CPTnet
October 8, 2001
HEBRON URGENT ACTION: NO MORE SETTLEMENTS!

[Note: While the world's attention is focussed on Afghanistan, the Israeli
government is taking advantage of the opportunity to plant and expand
settlements, and Israeli soldiers and settlers are becoming increasingly
more violent toward Palestinian, men, women and children on the streets of
Hebron. (See forthcoming Hebron Update.) Please pray for the safety of the
Israelis, Palestinians and internationals living in Hebron during this
precarious time.]

Israeli settlers have announced their intention to plant three or four new
West Bank settlements in October. One is planned for the south edge of
Hebron, about a mile from our Campaign for Secure Dwelling partner families
in the Al Sendas and Qilkis villages. On Sunday October 1, settlers seized
a plot of land farther south in Hebron district, and (with Israeli military
support) installed a mobile home and water tank.

These new settlements are in addition to the twenty-five new settlements
built since Sharon was elected Prime Minister in February. US and Canadian
officials
know that new settlements work against any hopes for peace in
Israel/Palestine, but they need to know that YOU know and care about what is
happening before they will exert the needed pressure on Israeli leaders to
put a halt to the building of new settlements. Please contact US or
Canadian officials by fax or letter (addresses and sample letters below) to
ask what if anything they are doing about this. Encourage other people
from your church to write, by taking copies of your letter to church. Send
letters or faxes to the President or PM, the Secretary of State or MFA, and
to your own Senators/Representatives or MPs.

SAMPLE LETTER

Dear ___________,
   We have just received word that Israeli settlers are still building new
settlements in the occupied territory -- four new settlements this month
already. On Sunday October 1 settlers seized a plot of land in the south
Hebron district, and (with Israeli military support) placed a mobile home
and water tank. Three more settlements are slated to be planted this month.
These new settlements are in addition to the twenty-five new settlements
built in occupied territory since Sharon was elected Prime Minister in
February.

   There is no reason for more Israeli settlement construction in occupied
territory. The settlements are built on land seized without due process.
They are a provocation and a security nightmare. Yet it is clear that more
settlements are part of Sharon's plan. What is our country's role in this
continuing violation of human rights? Have we, have YOU, made it clear to
Israel that we oppose more settlements? Have we given the Israeli
government any sense that there are costs to heading farther down this
dead-end street?

   (For US partners:) If we continue to send billions of dollars to Israel
while they continue to build settlements, we are like friends of a drunk
buying them drinks. (For all:) We are no friend of Israel if we do not
stop them from self-destructive acts. What have you done to oppose this
round of settlement construction?

ADDRESSES

(If you want to also write to Israeli officials:)

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon: The Office of the Prime Minister, Kiryat
Ben-Gurion, Jerusalem, Israel
Fax: 972-2-566-4838/6705415 email <webmaster@pmo.gov.il>

Minister of Foreign Affairs Shimon Peres: HaKirya Romema Jerusalem 91950
fax (+972-2) 5303506 / 5303896 5303367 email <sar@mofa.gov.il>

Defence Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer <sar@mod.gov.il>
Deputy Defense Minister Dalia Rabin Pilosof <sgansar@mod.gov.il>

President George W. Bush
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, DC, 20500
Fax: 202-456-2461; <president@whitehouse.gov>

Secretary of State Colin Powell
U.S. Department of State
Washington, D.C. 20520
Fax: 202-261-8577; <secretary@state.gov>

Senator _________
US Senate
Washington, DC 20510

Representative _________
House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515

For US Congresspersons fax numbers, see http://congress.org/ enter your zip
code and click "Go."

Rt. Hon. Jean Chretien
House of Commons, Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6
or Fax (613) 941-6900

The Honourable John Manley, Minister of Foreign Affairs
Lester B. Pearson Building
125 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, ON K1A 0G2
or Fax (613) 996-3443

Any MP can be addressed, no postage required,
House of Commons, Ottawa ON K1A 0A6

For a fax number, go to http://www.parl.gc.ca/ choose a language, then click
on "Senators and Members" (near the top) then "current" (on the left) then
choose either an alphabetical or a geographical listing. When you click on
their name, you will get a page including their fax number.