[Peace-discuss] Durbin-linked LTE on pro-settlement provision in trade bill

[Robert Naiman]

Jewish Voice for Peace put out a call for LTEs. This was mine, which
appeared last Tuesday while I was traveling.

http://www.news-gazette.com/opinion/letters-editor/2015-05-12/durbin-should-oppose-fast-track.html

Durbin should oppose fast track

Tue, 05/12/2015 - 7:00am | The News-Gazette

Congress is currently considering granting President Barack Obama "fast
track" authority to negotiate trade agreements — widely viewed as a
pre-approval for the controversial Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement.

All of organized labor, most environmental groups, groups concerned about
access to essential medicines like Doctors Without Borders, and key
development groups like Oxfam all oppose fast track and the TPP.

In addition, J Street, Americans for Peace Now and Jewish Voice for Peace
oppose a provision of the fast track bill that would make it U.S. policy to
oppose European restrictions against trade with Israeli settlements in the
West Bank, which the Europeans see as illegal under international law.

Such an explicit endorsement of the settlements by the U.S. would be an
unprecedented change in U.S. policy that could undermine diplomatic efforts
to resolve the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Our senator, Dick Durbin, is going to be key in this debate. The
congressional newspaper The Hill lists Durbin among a handful of
"undecided" Democrats on fast track.

I urge Sen. Durbin to oppose fast track and to use his influence in the
Senate and with the administration to remove the pro-settlements provision
from the bill, to help protect hopes for a diplomatic resolution to the
Israel-Palestine conflict.

ROBERT NAIMAN

Urbana

===

Robert Naiman
Policy Director
Just Foreign Policy
www.justforeignpolicy.org
naiman at justforeignpolicy.org
(202) 448-2898 x1
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