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Sarah Palin is wrong on settlements (and why it matters).

Moments ago I sent out this call to action to APN's activists.

In an interview yesterday with Barbara Walters, former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin took aim at the Obama administration's stance on West Bank settlements.

"I believe that the Jewish settlements should be allowed to be expanded upon, because that population of Israel is, is going to grow," Palin told Walters.

"I don't think that the Obama administration has any right to tell Israel that the Jewish settlements cannot expand," she added.

Click here to tell Gov. Palin that Israel's true friends don't support settlement growth.

Those of us who care about Israel and peace cannot afford to simply dismiss Palin's comments. Palin's statements are likely to become the new conservative line of attack against President Obama's efforts to bring peace to Israel.

Gov. Palin may not be aware of it, but every American president in the past 40 years -- Republican and Democrat alike -- has opposed West Bank settlements. They have done so because settlement expansion is bad for American national security interests and because they have cared about Israel's well-being.

You and I cannot let these attacks go unanswered. You and I cannot allow peace for Israel to become a partisan issue.

Today, we need you to re-affirm to your representatives and senators in Washington your support for the effort to bring peace to Israel. Ask them to resist the urge to turn this key issue into a cheap political football.

Click here to tell your members of Congress that Israel's true friends don't support settlement growth.

This is an important moment for peace. Just yesterday, President Obama's press secretary delivered a clear message of American opposition to new settlement initiatives, noting that they complicate American efforts to re-launch negotiations. Please, join us in supporting Obama's efforts.

Sincerely,

Noam Shelef
Director of Strategic Communications
Americans for Peace Now
 
P.S. - Our colleagues in the Israeli Peace Now movement held a demonstration today against a new settlement in the heart of an Arab neighborhood of East Jerusalem. Click here to read a Ynet article about the activism that your donations to APN support.