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Dear Connie,
Yesterday, the news broke that Secretary of State John Kerry personally called
Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren to protest the Israeli government’s
decision to “legalize” four illegal outposts – a decision that, if
implemented, will mean the establishment of four new settlements. Secretary
Kerry reportedly also asked the Israeli government to delay the move or
rethink its decision.
Thank
Secretary Kerry for stepping up and taking action for peace, and tell him
to stay the course!
The Israeli decision to legalize the outposts is bad news but par for the
course for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, who has for years pandered to
the settlers and their supporters. The personal intervention of Secretary
Kerry, on the other hand, is a welcome development.
Thank Secretary Kerry for not letting Netanyahu’s pandering go
unchallenged!
This high-level démarche to the Israeli government – the first in recent
memory – underscores Secretary Kerry’s apparent recognition that this
Israeli government decision is exactly what Peace Now called it: “A slap in
the face of Secretary Kerry's new process and [a] blatant reassurance to
settler interests."
Tell
Secretary Kerry that you’re outraged at this slap in the face. Tell him
you’ve got his back.
As Peace Now’s Hagit
Ofran notes, the decision to launder illegal settler actions flies in
the face of past promises Israel has made to the international community to
not create new settlements or expand existing ones.
Urge
Secretary Kerry to stay firm and insist that Israel honor its obligations.
Our sister organization in Israel, Peace Now (Shalom Achshav), is leading
the way in sounding the alarm against the establishment of these new
settlements and pressing the Israeli government to cancel the decision.
Last week, it launched a highly successful media campaign, drawing Israeli
and international media attention to the issue. Yesterday, Peace Now
demonstrated at the site of one of the four outposts. Click
here for our resource page with worldwide media reports on Peace Now’s
powerful campaign.
Support Secretary Kerry’s efforts to reinvigorate peace negotiations
between Israel and the Palestinians –Israel must stop building and
legalizing settlements contrary to their own laws, and contrary to
international law.
Thank you,
Rabbi Alana Suskin
Director of Strategic Communications
Americans for Peace Now
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