House Vote today threatens Palestinians with sanctions

US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation- A few weeks ago, we asked you to write Members of Congress and ask that they not threaten Palestinians with sanctions for seeking UN membership this September. Unfortunately, last week, the Senate passed its resolution—S.Res.185—by unanimous consent.

The House is scheduled to vote on its version--H.Res.268—today. You have already helped us send nearly 4,000 emails to Member of Congress opposing these resolutions, but we need to make one final push before the vote today.

Please pick up the phone right now and call your Representative and ask him/her to vote no or abstain on H.Res.268. To find contact info for your Representative, click here and type in your zip code. Or call the House switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask to be transferred to your Representative.

Last week, a Capitol Hill staffer told us their Representative's position changed based on just 20 phone calls. Many of our Representatives have privately expressed their concern for Palestinian human rights, but have chosen to support these types of resolutions instead based on pure political calculus. Your phone call today will change that political calculus.

Please pick up the phone and make that call right now to help us change our government's policies so that Palestinians will no longer be forced to live without freedom.

Talking Points on H.Res.268:

* H.Res.268 threatens Palestinians with sanctions if they attempt to get UN membership this fall, or if they attempt to get additional countries to recognize the State of Palestine. Congress should not put a timetable on others’ freedom by threatening sanctions against people attempting to exercise their right to self-determination.

* H.Res.268 puts pressure on Palestinians to return to the unbalanced U.S.-dominated “peace process” that has, for two decades, failed because the United States has always placed Israeli occupation and apartheid policies ahead of Palestinian human and national rights. Attempting to force Palestinians back to the negotiating table, especially while Israel continues to colonize their land, is not fair and can only lead to additional policy failures.

* H.Res.268 insinuates that it is a lack of Palestinian good faith and the signing of a Palestinian unity agreement that have scuttled the “peace process” rather than Israel’s ongoing and unrelenting colonization of Palestinian land. This resolution is another in a long series of Congressional resolutions attempting to place the blame on Palestinians for Israel maintaining its illegal military occupation of Palestinian lands and engaging in apartheid policies toward them.

Read the full text of H.Res.268 here.