Update: this action, now closed, ran in October 2018.
Thirty-four Senators and 112 House members recently released letters to the Trump administration calling on it to restore humanitarian funding to Palestinians, which President Trump has slashed in order to pressure the Palestinian leadership to acquiesce to his unannounced “peace plan.” As Israeli security officials have indicated, this funding is not only essential for Palestinians, it is also critically important for Israeli security.
Did your elected officials sign? Tell them where you stand.
The funding in question was passed by Congress, with bipartisan support, and included aid for:
- UNRWA, the UN agency which provides critical assistance to Palestinian refugees;
- Humanitarian programs administered by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) in the West Bank and Gaza;
- The East Jerusalem Hospital Network which provides essential care for many Palestinians in East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza; and
- People-to-people conflict mitigation programming which promotes coexistence, particularly among the next generation of Israelis and Palestinians.
Congress allocated this funding because it serves the US national interest in a peaceful solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In the face of Trump’s outrageous decision to cancel all non-security-related funding that benefits Palestinians, Congress must speak out.
Take action to thank your elected representatives if they signed these letters, or take them to task if they did not.
The text/signatories of the House letter is here and the Senate letter is here.