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Letter to Benjamin Netanyanhu, Israeli Prime Minister; Benjamin Gantz, Israeli Alternate Prime Minister and Defense Minister; and Gabriel Ashkenazi, Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs - 191 House Members Express Concern over Push for Unilateral Annexation in Israel

Letter

By: Ted Deutch, Raul Grijalva, John Garamendi, Jerry McNerney, Jackie Speier, Zoe Lofgren, Julia Brownley, Pete Aguilar, Norma Torres, Gil Cisneros, Tom O'Halleran, Greg Stanton, Doris Matsui, Mark DeSaulnier, Ro Khanna, T.J. Cox, Adam Schiff, Ted Lieu, Karen Bass, Mark Takano, Lou Correa, Scott Peters, Ed Perlmutter, Jim Himes, Al Lawson, Jr., Lois Frankel, Donna Shalala, Ed Case, Bobby Rush, Sean Casten, Cheri Bustos, Cedric Richmond, Joe Kennedy III, Bill Keating, Steny Hoyer, Chellie Pingree, Brenda Lawrence, Emanuel Cleaver II, Andy Kim, Don Payne, Jr., Xochitl Torres Small, Gregory Meeks, Yvette Clarke, José Serrano, Paul Tonko, Kendra Horn, Dwight Evans, Susan Wild, David Cicilline, Steve Cohen, Veronica Escobar, Colin Allred, Bobby Scott, Jennifer Wexton, Rick Larsen, Denny Heck, Terri Sewell, Ruben Gallego, Mike Thompson, Josh Harder, Eric Swalwell, Jimmy Panetta, Judy Chu, Grace Napolitano, Raul Ruiz, Lucille Roybal-Allard, Katie Porter, Mike Levin, Joe Neguse, Rosa DeLauro, Lisa Blunt Rochester, Kathy Castor, Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, Lucy McBath, Cindy Axne, Mike Quigley, Lauren Underwood, John Yarmuth, Lori Trahan, Stephen Lynch, Anthony Brown, Jamie Raskin, Andy Levin, Lacy Clay, Jr., Annie Kuster, Bill Pascrell, Jr., Deb Haaland, Steven Horsford, Hakeem Jeffries, Adriano Espaillat, Antonio Delgado, Tim Ryan, Peter DeFazio, Chrissy Houlahan, Mike Doyle, Jr., Jim Cooper, Vicente Gonzalez, Eddie Johnson, Lloyd Doggett II, Donald Beyer, Jr., Suzan DelBene, Adam Smith, Gwen Moore, Ann Kirkpatrick, Jared Huffman, Ami Bera, Barbara Lee, Anna Eshoo, Salud Carbajal, Brad Sherman, Jimmy Gomez, Linda Sánchez, Maxine Waters, Alan Lowenthal, Susan Davis, John Larson, Jahana Hayes, Val Demings, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Sanford Bishop, Jr., Abby Finkenauer, Robin Kelly, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Pete Visclosky, Richard Neal, Katherine Clark, Dutch Ruppersberger, David Trone, Dan Kildee, Angie Craig, G. K. Butterfield, Jr., Frank Pallone, Jr., Mikie Sherrill, Ben Luján, Jr., Grace Meng, Jerry Nadler, Nita Lowey, Joe Morelle, Suzanne Bonamici, Madeleine Dean, Matt Cartwright, Jim Langevin, Lizzie Fletcher, Joaquin Castro, Marc Veasey, Donald McEachin, Gerry Connolly, Derek Kilmer, Mark Pocan, Nanette Barragán, Harley Rouda, Diana DeGette, Joe Courtney, Eleanor Norton, Charlie Crist, Jr., Frederica Wilson, Hank Johnson, Jr., Dave Loebsack, Chuy Garcia, Bill Foster, Sharice Davids, Jim McGovern, Seth Moulton, John Sarbanes, Kweisi Mfume, Elissa Slotkin, Dean Phillips, Alma Adams, Tom Malinowski, Bonnie Watson Coleman, Dina Titus, Nydia Velázquez, Carolyn Maloney, Sean Maloney, Marcy Kaptur, Earl Blumenauer, Mary Scanlon, Conor Lamb, Jim Clyburn, Al Green, Sylvia Garcia, Filemon Vela, Jr., Abigail Spanberger, Peter Welch, Kim Schrier, Ron Kind
Date: June 25, 2020
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Foreign Affairs

Dear Prime Minister Netanyahu, Alternate Prime Minister and Defense Minister Gantz, and Foreign Minister Ashkenazi:

We write as American lawmakers who are long-time supporters, based on our shared democratic values and strategic interests, of Israel and the U.S.-Israel relationship. We firmly believe in, and advocate for, a strong and secure Jewish and democratic State of Israel, a state able to build upon current peace treaties and expand cooperation with regional players and the international community. We have consistently endorsed the pursuit of a negotiated peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians resulting in two states for two peoples and a brighter future for the Israeli people and the Palestinian people. In that vein, we write today to express our deep concern that the push for unilateral annexation of territory in the West Bank after July 1st will make these goals harder to achieve.

Longstanding, bipartisan U.S. foreign policy supports direct negotiations to achieve a viable two-state solution that addresses the aspirations of both Israelis and Palestinians, and their desire for long-term security and a just, sustainable peace. This position was twice reconfirmed by the U.S. House of Representatives last year. Our fear is that unilateral actions, taken by either side, will push the parties further from negotiations and the possibility of a final, negotiated agreement.

We remain steadfast in our belief that pursuing two states for two peoples is essential to ensuring a secure, Jewish, democratic Israel able to live side-by-side, in peace and mutual recognition, with an independent, viable, de-militarized Palestinian state.

Unilateral annexation would likely jeopardize Israel's significant progress on normalization with Arab states at a time when closer cooperation can contribute to countering shared threats. Unilateral annexation risks insecurity in Jordan, with serious ancillary risks to Israel. Finally, unilateral annexation could create serious problems for Israel with its European friends and other partners around the world. We do not see how any of these acute risks serve the long-term interest of a strong, secure Israel.

As committed partners in supporting and protecting the special U.S.-Israel relationship, we express our deep concern with the stated intention to move ahead with any unilateral annexation of West Bank territory, and we urge your government to reconsider plans to do so.

Sincerely,


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