FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 7, 2006

CONTACT: Ori Nir
(202) 728-1893

APN to Bush: Don't Sign S. 2370

Washington, D.C.- Americans for Peace Now (APN) today urged President Bush to decline to sign into law S. 2370, the Senate version of the "Palestinian Anti-Terrorism Act of 2006," noting that passage of this legislation at this late stage is both unnecessary and potentially counterproductive to U.S. and Israeli interests. The bill was passed today by the House of Representatives by a voice vote. The bill now goes to the President, who has the option of signing it into law, vetoing it, or exercising a "pocket veto" whereby, since Congress will be adjourning within the 10-day period the President has to sign the bill, it automatically fails to be law.

APN is a Jewish, Zionist organization dedicated to enhancing Israel's security through peace and to supporting the Israeli Peace Now movement. APN led the fight against the House version of the bill, HR 4681, regarding it as an exercise in overreaching that, if signed into law, would have undercut American national security needs, hurt Israeli interests, and undermined hope for the Palestinian people. APN denounced the May 23, 2006 House passage of the measure. APN subsequently welcomed the June 23, 2006 passage of S. 2370 by the Senate, noting that the bill included significant improvements over the House version - improvements APN worked hard to achieve.

Commenting on the House move to pass S. 2370 today, APN President and CEO Debra DeLee noted: "It is a shame that extreme voices prevailed in the House for so long, preventing Congress from sending to the President a responsible piece of legislation in a timely manner. It has been almost a year since elections brought Hamas to power and nearly six months since the Senate finished with this bill. In that time, a great deal has changed. A fragile ceasefire is now in place in the Gaza Strip - worked out directly between Israel and the Palestinians - and there are ongoing efforts to establish a Hamas-free Palestinian national unity government."

"Six months ago it might have been possible to argue that additional sanctions were necessary. Today it is clear that they are not. Existing U.S. law has already prevented any U.S. taxpayer funds from supporting Hamas and the PA, and the Administration has gone even further and used other legal tools to block money that might flow to the PA from other sources. As a result, the PA today is starved of funds and isolated.

"Six months ago it might also have been possible to argue that this legislation was needed to send an important message to the Palestinians about our unhappiness with the outcome of the elections. Today it is clear that message has been sent and received, loud and clear. The Palestinian population is under extreme pressure, and a serious humanitarian crisis is growing in the Gaza Strip.

"Signing this bill into law now achieves nothing, except possibly sending a message to the Palestinian people that the U.S. Congress is responding to the ceasefire - and efforts to ease Hamas out of the government - with new sanctions. We hope that, for the sake of U.S. and Israeli interests, the President will refrain from sending this very unhelpful message."

A table comparing HR 4681 and S. 2370 can be downloaded at:

http://www.donteverstop.com/files/apn/upl/assets/Chart_-_Palestinian_Sanctions_Bills_as_passed.pdf)

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