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APN Letter to Senate Foreign Policy Staff re: Palestinian Sanctions "Dear Colleague" Letter

APN urges Senators to take a careful look at the letter in preparation of being lobbied on it as part of the AIPAC policy conference

On Friday, March 9, 2007, APN sent this message to all Senate foreign policy staff:

Dear xxxx,

There is currently a Dear Colleague circulating in the Senate seeking co-signers on a letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. The letter, which urges the Secretary to maintain and expand sanctions against the Palestinian Authority, is expected to be one of the central "asks" next Tuesday, when AIPAC supporters come to the Hill in conjunction with the annual AIPAC policy conference.

On behalf of Americans for Peace Now (APN), I urge all Senators and Senate staff to take a very careful look at this letter and recognize the very dangerous implications it carries. For the sake of both Israel and the U.S., I urge Senators to decline to sign the letter in its current form.

The letter's key "ask" of Secretary Rice, buried in the fifth paragraph, is far from non-controversial:

"We urge you to continue to hold firm and insist that these very basic international principles do not change -- no direct aid and no contacts with any members of a Palestinian Authority that does not explicitly and unequivocally recognize Israel's right to exist, renounce terror, and accept previous agreements."

Contrary to the implication of the letter, this "ask" is not about maintaining the current U.S. sanction against the PA, but rather expanding them in a manner that is clearly inconsistent with the best interests of both Israel and the United States.

With this "ask," Senators will be on the record urging the Administration to cut off all contact with President Abbas and any other Fatah members (or independents) that become part of a future Palestinian national unity government. At a time when there is growing recognition that engagement -- even with imperfect or objectionable partners -- is vital to U.S. national security interests in the Middle East and around the world, it is incomprehensible that the Senate would now be urging a wholesale U.S. boycott of contacts with longtime Palestinian interlocutors who recognize Israel, reject violence and terror, and are clearly committed to trying to achieve Israeli-Palestinian peace based on two states living side by side in peace and with security.

This is bad policy, in terms of the interests of both Israel and the U.S., and should be rejected, both in this letter and in any subsequent legislation that might follow. If you have any questions about this issue or anything else related to Israel and the quest for peace and security in the Middle East, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,

Lara Friedman Director of Policy and Government Relations Americans for Peace Now


Background:

The Quartet statement, originally issued on 1/30/2006, stated simply that:

"It is the view of the Quartet that all members of a future Palestinian government must be committed to nonviolence, recognition of Israel, and acceptance of previous agreements and obligations, including the Roadmap."

With respect to how this view would impact relations with the PA, the Quartet noted:

"...the Quartet concluded that it was inevitable that future assistance to any new government would be reviewed by donors against that government's commitment to the principles of nonviolence, recognition of Israel, and acceptance of previous agreements and obligations, including the Roadmap. The Quartet calls upon the newly elected Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) to support the formation of a government committed to these principles as well as the rule of law, tolerance, reform and sound fiscal management."

Current U.S. policy and law (both in the FY07 Supplemental and S. 2370) bar any assistance to the Hamas-dominated Palestinian Authority unless it meets the Quartet conditions. In addition, longstanding U.S. policy (pre-dating the Hamas 2006 elections victory by more than a decade) bars U.S. official contacts with members of any foreign terrorist organization. Thus, for the past year, when the PA has been composed entirely of Hamas members, U.S. policy has been, in effect, to bar both aid and contacts with the entire government.

The "ask" in the letter, however, has special meaning in the wake of the Palestinian national unity government agreement. As written, Congress is making this a test not of political views and positions of the individual members of the PA (a PA which, if the national unity government is ever constituted, will include, at a minimum, representatives of Fatah, Hamas, and independents), but rather of the PA itself. According to this formula, if the PA does not meet the Quartet conditions then ALL of its members are to be considered tainted and beyond the pale in terms of U.S. relations.