Sign this letter to demand U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and the United States Committee on Foreign Relations oppose Annexation of Palestinian Land and reverse the U.S. position of recognizing settlements as legal.
For the past six years, the Abu Rajab family has resisted Israeli settlers’ repeated forcible takeover of their family home. On January 5th, 2020, Israeli settlers invaded, attacked, and damaged the house of Abu Rajab located near the Ibrahimi Mosque. Settlers significantly damaged the door to the Palestinian family’s courtyard, despite children being inside. They also attacked 19-year-old Abdulrahim with a metal weapon severely injuring his hand. The family faces violent harassment, including the assault on family members and damage to their property; in order to wear them out and abandon their home. Countless Palestinians live this reality.
The Israeli government announced that from July 1st, it would introduce legislation to formally and legally annex significant parts of occupied Palestine. The law seeks to legalize its settler policy of transferring its civilians into “settlements” in occupied Palestinian territory and forcibly displacing the local population, a practice internationally condemned and a violation of international humanitarian law. Even though members of the U.S. Senate have also condemned the annexation plan as “betray[ing] our shared democratic values,” the U.S., nonetheless, has been one of the only countries to recognize settlements legally and show support for the annexation plan.
Most of the international community, including the United Nations and the International Court of Justice, agree that settlements are illegal based on Fourth Geneva Convention, which forbids an occupying power to transfer its population into the territory it occupies. The legality of settlements is the key to the annexation of Palestine and the basis on how Israeli Occupied Forces have structured their annexation plans. The violence of the occupation, such as home demolitions, restriction of movement, and settler violence, will only intensify after annexation. These human rights violations have already intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. CPT and local community partners have observed an increase in settler violence, illegal land confiscation, property damage, and the expansion of settlements.
The Abu Rajab house is one of the last generational homes on Shuhada Street and will be part of the settlement territory that will be annexed. It will be absorbed into existing illegal settlements that violate Palestinian human rights. And apart from taking away land, the annexation will pile on military, economic, political, and social violence already faced by Palestinians. The Abu Rajab family and all Palestinian families are systematically oppressed and denied their human rights by the Israeli state to “protect” settlers. As for the settlers who attacked Abu Rajab’s home, they have impunity. Settlers rarely face repercussions for harassing, assaulting, attacking, or even injuring Palestinians. Any damage or harm committed by settlers is often met without justice.
Sign this letter to demand U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and the United States Committee on Foreign Relations oppose Annexation of Palestinian Land and reverse the U.S. position of recognizing settlements as legal.
To U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and the United States Committee on Foreign Relations
We write to you as organizations and individuals deeply concerned about the continuing escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with Israel’s plans of annexation, and the urgent need for a different U.S. policy, one based on the principles of equality and justice for all.
Israel’s policy of transferring its civilians in occupied Palestinian territory into “settlements” and forcibly displacing the local population violates international humanitarian law. Annexation will illegally displace more Palestinians and forcibly take Palestinian territory. In Palestinian communities, illegal settlements result in losses of property, livelihood sources, restrictions on access to services, apartheid, violence, and more. Palestinians’ freedom of movement is restricted by hundreds of checkpoints, roadblocks and other obstacles used to “protect” settlers. Settlers rarely face charges or repercussions for harassing, assaulting, attacking, or even injuring Palestinians. Any damage or harm committed by settlers is often met without justice . Most of the international community, including the U.N. and the International Court of Justice, say that settlements are illegal. The basis for this is the 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention, which forbids the transfer by an occupying power of its people to occupied territory. The legality of settlements is the key to how the Israeli Occupied Forces have structured their annexation plans. These human rights violations would only intensify after annexation. In Palestinian communities, settlers have already become more aggressive in their actions, tactics, and violations. Despite COVID-19, Christian Peacemaker Teams and local community partners have observed an increase in settler violence, illegal land confiscation, property damage, and the expansion of settlements.
U.S. foreign policy should be rooted in the same values and principles that are supposed to guide U.S. policy throughout the rest of the world and at home. It should be of respecting human rights and international law, promoting the peaceful resolution of conflicts, supporting diplomacy over military intervention, and utilizing multilateralism and multilateral institutions for dispute resolution. The United States should affirm every human being’s right to live with dignity, equality, freedom, and respect for their human rights.
