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Background:
Returning from a ten-day Memorial Day recess, both houses of Congress
are immersed in a full week of work on a variety of legislation
(beginning with votes last evening). The next two months are likely
to show a great deal of activity on Capitol Hill as Congress tries to
wrap up much of its legislative activity and appropriation bills
before its August recess. What most shapes the work and politics of
Washington
now is the expectation of very close November elections to control the
executive branch and both chambers of the legislative branch.
Therefore, members are hoping to spend as much time as possible
campaigning at home.
In the midst of the
highly politicized climate as well as constant shifts in the Israeli
political situation and the continuing volatility within Iraq, there
will probably be little substantive legislation and debate
regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict for the remainder of the
108th Congress. This is not to say that there won’t be
rhetoric or even the consideration of resolutions expressing support
for Israel
or criticizing the Palestinian leadership. But it is unlikely that
either party is going to risk major legislative initiatives or policy
changes that would greatly alter the landscape of U.S. policy toward
Israel and Palestine.
Nevertheless,
there have been some interesting developments on Capitol Hill during
the last few weeks. In mid-May, the American Israel Public Affairs
Committee (AIPAC) held its annual conference and lobby days complete
with speeches from the likes of President Bush, House Majority Leader
Tom DeLay, and Senator Joe Lieberman. Notable was that reported AIPAC
efforts to “codify” the terms of the Sharon-Bush letters (which in
April had represented a shift of longstanding U.S. policy toward some
key negotiating issues between Israelis and Palestinians) into
legislation were not successful. Therefore, AIPAC advocates lobbied
instead primarily on legislation regarding Iran and non-proliferation.
CMEP Board members
and staff have continued their regular meetings with key congressional
staff to discuss issues such as the separation barrier [see email
alert of March 18 and others]. In those meetings, a number of
things have been reported to us:
a)
Even
were a resolution to be introduced and voted on in the House on the
Sharon-Bush “agreement,” such a resolution is not likely to move in
the Senate;
b)
The
resolution by Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) [see email alert of March 18]
expressing support for Israel’s construction of the separation barrier
continues to garner cosponsors but is not expected to move through the
House International Relations Committee and onto the House floor for a
vote;
c)
There
has been a very good reception to the effort by CMEP (and other U.S.
church leaders) to raise the issue of what is happening to the
Palestinian Christian population and institutions, particularly due to
the separation barrier, visa issues, and the possible loss of
tax-exempt status in Israel. [See email alerts of May 7 and May
12.] We know that due to our efforts, at least one senior,
pro-Israel member of Congress has raised these same issues with the
Israeli embassy.
d)
Many
congressional staff express increasing frustration with some AIPAC
positions (see below) and acknowledge that they are hearing an
increased diversity of opinion concerning what is best for Israeli
security from the American Jewish community, as well as from American
Christians.
A final note: In
late May, retiring Senator Fritz Hollings (D-SC) took to the Senate
floor to defend an op-ed he had written earlier in the month which
suggested that the U.S. had gone to war in Iraq in part on Israel’s
behalf. The furor he created was joined in part when retired
four-star General Anthony Zinni made similar suggestions on CBS’ “60
Minutes.” Zinni, like Hollings, pointed to neo-conservative members
of the Administration leading the charge for the Iraq war.
In his remarks on
the Senate floor, Senator Hollings also said, “You can't have an
Israel policy other than what AIPAC gives you around here.”
Discussion on Capitol Hill of AIPAC’s influence has typically been
guarded, but Hollings’ comments caused some long-withheld opinions to
be voiced. Reported the Jewish Telegraph Agency: “‘Sen. Hollings
eloquently stated what many members of Congress believe but are too
afraid to say,’ said one senior Democratic Hill staffer, who spoke on
condition of anonymity. The staffer said lawmakers fear they'll lose
elections if they don't support AIPAC. More likely, the staffer said,
they'll lose key fund-raising support or be deluged with calls and
appearances from pro-Israel lobbyists and constituents. ‘Sometimes
it's just easier to sign the letter,’ the staffer said.”
Upcoming Summer
Actions:
In upcoming emails, you will be receiving: 1) the new CMEP newsletter
“Actions and Inactions by Sharon and Bush Put Two-State Solution at
Risk” and 2) a detailed “how-to” list of suggestions for your
educational and advocacy work over the summer. The latter will
include information about upcoming congressional recesses and timely
“messages” that can best be delivered to legislators and staff to
promote peace and justice between Israelis and Palestinians.
Most important to
remember in an election year is that members of Congress tend to spend
more time in their home districts and states for campaigning
purposes. This is an ideal time to make your points for
Middle East peace and to ask that the Representative/Senator/candidate show care and
balance in statements and that they demonstrate support for both
the security of
Israel
and a viable Palestinian state.
In the meantime,
CMEP will continue to: Press the case (and ask that you do, too) of
the injustices being created by the construction of the separation
barrier; bring attention to the particular problems that Christian
churches and other institutions in the West Bank, Gaza, and Jerusalem
are facing; and ask that the U.S. intensify efforts to require both
parties to cease the violence against each other. |
