URGENT: Demand House reject resolution against Palestinian self-determination

Vote is scheduled for today

(CHICAGO 12/15/2010) – The American Muslims for Palestine condemns in the strongest possible term attempts by U.S. Rep. Howard Berman, R-Calif., the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, to pass a resolution against Palestinian self-determination.

The bill reaffirms Congress’ “strong opposition to any attempt to establish or seek recognition of a Palestinian state outside of an agreement negotiated between Israel and the Palestinians,” among other things.

Vote is scheduled for today

(CHICAGO 12/15/2010) – The American Muslims for Palestine condemns in the strongest possible term attempts by U.S. Rep. Howard Berman, R-Calif., the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, to pass a resolution against Palestinian self-determination.

The bill reaffirms Congress’ “strong opposition to any attempt to establish or seek recognition of a Palestinian state outside of an agreement negotiated between Israel and the Palestinians,” among other things.

Furthermore the resolution says “ efforts to bypass negotiations and to unilaterally declare a Palestinian state, or to appeal to the United Nations or other international forums or to foreign governments for recognition of a Palestinian state, would violate the underlying principles of the Oslo Accords, the Road Map, and other relevant Middle East peace process efforts.”

The legislation is outrageous and it is up to all people of conscience to demand their elected officials vote against the preposterous resolution. AMP strongly asserts that the job of Congress is to address the needs of the American people both domestically and internationally. By taking this unjust stance against the Palestinian peoples’ inherent right to choose for themselves, Congress will further weaken its stance in the global community and will show the United States is not an honest and neutral broker in the Middle East peace efforts.

TAKE ACTION

AMP urges its supporters to IMMEDIATELY call upon their U.S. representative and demand he or she vote against this bill.

The resolution does not have a number assigned to it yet. Please refer to it as the resolution supporting a negotiated solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and condemning unilateral declarations of a Palestinian state, sponsored by U.S. Rep. Howard Berman.

TALKING POINTS

• I urge Representative X to vote “no” or “present” on the resolution condemning Palestinian statehood, and ask him/her to speak against the resolution on the House floor.
• Congress will weaken its stance as an honest broker in the Middle East peace talks by condemning Palestinians attempts to achieve liberty and self-determination.
• Congress has no right to force Palestinians to adhere to a timeline while allowing Israel to disregard all attempts at peace with impunity.
• Israel has shown repeatedly that it prefers to colonize Palestinian land by its continued settlement construction, rather than end its occupation of the Palestinian soil, and negotiate in good faith to establish an independent Palestinian state. Under these circumstances, Palestinians cannot be blamed for seeking alternatives ways to establish an independent state.

CONTACT

Find your U.S. Rep, by going to www.govtrack.us