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April 24, 2002
To: Officers, Rabbis, Key Contacts
From: Richard B. Stone, Chairman
Betty Ehrenberg, Director, International and Communal Affairs
Re: Continuing Palestinian Violence Against Israel - Support S. 2194, H.R. 1795
Support Arafat Accountability Act
At Camp David in July 2000, Israel, in good faith, attempted to negotiate an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Instead of seizing the opportunity to make peace, Arafat began a campaign of terrorism and violence to attack innocent Israelis. Arafat released over 100 known terrorists from prison, including those responsible for the deaths of American citizens, and permitted Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and factions of the his own PLO, including the Tanzim, Force 17, and the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade to attack Israel. In the past nineteen months, more than 472 Israelis have been killed and more than 3,600 wounded. Israelis face an average of 25 live-fire attacks per day, which include homicide bombings in Israeli cities, the use of rocket-propelled grenades, and anti-tank missiles and mortars directed against Israeli civilian and military targets.
In order to convey the message that the United States will not tolerate this continuing violence and terror, bills are being circulated in the Senate and the House that would require the imposition of sanctions unless and until the Palestinians fulfill their commitments to stop terror.
The Senate bill, introduced by Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is the Arafat Accountability Act (S. 2194) that would impose all the following sanctions immediately on the Palestinians until they cease violating their most basic commitment to end violence and terror. They include: 1) downgrading the PLO representation in the United States to its status before the Oslo peace process; 2) restricting the travel of the PLO observer to the UN; 3) seizing of PLO/PA assets and the personal assets of Yassir Arafat in the U.S.; and 4) denying visas to officials of the PLO/PA. This version is stronger than the original initiative proposed last year by Senators McConnell and Feinstein.
The bill in the House, introduced by Representatives Gary Ackerman (D-NY), Ben Gilman (R-NY) and Tom Lantos (D-CA) is called the Middle East Peace Commitments Act of 2001 (MEPCA), H.R. 1795. This bill imposes sanctions on the Palestinians if the President determines that they continue to violate their commitments to the United States and Israel. The President must impose one or more of the following sanctions: 1) downgrading the office of the PLO representative to the U.S.; 2) denial of visas to officials of the PLO/PA; 3) designating terrorist elements of the PLO as foreign terrorist organizations; and 4) prohibiting all but humanitarian aid to the West Bank and Gaza.
Urgent Action Needed
Contact your Senators immediately and ask them to co-sponsor and help pass the Arafat Accountability Act, S. 2194, introduced by Senators Feinstein and McConnell. Contact your Representatives now and urge them to co-sponsor and help pass the Middle East Peace Commitments Act of 2001 (MEPCA), H.R. 1795. If your Representatives have already co-sponsored the legislation, thank them for doing so.
The following talking points should be used in your communications with your Senators and Representatives in urging them to support S. 2194 and H.R. 1795:
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The Palestinians perpetrate terror and violence instead of engaging in direct negotiations as mandated by previous agreements and UN resolutions in order to achieve political aims. The Palestinians have wounded more than 3,600 Israelis and killed more than 420 in the past nineteen months. Israelis continue to face homicide bombings, rocket grenade attacks, drive-by shootings, anti-tank missiles, mortars, and attacks by Palestinian terrorists.
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The Palestinian use of violence and terror as a political tool contravenes every agreement it signed with the U.S. and Israel. It demonstrates their commitment to terror and armed conflict instead of to peace. Israel has obtained documents proving that Arafat personally approved payment to the very people orchestrating the bombings of innocent Israelis. The Palestinians attempted to smuggle over 50 tons of weapons and explosives from Iran with which to attack innocent Israeli citizens on the
Karine-A.
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The Palestinians must finally know that there will be real consequences unless they cease the terror and violence. These two proposed bills, S. 2194 and H.R. 1795, would require American imposition of sanctions unless and until the Palestinians fulfill the commitments that they signed.
Call your Senators at (202) 224-3121 and urge them to co-sponsor and help pass the Arafat Accountability Act, S. 2194. Call your Representatives today at (202) 225-3121 and ask that they co-sponsor and help pass the Middle East Peace Commitments Act of 2001 (MEPCA), H.R. 1795. Thank those members who have already co-sponsored the legislation.
You can also write to your Representatives and Senators, using the talking points listed above.
Write to:
Representative _________________
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515 |
Senator ____________________
United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510 |
For more information, please call us at (212) 613-8123.
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