Call Your Representative and Urge
Ongoing Support of UNRWA •
In late May, Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) and Rep. Tom Lantos (D-CA) sent
letters to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan accusing UNRWA of complicity
in terrorism. Lantos actually charged that UNRWA is "perpetuating"
the Palestinian refugee problem. •
In early June, Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) parroted Lantos' allegations
and criticized US funding of UNRWA. •
In a House International Relations Committee hearing on US policy in
the Middle East on June 18, Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-NY) urged the State
Department to cut US funding for UNRWA completely in next year's budget.
The House International Relations Committee has scheduled a July 10th
hearing on the effectiveness of UNRWA. This hearing is being driven
by TAKE
ACTION NOW! •
Call your Representative in Congress and urge him/her to support continued
US funding for UNRWA in its mission to help Palestinian refugees. It
is particularly important for you to call if your Representative sits
on the House International Relations Committee. [A list of Committee
members follows.] •
Send an email to the Congressional Taskforce of the U.S. Campaign to
let us know you've made the call (congress@endtheoccupation.org). •
Contact the Congressional Taskforce of the U.S. Campaign if you need
more information (congress@endtheoccupation.org). TALKING
POINTS •
See http://www.un.org/unrwa/myths/index.html
for UNRWA's response to the allegations being levelled against the agency. 1)
President Bush, Secretary of State Powell and members of Congress have
repeatedly expressed concern over the deteriorating humanitarian situation
in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The Administration has stated
clearly that for peace to be achieved the economic situation of Palestinians
must be improved. 2)
UNRWA is the main provider of basic education, health, relief and social
services to over 3.9 million registered Palestinian refugees in the
Middle East. In the occupied territories, Israel does not, and the Palestinian
Authority cannot, provide those vital services. 3)
Eliminating US funding to UNRWA will exacerbate the humanitarian crisis
and will further undermine America's ability to play a constructive
role in peacemaking efforts. 4)
Palestinians control security in only one area where UNRWA operates.
Other UNRWA areas in the West Bank and Gaza remain under Israeli security
control. CONTACT
INFORMATION To
find your Representative call the House Switchboard: (202) 225-3121
or visit www.congress.org
and search by zip code. MEMBERS
OF THE HOUSE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS COMMITTEE
|