Email Action Alert

Call your Senators: Ask them NOT to sign Nelson-Ensign Letter!

 

~March 12, 2007~

 

Last week, Senators Bill Nelson (D-FL) and John Ensign (R-NV) began circulating a sign-on letter to Secretary Rice. The letter, which is the centerpiece of AIPAC's March 11-13 policy conference, urges the US to maintain and further expand sanctions against the Palestinian Authority in the wake of the Mecca national unity government agreement between Fatah and Hamas. The full text of the letter is included below.

The Senators' main request is that the US "continue to hold firm and insist that these very basic international principles do not change -- no direct aid and no contacts with any members of a Palestinian Authority that does not explicitly and unequivocally recognize Israel's right to exist, renounce terror, and accept previous agreements." The Nelson-Ensign letter goes beyond current US policy and law by urging no contact with ALL members of the Palestinian Authority. This would prevent diplomatic engagement with Palestinians who seek peace, such as Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and effectively shut down US efforts to promote Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.

Moreover, so far the US and international community have taken a wait-and-see approach as Palestinian political dynamics continue to unfold. With Israeli Prime Minister Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas having met this past Sunday and Sec. Rice seeking to reinvigorate the peace process, this letter sends the wrong message at the wrong time.

 

TAKE ACTION!

 

Call your Senators: The Capitol Switchboard (202-224-3121) will allow you to ask for each Senator by name.

Message: Ask your Senators NOT to Sign the Nelson-Ensign Letter to Sec. Rice

Background Talking Points:

The Nelson-Ensign letter expands sanctions against the Palestinian Authority by urging a ban on US contact with ALL members of the PA, if the unity government doesn’t meet the Quartet’s demands.  This would prevent US diplomatic engagement with Palestinians who support peace, such as Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.  As Sec. Rice tries to reinvigorate the peace process, Palestinian political dynamics are continuing to unfold and the Palestinian economic situation remains dire.  At this critical time, the Nelson-Ensign letter seeks to block constructive US diplomacy and severely undermines US efforts to promote Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking. 

 

Nelson-Ensign Letter to Sec. Rice on Palestinian Authority

The Honorable Condoleezza Rice
Secretary
United States Department of State

Dear Madame Secretary:

Securing peace in the Middle East between Israel and all of her neighbors has been a long-term goal of the United States- long before and quite apart from the current conflict in Iraq -- and we support your efforts to advance that important goal.

We know how deeply the people of Israel long for peace, and we are mindful of all the avenues successive Israeli governments have pursued to achieve it: bilateral negotiations, multilateral negotiations, and unilateral actions. Unfortunately, those efforts have yet to bring a lasting peace, largely because there has been no viable Palestinian leader ready to negotiate an end to the conflict who has the strength and conviction to compromise and then to implement an agreement. This sad fact remains as true today as it has ever been.

That is why, as you seek to reinvigorate the peace process, we believe it important to reinforce certain basic principles that have guided US Middle East policy that we know you share. First among these basic principles is securing the three very basic obligations put forward by the Quartet that the Palestinian Authority must meet in order for it to receive direct aid from the international community: recognition of Israel's right to exist, a renunciation of violence and terror, and acceptance of previous Israeli-Palestinian agreements. So far, as a result of the international community's firm unity on these obligations, this policy has had a real impact, with pressure mounting on the Hamas led PA to do what is necessary in order for international assistance to resume.

The pressure to form a Palestinian unity government is a manifestation of that impact. We were deeply disappointed, however, that last month's Mecca agreement negotiated between the leaders of Hamas and Fatah failed to meet or even address the obligations of the Quartet. Statements by Hamas leaders since the agreement was signed only reinforce that fact. While the agreements might have brought a temporary peace between Hamas and Fatah, it had little to do with making peace with Israel and ultimately does not serve the interests of the Palestinian people.

We know that there are already some in the Quartet who are pressing for direct aid to resume. That would be a huge step back from the peace process you seek to invigorate. We urge you to continue to hold firm and insist that these very basic international principles not change- no direct aid and no contacts with any members of a Palestinian Authority that does not explicitly and unequivocally recognize Israel's right to exist, renounce terror, and accept previous agreements.

We know that these are principles that you helped develop and certainly share. It is our strong hope that they remain central to your efforts and to those of the Quartet as the process moves forward.

Sincerely,
 

Letter in PDF Format
 

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