Israeli Seizure of East Jerusalem Land

Email Action Alert - This is from Churches for Middle East Peace

Israeli Seizure of East Jerusalem Land

~January 25, 2005~


CMEP faxed a letter today to Daniel Kurtzer, the U.S. Ambassador to Israel, about the news that Israel is using the Absentee Property Law to take Palestinian owned land in and near East Jerusalem. The CMEP letter will be hand-delivered to offices of known members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and House International Relations committee (listed at end of this message). The letter is long. Take a few sentences from it and/or my letter to Pres. Bush

Dear President Bush,

I am sending this info from Churches for Middle East Peace on the urgent matter of Israel's confiscation of Palestinian land in and near Jerusalem. The letter from Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) to U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Daniel Kurtzer follows my comments.

Israel's announced plans are outrageous and must be stopped ASAP if you want the Roadmap to have any chance of success--as I am sure you do.

I ask you, Mr. President to press the government of Ariel Sharon to reverse the decision to apply the Absentee Property Law to East Jerusalem and to NOT seize millions of dollars worth of property belonging to Palestinian landowners.

1. CMEP suggests that you call the foreign policy legislative assistant of your representative and two senators (202-224-3121 for Senate; 202-224-3121 for House switchboard). Extend warm greetings as the 109th Congress begins; ask if they have received information about the news reported in the Israeli newspaper Ha¹aretz on January 21 about Israel seizing large amounts of Palestinian property in East Jerusalem. The article can be found at: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/530047.html. Offer to mail, fax or email the Ha¹aretz article to him or her. (The Washington Post on January 24 printed an Associated Press report.) Say you hope that Congress and the Administration will work together to help both Israeli and Palestinian leaders recognize their responsibility to use what Secretary of State-designate Rice called ³this moment of opportunity² to end the conflict and fulfill the vision of a two-state solution. AND NOTE CAPITOL SWITCHBOARD NUMBER: 1-800-839-5276. I T'S FREE!

2. Call the White House comment line, 202-456-1111, or email to president@whitehouse.gov with the brief message: I urge the President and Secretary of State Rice to work hard in support of Israeli-Palestinian peace. Toward that goal, I ask the President to press the government of Ariel Sharon to reverse the decision to apply the Absentee Property Law to East Jerusalem and to NOT seize millions of dollars worth of property belonging to Palestinian landowners.

The letter and list of HIRC and SFR committees follow.
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January 25, 2005
The Honorable Daniel Kurtzer
United States Ambassador to Israel
Tel Aviv, Israel

Dear Ambassador Kurtzer,

It is with anticipation of a productive and constructive time in your role as our country¹s representative to Israel that we write today. Churches for Middle East Peace, a coalition of the national offices of twenty denominations, religious orders and church-related agencies ­ Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant ­ has long supported a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that provides for the security, economic well-being and legitimacy that both peoples and their states need and deserve.

Therefore we were extremely disappointed to read the news, first reported in Ha¹aretz on January 21, that the Israeli cabinet has recently acted on a decision, made secretly at their July 8, 2004 meeting, that the State of Israel take ownership of a huge amount of Palestinian property in East Jerusalem. It is shocking to think that property worth hundreds of millions of dollars and owned by residents of the West Bank could be seized. The residents of the largely-Christian communities that lie close to Jerusalem ­ Bethlehem, Beit Jala and Beit Sahour ­ are particularly effected by what is called ³theft² and ³state stupidity of the highest order² by Ha¹aretz.

At this time when a great deal of pressure and encouragement is being directed toward Palestinian President Abbas to stop violence by militants and carry out governance reforms, Israel¹s leaders should be taking actions that engender confidence in their intentions. We urge you to make clear to Prime Minister Sharon and other Israeli political leaders that this land grab by Israel, which makes a mockery of the President¹s stated vision of a viable state for the Palestinian people and destroys hope of peacemaking, must be overturned.

The longtime efforts of the government of Israel to diminish Palestinian presence and legitimacy in East Jerusalem must halt and be reversed if Palestinians, and the international community, are expected to believe that the current and vigorous push for peace is not a ruse.

Israel¹s building of separation barriers, both fences or walls, is a concrete deterrent to hope for a future of the two states and their peoples living as neighbors. The dangerous impact of the separation barrier is most evident in and near Jerusalem: Palestinian land on the ³wrong² side of the barrier is now being seized by Israel; East Jerusalem institutions that serve West Bank Palestinians are cut off from their populace; the essential role of East Jerusalem as the hub of a viable Palestinian state is being made impossible. The government of Israel has been somewhat responsive to the U.S.¹s directives regarding the route of the barrier being on the green line and not damaging Palestinian life. Churches for Middle East Peace urges the United States government to again make clear to Prime Minster Sharon that he too has responsibilities to make the most of this new moment of opportunity, which could be the last opportunity for a durable Israeli-Palestinian peace. Your able assistance is requested and will be greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,
Corinne Whitlatch J. Daryl Byler
Executive Director Chair of the Board

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109th Senate Foreign Relations Committee; subcommittee assignments have not been finalized. New members: Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Mel Martinez (R-FL), and Barack Obama (D-IL). Returning majority committee members: Chairman Richard Lugar (R-IN), Chuck Hagel (R-NE), Lincoln Chafee (R-RI), George Allen (R-VA), Norm Coleman (R-MN), George Voinovich (R-OH), Lamar Alexander (R-TN), and John Sununu (R-NH). Returning minority committee members: ranking member Joseph Biden (D-DE), Paul Sarbanes (D-MD), Christopher Dodd (D-CT), John Kerry (D-MA), Russell Feingold (D-WI), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), and Bill Nelson (D- FL). Leaving the SFR: Sam Brownback (R-KS), Mike Enzi (R- WY), John Rockefeller (D-WV), and Jon Corzine (D-NJ).

The 109th House International Relations Committee has not yet been announced, other than Henry Hyde as chair. The Republican members of the 108th Congress HIRC are: Henry J. Hyde, Chairman; James A. Leach (IA), Doug Bereuter (NE) - resigned, Christopher H. Smith (NJ), Dan Burton (IN), Elton Gallegly (CA), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (FL), Cass Ballenger (NC) - retired, Dana Rohrabacher (CA), Edward R. Royce (CA), Peter T. King (NY), Steve Chabot (OH), Amo Houghton (NY)- retired, John M. McHugh (NY), Mark Green (WI), Mike Pence (IN), Thomas G. Tancredo (CO), Ron Paul (TX), Nick Smith (MI) ­ retired, Joseph R. Pitts (PA), Jerry Weller (IL), Thaddeus McCotter (MI), Jeff Flake (AZ), William Janklow (SD)- resigned, Jo Ann Davis (VA), Katherine Harris (FL).

The 108th Democratic members are: Tom Lantos (CA), Howard L. Berman (CA), Gary L. Ackerman (NY), Eni F. H. Faleomavaega (AS), Donald M. Payne (NJ), Robert Menendez (NJ), Sherrod Brown (OH), Diane Watson (CA), Adam Smith (WA), Betty McCollum (MN), Brad Sherman (CA), Robert Wexler (FL), Jim Davis (FL), Eliot L. Engel (NY), William D. Delahunt (MA), Gregory W. Meeks (NY), Barbara Lee (CA), Joseph Crowley (NY), Joseph M. Hoeffel (PA) ­ sought senate election, Earl Blumenauer (OR), Shelley Berkley (NV), Grace Napolitano (CA), Adam B. Schiff (CA).

~ Churches for Middle East Peace -- 110 Maryland Ave., NE #311 - Washington, DC - 20002 -- 1-202-543-1222 ~