To: President Donald Trump, The United States House of Representatives, and The United States Senate
Congress: Don’t Endorse Israeli Annexation of the West Bank
Just Foreign Policy
Members of Congress should oppose S 619, HR 825, and any similar legislation or amendment that seeks to block Europe from limiting commercial relations with Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
Why is this important?
UPDATE [4/27]: This language has been added to the trade bills by the Senate Finance Committee and the House Ways and Means Committee. Now we are working to remove the language.
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Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD) is expected to introduce an amendment to a bill in the Senate Finance Committee that would demand that the Obama Administration pressure Europe not to enforce policies against the Israeli occupation of the West Bank. The amendment is expected to be similar to S. 619 [1] which Cardin introduced March 2. Similar legislation (HR 825) was introduced in the House on February 10. [2]
Both bills target actions to “limit commercial relations” with “territories controlled by Israel.” By equating “Israeli settlements in the West Bank” with “Israel,” these bills are endorsing the Israeli annexation of the West Bank.
These bills are trying to pressure the European Union (EU), which is currently negotiating the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) with the United States, to reverse course on the steps it has taken in recent years to oppose Israeli settlements in the West Bank. These include new guidelines preventing entities operating in Israeli-occupied territory from receiving EU funding and a recent push to label settlement products entering the EU.
Urge your Senator and Representative to oppose this legislation by signing our petition.
References:
1. https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/114/s619
2. https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/114/hr825
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Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD) is expected to introduce an amendment to a bill in the Senate Finance Committee that would demand that the Obama Administration pressure Europe not to enforce policies against the Israeli occupation of the West Bank. The amendment is expected to be similar to S. 619 [1] which Cardin introduced March 2. Similar legislation (HR 825) was introduced in the House on February 10. [2]
Both bills target actions to “limit commercial relations” with “territories controlled by Israel.” By equating “Israeli settlements in the West Bank” with “Israel,” these bills are endorsing the Israeli annexation of the West Bank.
These bills are trying to pressure the European Union (EU), which is currently negotiating the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) with the United States, to reverse course on the steps it has taken in recent years to oppose Israeli settlements in the West Bank. These include new guidelines preventing entities operating in Israeli-occupied territory from receiving EU funding and a recent push to label settlement products entering the EU.
Urge your Senator and Representative to oppose this legislation by signing our petition.
References:
1. https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/114/s619
2. https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/114/hr825