Washington, DC -- Americans for Peace Now today delivered a petition signed by 15,962 people to President Barack Obama, urging him to press for an extension of the moratorium on construction in West Bank settlements.(Read coverage in Ha'aretz:
"These thousands of voices are expressing what we all know: Peace for Israel is more important than settlement expansion. American leadership toward a two-state solution is essential, and Israel's future depends on reaching such a solution," said APN's president and CEO Debra DeLee.
With this petition, APN and the 16,000 people who signed its petition join together with the Coalition of Yes, a national campaign sponsored by a broad coalition of organizations advocating for Middle East peace, to engage Americans from across the faith and political spectrum in support of an urgent two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The full text of APN's petition follows:
Dear President Obama,
For real progress to be achieved towards peace for Israel, construction in West Bank settlements needs to be stopped. You were right to push Israel to adopt a settlement freeze last year. Now you need to take action to see it extended.
Those of us who care about Israel know that settlement construction is bad for Israel. It undermines faith in peace talks and it complicates negotiations over the future border between Israel and the Palestinians.
Settlements also constitute a burden to Israel's security services. They create points of friction between Israelis and Palestinians. And they drain Israel's financial resources
Please press Prime Minister Netanyahu to extend the settlement freeze.
Holding the line on settlements sends the message that America means what it says. It reminds Israelis that they must choose between making peace and deepening the occupation. It also strengthens America as we look to the Arab world to make important contributions to a renewed peace process.
(Read coverage in Ha'aretz:
"Americans for Peace Now to Obama: Extend settlement freeze")
(Read coverage in Ha'aretz:
"Americans for Peace Now to Obama: Extend settlement freeze")
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Settlements were never an issue in the years between '67 and the first Intifada. Now they should represent little more than a single point of contention. It is actions such as this one that help to blow it up as a major issue. Political space that should be occupied by more substantive issues like the economy in the territories and education (or propaganda, depending on how you read Palestinian textbooks).
No more settlement until Israel treats the Palestinians with humanity.
Peace can only be achieved through the committment to the development of trust between warring parties.
The settlements or illegal colonies of the occupier (the Israeli military)are the major issue. Every illegal outpost, colony or whatever you call them (and our government policy as well as every other country in the world except Israel says they are illegal under international law)first bulldozes and destroys Palestinian olive trees, homes, water supplies, schools etc in order to build the colonies and the apartheid roads that support them. Go there and take a look - it's shocking. Even the pro-Israel New York Times just described that the illegal settlement building has taken away 42% of Palestinian land. Wow.
The settlements must STOP… For a viable Palestinian State the West Bank will have to be BIGGER… STOP the theft of land...