To:
Officers, Rabbis, Synagogue Leaders
From:
Richard B. Stone, Chairman
Betty Ehrenberg, Director, International and
Communal Affairs
RE:
Crisis in Israel-Public Advocacy
It
is very important that all OU members do their utmost at this moment to
make sure that the United States stands with Israel during the current
crisis. Below is updated
information about what you can do. Please
share it with your synagogue leadership and synagogue members.
To
take action on pending legislation and to receive more information, please
see other updated Action Alerts for specific
political actions that can be taken by synagogues and individuals.
Urgent
Action Needed
Consideration
of two pro-Israel bills still pending in Congress
Since
Congress will adjourn very soon, it is critical that you call your
lawmakers today
and
urge them to support the following two pro-Israel pieces of legislation.
The
House is expected to consider a Resolution expressing solidarity with
Israel. This resolution, H.Con.Res.
426,
sponsored by Representatives Gilman (R-NY), Gejdenson (D-CT), Armey
(R-TX), and Gephardt (D-MO), expresses solidarity with the state and
people of Israel at this time of crisis, condemns the Palestinian
leadership for encouraging the violence and doing little to stop it,
urges the administration to veto the passage of unbalanced resolutions
at the UN Security Council, and calls upon Palestinian Authority
Chairman Yassir Arafat to stop the violence.
Please contact House members at 202-225-3121and urge them to
co-sponsor and support this bill.
The
Senate is expected to consider legislation opposing a unilateral
declaration of Palestinian Statehood.
The Senate bill, introduced by Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS) and
Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY), calls on the President not to recognize a
unilaterally declared Palestinian State and cuts off aid to the
Palestinians should they do so. If
you have not done so already, contact Senators at 202-224-3121 and urge
them to support the Brownback/Schumer
bill against a unilaterally declared Palestinian state.
In
addition, 94 Senators signed a letter sent to President Clinton last
Friday expressing solidarity with Israel and “profound disappointment
and frustration with PLO Chairman Arafat.”
When you contact your Senator about the legislation opposing a
unilaterally declared Palestinian state, thank the Senator for signing the
Lott/Daschle letter pledging
solidarity with Israel. Please
call us at (212) 613-8124 with any questions you may have.
FREE THE ISRAELI MIAS TODAY!!
The Institute for Public
Affairs of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America is the non-partisan
public policy research and advocacy center created to represent and mobilize the world's
largest Orthodox Jewish community.
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