Donald Trump and Rep. Earl Blumenauer (OR-3)
Blumenauer: Remove Pro-War Provisions From Trade Bills
Just Foreign Policy
We implore Oregon Rep. Earl Blumenauer to publicly pledge that he will oppose trade legislation currently before the House until pro-war provisions promoting illegal settlements in occupied Palestine are removed.
Why is this important?
Right-wing forces that want to maintain Israel-Palestine in a state of permanent war have attached provisions to the trade bills before the House that would make it US policy to promote illegal settlements in Palestine, reversing longstanding US policy. These provisions would require the US to oppose European restrictions against trade with illegal colonies in Palestine. These European policies to uphold international law are supported by Human Rights Watch.
Trying to protect the settlements from international law would be an endorsement of permanent war, because any plausible diplomatic resolution of the Israel-Palestine conflict requires that the threat of illegal colonies to Palestinian statehood be eliminated. Supporting the settlements means opposing a plausible diplomatic resolution to the conflict. Without a diplomatic resolution to the conflict, more war is inevitable.
Oregon Rep. Earl Blumenauer is in a unique position to force the removal of these pro-war provisions, because 1) he has been a champion of US diplomacy in the Middle East and 2) he is among a handful of House Democrats who have indicated that they are likely to support the trade bills; Blumenauer voted for them in committee.
Urge Rep. Blumenauer to publicly demand the removal of the pro-settlement provisions from the trade bills by signing our petition.
Trying to protect the settlements from international law would be an endorsement of permanent war, because any plausible diplomatic resolution of the Israel-Palestine conflict requires that the threat of illegal colonies to Palestinian statehood be eliminated. Supporting the settlements means opposing a plausible diplomatic resolution to the conflict. Without a diplomatic resolution to the conflict, more war is inevitable.
Oregon Rep. Earl Blumenauer is in a unique position to force the removal of these pro-war provisions, because 1) he has been a champion of US diplomacy in the Middle East and 2) he is among a handful of House Democrats who have indicated that they are likely to support the trade bills; Blumenauer voted for them in committee.
Urge Rep. Blumenauer to publicly demand the removal of the pro-settlement provisions from the trade bills by signing our petition.