Please contact your member of congress and ask them not to sign the dear colleague letter or support H.R. 2515 or any of the other measures urging or requiring the moving of the embassy to Jerusalem
The Following “Dear Colleague” letter, sent by U.S. Reps ANTHONY D. WEINER, ROBERT A. WEYGAND, SHELLY BERKLEY, and ELLEN O. TAUSCHER urges member of the House of Representatives to sign the letter and join as co-sponsors of H.R. 2515, yet another bill attempting to force the move of the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
TEXT OF THE “DEAR COLLEAGUE LETTER” now circulating:
Shouldn’t the United States Recognize the Capital of Israel?
Dear Colleague,
Many of us in the House of Representatives have for years stood by the principle that Jerusalem is the eternal, undivided capital of Israel. That is why we have introduced H.R. 2515, a bill to provide for the official U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
H.R. 2515 has three provisions: it brings the United States consulate in Jerusalem under the supervision of the United States Ambassador to Israel, like every other U.S. consulate in a foreign country; it requires that the U.S. government list “Jerusalem, Israel,” as the capital of Israel on all government documents where a country and capital city are listed together; and it allows a U.S. citizen born in the city of Jerusalem to request that the country of birth on their passport be listed as Israel.
I hope you will join us in cosponsoring this important bill. If you have any questions, or would like to cosponsor H.R. 2515 and recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, please contact Brian Miller in Rep. Weiner’s office at 5-6616.
Sincerely, ANTHONY D. WEINER, Member of Congress; ROBERT A. WEYGAND, Member of Congress; SHELLY BERKLEY, Member of Congress; ELLEN O. TAUSCHER, Member of Congress.
ACTION REQUESTED:
Please contact your member of congress and ask them not to sign the dear colleague letter or support H.R. 2515 or any of the other measures urging or requiring the moving of the embassy to Jerusalem.
Among the simplest ways of finding out about your congressperson and how to best contact her/him is www.house.gov/writerep/, entering your zip code and following the instructions to send mail to any member of congress. You can also telephone any member of Congress through the congressional switchboard at (202) 224-3121.
TALKING POINTS:
Israel’s sovereignty in Jerusalem is not recognized by the international community, which keep almost all embassies to Israel in Tel Aviv. In fact the whole of the city was sized by force by the Israelis, one half in 1948, the other in 1967. East Jerusalem was declared an occupied territory in U.N. Security Council Resolution 242, which specifically emphasized “the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by war.” Mrs. Clinton’s statement flies directly in the face of this crucial principle of international law. Thus Israel has no claim of sovereignty to East Jerusalem whatsoever.
Israel’s claim of sovereignty over West Jerusalem is also called into serious question by international law, which is why Tel Aviv hosts the embassies. The European Union recently reiterated that all of Jerusalem, which U.N.
Resolution 181 designated as an “international city,” constitutes a “corpus seperatum” or distinct body from the State of Israel. The Vatican has also taken a strong stance against the Israeli seizure of Jerusalem, as has the entire Muslim world.
Moreover, such a move would be highly provocative to Palestinians and all Arabs, and would be a significant blow to chances for a genuine and lasting peace in the region.
Learn more:
Jerusalem Provision of HR 1646 Extremely Disappointing
American Committee on Jerusalem Intern
Ibish Replies to Pipes in the Jerusalem Post