Huffington Post - January 30, 2015
Peace Now: New settlement tenders are a "pre-election grab"
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/30/israeli-settlements-_n_6580530.html?utm_hp_ref=politics&ir=Politics

Deutsche Welle - January 30, 2015
Peace Now: New tenders are an attempt to create facts on the ground before the elections
http://www.dw.de/israel-issues-tenders-for-new-west-bank-settlements/a-18227155

Al Jazeera America - January 30, 2015
Peace Now slams new Israeli government tenders for settlement construction
http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2015/1/30/israel-settlements-politics.html

Jerusalem Post (Reuters story) - January 30, 2015
Peace Now exposes: Israeli government issues tenders for 450 housing units in WB settlements
http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/US-UK-condemn-latest-Israeli-plan-for-settler-housing-as-illegal-illegitimate-389538

Wall Street Journal - January 30, 2015
Peace Now: Israeli government issues new tenders for West Bank settlement construction
http://www.wsj.com/articles/israel-issues-hundreds-of-tenders-for-housing-in-west-bank-1422615492?tesla=y

Truth-Out - January 30, 2015
APN calls for postponing congressional speech of Israeli prime minister
http://truth-out.org/opinion/item/28828-rep-keith-ellison-postpone-netanyahu-s-speech-to-congress#

Ynet - February 2, 2015
Peace Now's Yariv Oppenheimer calls on President Rivlin to cancel visit to Hebron
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4622161,00.html

Update: this action, now closed, ran in February 2015. 

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ohio Republican John Boehner, has issued an invitation for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address a joint session of Congress on March 3. According to his own account, Boehner did so in coordination with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).

Boehner’s invitation to Netanyahu has drawn criticism, bafflement, and outrage from across the political spectrum – in the U.S., in Israel and around the world. This invitation was made without coordinating with the White House, in violation of protocol – but it violated much more than that.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ohio Republican John Boehner, has issued an invitation for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address a joint session of Congress on March 3. According to his own account, Boehner did so in coordination with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).

Boehner’s invitation to Netanyahu has drawn criticism, bafflement, and outrage from across the political spectrum – in the U.S., in Israel and around the world. This invitation was made without coordinating with the White House, in violation of protocol – and much more than that.

PLEASE TAKE ACTION NOW

If you have not already take action to contact your member of Congress to protest this inappropriate and irresponsible invitation, do so today. If you have already taken action, do so again!

Click here to contact your Senators and Representative to urge them to oppose the scheduled March 3 speech to Congress by Netanyahu.

Click here to contact Speaker Boehner urging him to rescind his invitation to Netanyahu and reschedule the speech – by Netanyahu or whoever the next Israeli prime minister may be – for a future date. Even if you’re not a constituent, as Speaker of the House, it is critical that Boehner understand that Americans everywhere object to his action.

Contact your Representative           Contact your Senators          Contact Speaker Boehner

Contact your Representative

You can reach your Representative toll free via the Capitol switchboard, at (877) 429-0678 (to confirm who your Representative is, click here).  Ask the switchboard operator to put you through to your Representative, and then tell the person who takes your call:

• I am a constituent.

• I am outraged at that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has been invited to speak to a joint session of Congress on March 3.

• This invitation is inappropriate, irresponsible, and needlessly divisive. 

• It looks like Congressional meddling in Israeli elections – elections scheduled for just 2 weeks after the speech, and elections in which Netanyahu is a candidate.

• It also looks like some in Congress are trying to exploit support for Israel in order to influence the fate of Iran nuclear negotiations, undermine the President, and manipulate Congress into supporting policies that could harm U.S. national security and national interests.

• As a supporter of Israel, I oppose anyone in Congress using Israel, and Congressional support for Israel, in such a cynical, partisan way.   Israel should never be used as a partisan, wedge issue in Congress, nor do I want to see Congress meddling in Israel’s internal politics.

• I urge Congressman/Congresswoman [xxxxx] to take a public position opposing this speech.  I urge her/him to call for the speech to be rescheduled so that Netanyahu – or whoever the next Israeli prime minister may be – can address Congress after the Israeli elections and after the debate between Congress and the White House over Iran negotiations and sanctions is over.

• He/she can do so by signing the Ellison-Cohen-Waters letter that is circulating in the House at this time.  Or, she/he can issue their own statement or make a floor speech on the subject.  The important thing is to take a public stand.

• Thank you.

When you are done, repeat this same process with your Senators

Contact your Senators

You can reach your Senators toll free via the Capitol switchboard, at (877) 429-0678 (to confirm who your Senators are, click here). Ask the switchboard operator to put you through to one of your Senators and then tell the person who takes your call:

• I am a constituent.

• I am outraged that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has been invited to speak to a joint session of Congress on March 3.

• This invitation is inappropriate, irresponsible, and needlessly divisive. 

• It looks like Congressional meddling in Israeli elections – elections scheduled for just 2 weeks after the speech, and elections in which Netanyahu is a candidate.

• It also looks like some in Congress are trying to exploit support for Israel in order to influence the fate of Iran nuclear negotiations, undermine the President, and manipulate Congress into supporting policies that could harm U.S. national security and national interests.

• As a supporter of Israel, I oppose anyone in Congress using Israel, and Congressional support for Israel, in such a cynical, partisan way.   Israel should never be used as a partisan, wedge issue in Congress, nor do I want to see Congress meddling in Israel’s internal politics.

• I urge Senator [xxxxx] to take a public position opposing this speech.  I urge her/him to call for the speech to be rescheduled so that Netanyahu – or whoever the next Israeli prime minister may be – can address Congress after the Israeli elections and after the debate between Congress and the White House over Iran negotiations and sanctions is over.

• Thank you.

When you are done, repeat this same process with your other Senator.

When you are done, contact Speaker Boehner.

Contact Speaker Boehner

Contact Speaker Boehner

It is critical that Speaker Boehner understand that Americans everywhere object to his invitation for Netanyahu to address Congress on March 3.  Call Boehner’s office at (202) 225-0600 and tell the person who takes your call: 

• As a supporter of Israel, I do not want to see Israel being used as a partisan, wedge issue by anyone in Congress, nor do I want to see Congress meddling in Israel’s internal politics.

• I urge you to re-issue your invitation, making clear that Netanyahu, or whoever the next prime minister of Israel may be, will be welcome to address Congress at a future date – a date that comes after negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program have concluded, and after elections in Israel are complete and a new government is formed.

Tell a friend & Report back to us about your calls!

The January 30, 2015, announcement by the Israeli Government of tenders (allowing for bids) for construction of 450 new settlement housing units in the West Bank (including Kiryat Arba, pictured) was covered extensively in the Israeli and international press.  Peace Now was prominently referenced, including from its released statement which said in part:

"After embarrassing the Obama administration with the invitation to the Congress, Netanyahu adds another slam in the face of the Americans, showing no respect to Israel's closest ally,"