We demand that you:
Sign this letter to demand U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and the United States Committee on Foreign Relations oppose Annexation of Palestinian Land and reverse the U.S. position of recognizing settlements as legal.
For the past six years, the Abu Rajab family has resisted Israeli settlers’ repeated forcible takeover of their family home. On January 5th, 2020, Israeli settlers invaded, attacked, and damaged the house of Abu Rajab located near the Ibrahimi Mosque. Settlers significantly damaged the door to the Palestinian family’s courtyard, despite children being inside. They also attacked 19-year-old Abdulrahim with a metal weapon severely injuring his hand. The family faces violent harassment, including the assault on family members and damage to their property; in order to wear them out and abandon their home. Countless Palestinians live this reality.
The Israeli government announced that from July 1st, it would introduce legislation to formally and legally annex significant parts of occupied Palestine. The law seeks to legalize its settler policy of transferring its civilians into “settlements” in occupied Palestinian territory and forcibly displacing the local population, a practice internationally condemned and a violation of international humanitarian law. Even though members of the U.S. Senate have also condemned the annexation plan as “betray[ing] our shared democratic values,” the U.S., nonetheless, has been one of the only countries to recognize settlements legally and show support for the annexation plan.
Most of the international community, including the United Nations and the International Court of Justice, agree that settlements are illegal based on Fourth Geneva Convention, which forbids an occupying power to transfer its population into the territory it occupies. The legality of settlements is the key to the annexation of Palestine and the basis on how Israeli Occupied Forces have structured their annexation plans. The violence of the occupation, such as home demolitions, restriction of movement, and settler violence, will only intensify after annexation. These human rights violations have already intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. CPT and local community partners have observed an increase in settler violence, illegal land confiscation, property damage, and the expansion of settlements.
The Abu Rajab house is one of the last generational homes on Shuhada Street and will be part of the settlement territory that will be annexed. It will be absorbed into existing illegal settlements that violate Palestinian human rights. And apart from taking away land, the annexation will pile on military, economic, political, and social violence already faced by Palestinians. The Abu Rajab family and all Palestinian families are systematically oppressed and denied their human rights by the Israeli state to “protect” settlers. As for the settlers who attacked Abu Rajab’s home, they have impunity. Settlers rarely face repercussions for harassing, assaulting, attacking, or even injuring Palestinians. Any damage or harm committed by settlers is often met without justice.
Sign this letter to demand U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and the United States Committee on Foreign Relations oppose Annexation of Palestinian Land and reverse the U.S. position of recognizing settlements as legal.
To U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and the United States Committee on Foreign Relations
We write to you as organizations and individuals deeply concerned about the continuing escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with Israel’s plans of annexation, and the urgent need for a different U.S. policy, one based on the principles of equality and justice for all.
Israel’s policy of transferring its civilians in occupied Palestinian territory into “settlements” and forcibly displacing the local population violates international humanitarian law. Annexation will illegally displace more Palestinians and forcibly take Palestinian territory. In Palestinian communities, illegal settlements result in losses of property, livelihood sources, restrictions on access to services, apartheid, violence, and more. Palestinians’ freedom of movement is restricted by hundreds of checkpoints, roadblocks and other obstacles used to “protect” settlers. Settlers rarely face charges or repercussions for harassing, assaulting, attacking, or even injuring Palestinians. Any damage or harm committed by settlers is often met without justice . Most of the international community, including the U.N. and the International Court of Justice, say that settlements are illegal. The basis for this is the 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention, which forbids the transfer by an occupying power of its people to occupied territory. The legality of settlements is the key to how the Israeli Occupied Forces have structured their annexation plans. These human rights violations would only intensify after annexation. In Palestinian communities, settlers have already become more aggressive in their actions, tactics, and violations. Despite COVID-19, Christian Peacemaker Teams and local community partners have observed an increase in settler violence, illegal land confiscation, property damage, and the expansion of settlements.
U.S. foreign policy should be rooted in the same values and principles that are supposed to guide U.S. policy throughout the rest of the world and at home. It should be of respecting human rights and international law, promoting the peaceful resolution of conflicts, supporting diplomacy over military intervention, and utilizing multilateralism and multilateral institutions for dispute resolution. The United States should affirm every human being’s right to live with dignity, equality, freedom, and respect for their human rights.
We demand that you:
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