Action Alert: Call Your Congressmen TODAY to Ask That the Administration Does Not Accept the “State of Palestine” as a Sovereign State

Action Alert: Call Your Congressmen TODAY to Ask That the Administration Does Not Accept the “State of Palestine” as a Sovereign State

On March 17, 2016, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) welcomed the “State of Palestine.” There are two US statutes on the books that prohibit the disbursement of US taxpayer funds to entities or organizations affiliated with the United Nations that recognize a “State of Palestine.”

Last year, the President had committed $3 billion to the Green Climate Fund, which is an operating entity of the UNFCCC. On March 7th of this year, the Administration made the initial installment to this fund of $500 million, without Congressional approval, and despite the fact that this contravenes two statutes of US law.

These sorts of actions by UN organizations incrementally bestow the veneer of statehood within the international community to the Palestinians, while circumventing longstanding US policy that statehood between the Palestinians and the Israelis could only be achieved through direct negotiations between the two parties. These actions also allow the Palestinians to proceed as though they are a state without having to live up to any of the commitments they have made since September of 1993, particularly to stop the incitement to hate and to kill Israelis.

On April 18, 2016, 28 Senators led by Senator Barrasso sent a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry requesting that no US funds be distributed to UNFCCC or its related entities as it violates US law. The letter also calls on the Administration to clarify that it does not consider the “State of Palestine” to be a sovereign state, and diligently work to prevent the Palestinians from being recognized as a sovereign state to join UN affiliated organizations.

Now, Rep. Bill Posey of Florida and Rep. Doug Lamborn of Colorado are circulating a similar letter in the House.

Call your Congressmen TODAY and ask them to sign onto Rep. Posey’s and Rep. Lamborn’s letter. The letter calls on the Administration to follow the law and stop the distribution of US taxpayer dollars to UNFCCC and its operating entities. The U.S. cannot agree to Palestinian efforts to circumvent direct negotiations with Israel, and must not support their illegitimate claims of statehood by entering into UN affiliated organizations.

The Capitol Hill Switchboard number: 202.224.3121. You may also find your Congressmen by zip code here. Every phone call makes a difference.