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Defeat the Palestine Punishment Act

An precendented number of phone calls has slowed progress of the Palestine Punishment Act, the bill introduced to punish Palestinians for voting in a fair election

The House leadership has unexpectedly removed H.R. 4681, the Palestinian Anti-Terrorism Act of 2006, from today's list of scheduled votes!

Meanwhile, the House Judiciary Committee has asserted its jurisdiction over the bill and will hold a "mark-up" session tomorrow, Wednesday, May 10th, to discuss possible amendments to it.

If you haven't called your member of Congress do so tomorrow. There's a toll free number and talking points listsed below. One of our members called the toll free number listed below and got through in 60 seconds to an aide and gave his message which was, "I oppose HR 4681. Bush has no right to starve Palestinians just because he doesn't like who they elected" AIPAC's clout may be a little shaky because of the spy scandal and the controversy about "The Lobby". Now is the time to act. We might win this one.

Save Aid to Palestine—Call Congress NOW!

HR4681, the “Palestinian Anti-Terrorism Act pf 2006,” which would severely jeopardize humanitarian aid for Palestinian children. Your representative—no matter who or how good on other issues—is under tremendous pressure to vote for this punitive measure.

CALL RIGHT NOW. To contact your Representative, call the Capitol switchboard toll free at 1-888-355-3588 and ask for your Representative

Many progressive Congresspeople have said they are still deciding how to vote.
Your call could convince them to stop this catastrophic legislation.

Treasury Department sanctions have already make it nearly impossible for any US citizen or organization to work with any part of the Palestinian government--including health services for impoverished families in the West Bank and Gaza.

The House bill will make these sanctions harder to oppose and it includes a number of other draconian humanitarian and diplomatic restrictions on the Palestinian people.

PLEASE DON’T WAIT. Call 1-888-355-3588 immediately!

Click here to read more about the impact on children’s health.

More information from the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation:
House Voting on Anti-Palestinian Legislation Tuesday

The US Campaign has learned that the House of Representatives will vote on Tuesday, May 9 on HR4681, the Palestinian Anti-Terrorism Act of 2006. This bill imposes draconian economic and diplomatic sanctions against the Palestinian people for exercising their democratic rights.

TAKE ACTION TODAY! Pick up the phone now to call your Representative and urge a NO vote on HR4681, the Palestinian-Anti-Terrorism Act (talking points below).

TAKE ACTION AGAIN! Despite the US Campaign’s urging to the contrary, this resolution will come up for a vote “under suspension”, meaning that there will be only limited debate and no opportunity for amendments to be offered. This parliamentary procedure is supposed to be reserved for non-controversial legislation such as naming post offices.

Contact Speaker of the House Rep. Dennis Hastert (R-IL) and House Majority Leader Rep. John Boehner (R-OH) and protest to them this misuse of “suspending the rules”. Demand a full and open debate on this controversial legislation and tell them to bring it up under normal procedures.

Call the switchboard toll free at 1-888-355-3588 or the Speaker of the House at 202-225-0600 and the House Majority Leader 202-225-4000.

TALKING POINTS:

Please vote no on HR4681, the Palestinian Anti-Terrorism Act of 2006, because it imposes draconian economic and diplomatic sanctions against the Palestinian people for voting, including:

* Restricting US humanitarian aid and potentially eliminating entire US aid projects, such as infrastructure and small business development;

* Threatening to withhold a portion of US dues to the United Nations because it maintains bodies that advocate for Palestinian human rights and seek to hold Israel accountable to international law;

* Defining territory controlled nominally by the Palestinian Authority as a “terrorist sanctuary”, thereby requiring US businesses to obtain special export licenses for most goods destined for the Occupied Palestinian Territories and gutting the provisions of the US free trade agreement with the West Bank and Gaza;

* Refusing visas to members of the Palestinian Legislative Council, even those who belong to political parties that the United States does not classify as “foreign terrorist organizations”;

* Restricting the movement of PLO diplomats at the United Nations and threatening to close the PLO’s office in Washington, and;

* Instructing the US representative to the World Bank to use the considerable strength of the United States in international financial institutions to vote against the continuation of humanitarian aid projects.

CALL YOUR REPRESENTATIVE TODAY: 1-888-355-3588

Gary Leupp Tells Why We'd be Nuts to Trust Bush on Darfu

Hear May 8, 2006 interview with Professor Gary Leupp