Thank lawmakers calling for end of siege on Gaza

ACTION ALERT

(AMP 1/27/2010) – Fifty-four U.S. representatives – 10 percent of the members of the House – have signed a letter to President Obama, asking the president to pressure Israel to lift the siege on Gaza. The letter is an effort by U.S. Reps. Keith Ellison and Jim McDermott.

ACTION ALERT

(AMP 1/27/2010) – Fifty-four U.S. representatives – 10 percent of the members of the House – have signed a letter to President Obama, asking the president to pressure Israel to lift the siege on Gaza. The letter is an effort by U.S. Reps. Keith Ellison and Jim McDermott.

The letter states:

“The unabated suffering of Gazan civilians magnifies the urgency of reaching a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and we ask you to press for immediate relief for the citizens of Gaza as an urgent component of your broader Middle East peace efforts. The current blockade has severely impeded the ability of aid agencies to do their work.”

Read the full letter here: http://adc.org/Gaza_letter_to_Obama.pdf.

Getting such a number of elected officials to advocate on behalf of Palestinians is historic and almost unprecedented. It is imperative that we let these elected officials know we appreciate their efforts and encourage them to continue to work to pressure Israel to end the occupation of the Palestinian people and to lift the siege on Gaza.

Take Action

Check the list of signers. If your representative is not listed, call and request he or she do so. Go to www.govtrack.us to get contact information. Then contact the representatives on this list to thank them for signing the letter. Keep your comments short and to the point. Especially concentrate on lawmakers from your own states and districts, as they will listen more to their own constituents.

Talking Points

1. Action on behalf of Palestinians is politically difficult but morally necessary.
2. Offer thanks and encouragement for taking a courageous stance.
3. The siege of Gaza illegally punishes Palestinians collectively, which is against American values of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
4. Israel is violating the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Fourth Geneva Convention by the occupation of Palestinians and by the siege on Gaza.
5. Congress should tie our $3 billion annual foreign aid to Israel with that country’s compliance with and progress toward human rights standards.

Contacts

Note: Available email address are supplied. If a Web address if given, click on it and then click on ‘contact’ to send an embedded email.

ARIZONA
Raul Grijalva, 202.225.2435


CALIFORNIA
Barbara Lee, 202.225.2661
Bob Filner, 202.225.8045
Diane Watson, 202.225.7084
Fortney Pete Stark, 202.225.5065
George Miller,202.225.2095
Jackie Speier, 202.225.3531
Lois Capps, 202.225.3601
Loretta Sanchez, 202.225.2965
Lynn Woolsey, 202.225.5161
Michael M. Honda, 202.225.2631
Sam Farr, 202.225.2861


CONNECTICUT
Jim Himes, 202.225.5541


INDIANA
Andre Carson, 202.225.4011


IOWA
Bruce D. Braley, 202.225.2911


KENTUCKY
John A. Yarmuth, 202.225.5401


MASSACHUSETTS
James P. McGovern, 202.225.6101
John Tierney, 202.225.8020
John W. Oliver, 202.225.5335
Michael E Capuano, 202.225.5111
Stephen F. Lynch, 202.225.8273
William D. Delahunt, 202.225.3111


MARYLAND
Donna F. Edwards, 202.225.8699
Elijah E. Cummings, 202.225.4741


MICHIGAN
Carolyn C. Kilpatrick, 202.225.2261
John Conyers, 202.225.5126
John D. Dingell, 202.225.4071


MINNESOTA
Betty McCollum, 202.225.6631
James L. Oberstar, 202.225.6211
Keith Ellison, 202.225.4755


NORTH CAROLINA
David E. Price, 202.225.1784


NEW JERSEY
Bill Pascrell, Jr., 202.225.5751
Donald M. Payne, 202.225.3436
Rush D. Holt, 202.225.5801


NEW YORK
Eric Massa, 202.225.3161
Maurice D. Hinchey, 202.225.6335
Paul Tonko, 202.225.5076
Yvette D. Clarke, 202.225.6231


OHIO
Marcy Kaptur, 202.225.4146
Mary Jo Kilroy, 202.225.2015


OREGON
Earl Blumenauer, 202.225.4811
Peter A. Defazio, 202.225.6416


PENNSYLVANIA
Chaka Fattah, 202.225.4001
Joe Sestak, 202.225.2011


VIRGINIA
Glenn C. Nye, 202.225.4215
James P. Moran, 202.225.4376


VERMONT
Peter Welch, 202.225.4115


WASHINGTON
Adam Smith, 202.225.8901
Brian Baird, 202.225.3536
Jay Inslee, 202.225.6311
Jim McDermott, 202.225.3106


WISCONSIN
Gwen Moore, 202.225.4572
Tammy Baldwin, 202.225.2906


WEST VIRGINIA
Nick J Rahall II, 202.225.3452