Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD) is expected to introduce an amendment to a bill in the Senate Finance Committee Wednesday that would demand that the Obama Administration pressure Europe not to enforce policies against the Israeli occupation of the West Bank. The amendment is expected to be similar to S. 619 which Cardin introduced March 2. Similar legislation (HR 825) was introduced in the House on February 10.
Both bills target actions to “limit commercial relations” with “territories controlled by Israel.” By equating “Israeli settlements in the West Bank” with “Israel,” these bills are endorsing the Israeli annexation of the West Bank.
These bills are trying to pressure the European Union (EU), which is currently negotiating the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) with the United States, to reverse course on the steps it has taken in recent years to oppose Israeli settlements in the West Bank. These include new guidelines preventing entities operating in Israeli-occupied territory from receiving EU funding and a recent push to label settlement products entering the EU.
One of your Senators is on the Senate Finance Committee and is expected to vote on Cardin’s amendment TOMORROW. You can look up which Senator here: http://www.finance.senate.gov/about/membership/
Call your Senator on the Finance Committee NOW at (202) 224-3121 and say:
I urge Sen. __________ to oppose the amendment Sen. Cardin plans to introduce tomorrow in the Finance Committee that seeks to block Europe from limiting commercial relations with Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
When you’re done, report your call here: