Americans for Peace Now: Government Relations: July 2009 Archives

APN tells Senate: Demand that the Bayh-Risch letter be amended (or refuse to sign)

By Lara Friedman on July 27, 2009 3:53 PM

In Friday's Legislative Round-Up I highlighted a new letter being circulated in the Senate by Senators Evan Bayh (D-IN) and James Risch (R-ID). The http://www.aipac.org/Publications/SourceMaterialsCongressionalAction/Bayh-Risch_Letter_on_Normalization.pdf (link has expired) letter, which is the top item on the "Take Action" page on the http://www.aipac.org/694.asp#26653 (link has expired) AIPAC website, focuses exclusively on President Obama's call for Arab states to take steps to normalize relations with Israel, making no mention of the president's call for Israel to stop settlement activity (and implying that steps Israel has already taken - like removing some checkpoints and PM Netanyahu's belated support for the two-state solution - are sufficient demonstration of Israel's commitment to the peace process).

This morning, APN sent a message to every Senate office urging Senators to refrain from signing the letter unless and until it is amended to also reflect the real steps to achieve peace the President Obama has asked Israel to take. Full text of the APN letter to the Senate after the jump.

Continue reading APN tells Senate: Demand that the Bayh-Risch letter be amended (or refuse to sign).

Senators urged not to sign letter on Mideast

By APN on July 27, 2009 3:16 PM

July 27, 2009

WASHINGTON (JTA) -- Americans for Peace Now is urging U.S. senators not to sign a letter encouraging the Arab world to normalize ties with Israel because it does not mention efforts to halt Israeli settlements.

The bipartisan letter to President Obama, circulated by Sens. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) and James Risch (R-Idaho) and backed by the pro-Israel lobby AIPAC, is "unhelpful" because it "seems to make a straightforward and reasonable demand for the Arab world to normalize relations with Israel," but "the subtext of the letter directly contradicts and undermines the efforts" of the Obama administration "to promote Middle East peace."

Continue reading Senators urged not to sign letter on Mideast.