Thank Senators who did NOT sign Nelson-Ensign Letter--March 28, 2007

Thank Senators who did NOT sign Nelson-Ensign Letter

~March 28, 2007~

The deadline for signing the Nelson-Ensign letter on the Palestinian government was last Friday, March 23^rd. After two weeks of intense lobbying, the letter, which blocks US efforts to engage with moderate Palestinians, closed with 79 signers. The Nelson-Ensign letter was changed from its original version to allow for diplomatic engagement with Palestinian President Abbas, but not with moderate cabinet members like the new Finance Minister, Salam Fayyad, who recently met with the US Consul General in Jerusalem.

The fact that the text was changed, unusual for a Congressional letter, that several key Senators declined to sign, and that many more either waited to sign until the text had been revised or waited until the last moments on March 23^rd to add their name shows the importance of CMEP’s advocacy along with that of other collegial Jewish and Arab groups. Despite the number of final signers, there seems to be a growing awareness in the Senate that it does not serve America’s interests to block US diplomatic efforts aimed at helping to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

TAKE ACTION

If one or both of your Senators are among those that did not sign the letter, please take a moment to call or email the office. Thank him/her for not signing the Nelson-Ensign letter, which blocks US contact with Palestinian moderates, and for their support of US diplomacy to help achieve Israeli-Palestinian peace.

The US Capitol switchboard (202-224-3121) will connect you to any office or email your Senator using their online web forms. Below is a list of the Senators who didn’t sign, including their relevant committee assignments.

Senators who did NOT sign the Nelson-Ensign Letter on the Palestinian Government

Democrats (9)
Bingaman, Jeff NM
Byrd, Robert WV (Approps Chair, Armed Services)
Feinstein, Dianne CA (Approps, Select Intelligence)
Johnson, Tim SD (ForOps) [currently absent with illness]
Kennedy, Ted MA (Armed Services)
Kerry, John MA (SFRC/Near East Chair)
Leahy, Patrick VT (ForOps Chair)
McCaskill, Claire MO (Armed Services)
Webb, Jim VA (SFRC, Armed Services)

Independents (1)
Sanders, Bernard VT

Republicans (11)
Alexander, Lamar TN (ForOps)
Domenici, Pete NM (Approps)
Enzi, Mike WY
Gregg, Judd NH (ForOps Ranking Member)
Hagel, Chuck NE (SFRC/Near East, Select Intelligence)
Hatch, Orrin UT (Select Intelligence)
Lugar, Richard IN (SFRC Ranking Member)
Sununu, John NH (SFRC/Near East)
Thomas, Craig WY
Voinovich, George OH (SFRC/Near East)
Warner, John VA (Armed Services, Select Intelligence)

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