[Peace-discuss] Fw: Will Congress Undermine President Obama's Middle East Diplomacy?

[Jenifer Cartwright]

Here's a good way to take action.

--- On Tue, 5/5/09, Robert Naiman, Just Foreign Policy <info at justforeignpolicy.org> wrote:
























Will Congress Undermine President Obama's Middle East Diplomacy?




Dear Jenifer,


President Obama has taken initial steps to reach out to Iran and to engage with Hamas. Recent polls show that the American public supports President Obama's engagement policies [1] and opposes Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank [2], the key obstacle to the President's efforts for Israel-Palestine peace.
 
Unfortunately, some are urging Congress to obstruct President Obama's efforts. This week the America Israel Public Affairs Committee is having its annual policy conference in Washington. Thousands of AIPAC activists will be on Capitol Hill, urging Members of Congress to support new sanctions against Iran and to oppose President Obama's efforts to engage Hamas.
 
Can you write your Representative and Senators, asking them to support President Obama's diplomatic engagement?
 
http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/act/diplomacynow.html 
 
Congress is considering new Iran sanctions bills that would undermine President Obama's diplomacy and hurt ordinary citizens in Iran. The so-called "Iran Diplomacy Enhancement Act" (H.R. 1985)[3], the "Iran Refined Petroleum Sanctions Act" (H.R. 2194/ S. 908)[4] and the "Iran Sanctions Enabling Act of 2009" (H.R. 1327) [5] seek to block Iran from importing gas and to attack the energy sector of its economy. If these measures become law, President Obama will have less ability to pursue diplomatic engagement with Iran, because he'll have less ability to lift sanctions on Iran if Iran cooperates with the U.S.
 
Meanwhile, Members of Congress are attacking President Obama's proposal to allow U.S. aid to the Palestinians continue if there is a Palestinian national unity government that includes officials appointed by Hamas. Republican Rep. Mark Kirk said President Obama's proposal was akin to supporting a government that included "Nazis." [6]
 
Don't let these voices go unchallenged. Please write your Representative and Senators today, asking them to support President Obama's diplomatic engagement.
 
http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/act/diplomacynow.html
 
Thank you for everything you do to support a just foreign policy.
 
Robert Naiman
Just Foreign Policy

Please support our work. 
Your financial contribution helps us create opportunities for Americans to advocate for a just foreign policy. http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/donate..html
 
References:

1)  "NYT: Americans Support Obama's Outreach to Iran and Cuba," Huffington Post, April 29, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-naiman/nyt-americans-support-oba_b_192452.html
 
2) "On Israeli Settlement Freeze, Public Has Obama's Back," Huffington Post, May 1, 2009, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-naiman/on-israeli-settlement-fre_b_194751.html
 
3) Text of H.R. 1985: http://www.thomas.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:H.R.1985:


4) Text of H.R. 2194: http://www.thomas.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:H.R.2194:


5) Text of H.R. 1327: http://www.thomas.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:H.R.1327:

6) "Obama move alarms Israel supporters," Paul Richter, Los Angeles Times, April 27, 2009.




If you no longer wish to receive e-mail from us, please click here. 













      
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.chambana.net/mailman/archive/peace-discuss/attachments/20090506/42326567/attachment.html