Jewish Insider reports that four congresswomen are currently circulating a letter among House members that would target military aid to Israel if the country goes with its proposed plan to annex portions of the West Bank.
The letter, which is addressed to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, is being pushed by Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Betty McCollum (D-MN), and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI). It details how Israel’s plan is in violation of international law and quotes the UN Special Rapporteur on the conflict, who said that annexation would “crystalize a 21st century apartheid, leaving in its wake the demise of the Palestinians’ right to self-determination.”
At the end of the letter, the congresswomen declare that they will work toward conditioning military funding to Israel if the country moves forward with its plans: “Should the Israeli government move forward with the planned annexation with this administration’s acquiescence, we will work to ensure non-recognition as well as pursue conditions on the $3.8 billion in U.S. military funding to Israel, including human rights conditions and withholding funds for the off-shore procurement of Israeli weapons equal to or exceeding the amount the Israeli government spends annually to fund settlements, as well as the policies and practices that sustain and enable them.”
Although the letter hasn’t officially been released yet, AIPAC has already sent out a tweet condemning it:
The Trump administration’s Middle East team met last week and said they were on the verge of making an announcement about annexation, but they still haven’t officially made a decision. Yesterday, Axios’s Barak Ravid reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is calling on U.S. evangelicals to help him lobby the Trump administration on the issue. “Israeli officials say Netanyahu thinks President Trump is politically vulnerable four months before the U.S. election and that he could lose to presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden,” wrote Ravid, “He thinks Trump needs the evangelical base to go to vote in order to have a chance at winning.”
Meanwhile:
https://www.palestinechronicle.com/belgium-urges-sanctions-against-israel-if-it-annexes-west-bank/
“Belgium Urges Sanctions against Israel if it Annexes West Bank”The Palestine Chronicle, June 27/20,
“The Belgian parliament on Friday passed a resolution urging the government to call on the European Union to impose sanctions against Israel if it proceeds with its plan to annex large swaths of the occupied West Bank.
“The measure ‘concerning Israel’s annexation of occupied territories in Palestine’, passed in the 150-member House of Representatives with 101 affirmative votes, 39 abstentions and zero votes against it.
“The body was also due to vote on a motion calling for the recognition of a Palestinian state but this was delayed after it was sent back to the foreign affairs committee for further debate.
“MPs from left-wing parties, including the Socialist Party and members of the French and Green parties, proposed the resolutions.
“’It is a matter of defending international law. There is no equidistance to be respected in this fight,’ said MP Ecolo Simon Moutquin who authored the resolution.
“The resolution has two objectives, he said: ‘On the one hand, send a message to the Israeli government ‘Don’t cross that red line’. On the other hand, give some hope to the Palestinians who have suffered injustice for decades.’
“More than 1,000 European lawmakers across the political spectrum issued a letter earlier this week warning Israel against annexing parts of the occupied West Bank.
“Legislators said they ‘share serious concerns about [US] President Trump’s plan for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the imminent prospect of Israeli annexation of West Bank territory.'”
Why is Ilhan Omar’s name not on the list?
Good for these Congresswomen, and those who agree with them. Pompeo is never going to be swayed by this dose of reality. He will continue to give America’s blessings for this crime on behalf of Trump, at Adelson’s request.
As for that shameless AIPAC, they will keep supporting Israel breaking international laws, and keep showing their loyalty to Israel, even over what is best for the nation they say they are citizens of. Now would have been the ideal time to send Israel a strong message, but unfortunately, it will never happen.
https://imemc.org/article/amnesty-international-to-tripadvisor-remove-listings-in-israeli-settlements/
“Amnesty International to TripAdvisor: Remove Listings in Israeli Settlements” IMEMC news, June 28/20
EXCERPT:
“As Israel steps up construction of illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT), in brazen defiance of international law, Amnesty International is calling on TripAdvisor to urgently remove its listings in settlements and send a clear message that it will no longer contribute to human rights violations.
“With a sharp increase in settlement expansion underway, and persistent attacks on Palestinians and their properties by some Israeli settlers, it is more important than ever that companies do not further legitimize settlements by doing business in them.
“Amnesty International today submitted a petition to TripAdvisor’s CEO Stephen Kaufer, signed by more than 300,000 people from around the world, calling on the company to pull out of illegal settlements. The company has not responded to Amnesty International’s requests for comment.
“’Israeli settlements violate international law and amount to war crimes. Companies which operate in the settlements are contributing to human rights violations and tacitly supporting Israel’s policy of forcing Palestinians out of their homes and crushing their basic rights,’ said Saleh Higazi, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa.
“’It is shameful that TripAdvisor has failed to update its policies, even as Israel forges ahead with increasingly aggressive land grabs that will intensify the suffering of Palestinians. Trip Advisor must comply with its responsibility to respect human rights and refrain from contributing to war crimes.'”
.
It is interesting to note that several analysts have stated that if Israel annexes the West Bank as planned, it will be the bginning of the end for the “Jewish State”…