Brit Tzedek v'Shalom
Jewish Alliance for Justice and Peace
Action Alert
Action Alert - Completed 6/03/2003
[POSTED: June 1st, 2003]
STAND FIRM AT AQABA
TIME TO ACT ONCE AGAIN: Call, fax, or email President Bush and Secretary of State Powell by Tuesday, June 3, urging them to press both the Palestinian Authority and Israel to immediately, concretely, and credibly implement all initial measures called for in the Road Map.
Dear Brit Tzedek members and supporters,
The President will be meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas on June 4 in Aqaba, Jordan. This will be the first such three-way summit, and it is a historic opportunity to push the Middle East peace process forward.
But the Sharon government is still pressing for Israeli implementation of the Road Map to take place after that of the Palestinian Authority. This cannot be effective, since Abbas will not be able to carry out the Palestinian Authority's part of the deal until Palestinians can see that Israel is taking the required steps. Thus, allowing Israel to hold back on implementation would kill any possibility of the Road Map's success. For this reason, please contact the President and Secretary of State Powell to urge a firm stand at the Aqaba summit by insisting that both parties immediately, concretely, and credibly implement the first steps the Road Map requires.
We must let President Bush hear again and again that American Jews support his new initiative in resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Talking points for a telephone call and a sample letter for faxing or emailing can be found below. (A telephone call or fax is preferable.)
We also ask you to circulate this Action Alert as widely as possible--please send it to your family, friends, and colleagues, and please repost it to any relevant listservs.
It is important that you let us know that you have responded to this action alert by sending us an email at advocacy@btvshalom.org, so that we can gauge the impact of our action alerts.
L'Shalom,
Diane Balser and Steve Masters
Chair and Co-Chair of the Advocacy/Public Policy Committee
Background
The text of the Road Map can be found at:
http://www.state.gov/
Additional resources on the Road Map can be found on the Brit Tzedek v'Shalom website:
Road Map Resources
Suggested Talking Points for Phone Call
White House Comment Line: 202-456-1111
State Department Bureau of Public Affairs Comment Line: 202-647-6575
- You are a Jewish American.
- At the meeting in Aqaba with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas, you think it is vital that the President press both parties to take immediate, concrete, and credible action on the initial steps of the Road Map -- respectively:
- Measures by the Palestinian Authority cannot be effectively implemented unless Israel is also moving ahead with full implementation.
• • the implementation by the Palestinian Authority of effective measures to bring an end to the terror attacks
• • the withdrawal from Palestinian population centers and freezing of the settlements by the government of Israel.
Sample Fax/Email Message (faxing is the most effective)
Below is a brief sample message you can send; feel free and encouraged to personalize it.
| Subject [for e-mails]: Stand Firm at Aqaba | |
| President George W. Bush The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20500 president@whitehouse.gov Fax: 202-456-2461 |
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Mr. President: As a Jewish American, I am pleased to see you placing a strong priority on moving the Middle East peace process forward. Your Road Map represents the best chance for peace for the Israelis and Palestinians, and therefore it is vitally important that both parties be pushed to immediately and fully implement the first steps it calls for -- respectively withdrawal from Palestinian population centers and freezing of all settlements on the part of the government of Israel, and implementation by the Palestinian Authority of effective measures to end terror attacks. The latter cannot hope to succeed without the former. Your personal intervention is needed to make this possibility for peace a reality. I therefore request that you use the opportunity of the upcoming summit in Aqaba to insist that both parties take immediate and effective action on the Road Map. A peaceful solution to the crisis in the Middle East is crucial not only to the well-being of Israelis and Palestinians, but also ultimately to the United States and the whole world, now more than ever. Insisting on both parties' immediate implementation of the Road Map, in its present form, will be a major step towards peace. Sincerely, [SIGN YOUR NAME] cc: Secretary of State Colin Powell U.S. Department of State 2201 C Street NW Washington, DC 20520 Fax: 202-261-8577 |
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Sending an email message to Secretary of State Colin Powell:
Emails to Secretary of State Powell must be sent by pasting them into the response page of the State Department website. They cannot be sent directly from your email program. To send him an email message, go to:
http://contact-us.state.gov/
Then click on "Send a Message to the Secretary of State" near the bottom of the page. Although many people reported successfully sending messages to the Secretary of State via this web form, some have reported problems using it. In the latter case, we encourage you to send a fax.