December 10, 2002

To: Officers, Rabbis, Key Contacts
From: Richard B. Stone, Chairman
Betty Ehrenberg, Director, International and Communal Affairs
Re: Legislation Ensuring Palestinian Reform

Urge Congress to End Palestinian Terror

As of now, Congress is in the process of considering potential legislation that would codify President Bush’s standards for Palestinian reform, described in his speech of June 24th, 2002, into law. The Institute for Public Affairs is asking all our members to contact their Congressmen and Senators to support legislation that would ensure that Palestinian reform and the conditions enumerated by the President are met before the United States lends any support to the creation of a Palestinian state. Without these stringent standards, there is no chance of a genuine and lasting Middle East peace. In order to make sure that any future Palestinian peace partner will oppose terror and be committed to a true peace with Israel, the preconditions laid down by President Bush should be enacted into law by Congress. Please contact your Representatives and Senators immediately and urge them to support legislation that will help end Palestinian terror.

Please write or call your Representatives and Senators today. Below is a sample letter which you may choose to use or adapt in your correspondence:

Dear (Representative) (Senator) _____________,

On June 24th, 2002, President Bush called for an end to Palestinian terrorism and a new Palestinian leadership that is not engaged in terrorism before the United States lends any support to a Palestinian state. I am writing to ask your support for legislation that would codify President Bush’s standards that would ensure Palestinian reform and establish preconditions for eliminating terrorism before the United States agrees to the establishment of a Palestinian state. Peace cannot be made with a state that is created by terror, supports terror, and continues to perpetrate terrorist attacks including suicide bombings, bus bombings, and drive-by shootings. Any new Palestinian peace partner must be free of corruption and violence and committed to peace with Israel.

Since September 2000, more than 680 Israelis have been murdered at the hands of Palestinian terrorists. Far from being committed to peaceful co-existence with Israel, the Palestinian Authority has demonstrated a commitment to the destruction of Israel. The Palestinian Authority rejected peace proposals at Camp David in July of 2000 and instead responded with a premeditated onslaught of terrorist attacks.

(Representative) (Senator) _____________, Israel has the right to a normal life and the right to security. The United States cannot be the midwife to a terrorist state. America should not support any establishment of a Palestinian state unless the Palestinian Authority engages in a sustained fight against the terrorists, dismantles their terrorist infrastructure, and meets the standards laid out by the President on June 24th. We urge you to be vigilant and speak out to ensure that true reform and elimination of terrorism by the Palestinian Authority will indeed be enacted.

Thank you for your support in this matter.

Sincerely,

Representatives and Senators can be contacted at:

More talking points are available to use in your correspondence.

Kindly call us at (212) 613-8123 with any questions you may have.

RBS
BE
 

Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America
Institute for Public Affairs

Prof. Richard Stone, Chairman
Nathan Diament, Director
Betty Ehrenberg, Director, International Affairs & Communal Relations

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