“The human rights of Palestinians living in Israel, the Occupied Territories, and around the world have for too long been willfully ignored in favor of ‘good relations’ with the State of Israel.”
“Mr. President, you can take concrete steps to change this narrative. “
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 29, 2022
CONTACT: Chris Habiby, Legislative and Policy Coordinator, chris@adc.org
Washington, D.C. | www.adc.org | June 29, 2022 – Today, the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) sent a letter to President Joe Biden demanding that he center and uplift the human rights of Palestinians living around the world during his upcoming trip to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. In the letter, ADC lays out a series of concrete steps that the President must take in order to affirm to the world that his administration does in fact center human rights in its foreign policy.
Included among those steps were:
- An absolute refusal to meet with Benjamin Netanyahu, who is not a member of governmental leadership and who has clearly demonstrated a deep hatred of the Palestinian people;
- Making it clear to the Israeli government that inclusion in the Visa Waiver Program is not a matter of negotiation, and is contingent on fully implemented and transparent reciprocity;
- Demanding Israel accedes to an independent and international investigation into the murder of Shireen Abu Akleh; and
- A clear and adamant denunciation of the continued evictions, home and village demolitions, as well as a demand for the rescission of the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) ordinance outlining horrific restrictions on travel to the Occupied West Bank, inhumane invasions of privacy of any Palestinian American looking to travel there, and despicable separation of families.
You can read the full text of the letter here.
In releasing the letter ADC National President Samer Khalaf said, “We have articulated specific ways that President Biden can ensure that the civil and human rights of Palestinians around the world are centered in his visit to Israel and the Occupied Territories. If this administration is serious about making human rights a focus of its foreign policy, the President must take these commonsense concrete steps.”
ADC always has, and always will, push those in power to use their position to better the lives of Palestinians living under horrific oppression. Should the Biden Administration request our assistance in implementing these demands, we will readily provide it. In no world can this trip be considered a success if the civil and human rights of Palestinians are ignored once again in favor of “good relations” with Israel.