HR 8050: Israeli Annexation Non-Recognition Act
On Friday, August 14, Rep. Betty McCollum (MN) introduced HR 8050 the Israeli Annexation Non-Recognition Act to prohibit the US’s recognition of Israel’s claim of sovereignty over the occupied West Bank. This act would ensure that the US government neither recognizes nor funds the annexation of any parts of the West Bank. Congresswoman McCollum was joined by Reps. Ocasio-Cortez (NY), Tlaib (MI), Pocan (WI), Omar (MN), Pressley (MA), and Carson (IN). Show your support! Contact your representative today.

Click Here: Tell Congress to Support H.R. 8050

HR 8050: Israeli Annexation Non-Recognition Act:

On Friday, August 14, Rep. Betty McCollum (MN) introduced HR 8050 the Israeli Annexation Non-Recognition Act to prohibit the US’s recognition of Israel’s claim of sovereignty over the occupied West Bank. This act would ensure that the US government neither recognizes nor funds the annexation of any parts of the West Bank. Congresswoman McCollum was joined by Reps. Ocasio-Cortez (NY), Tlaib (MI), Pocan (WI), Omar (MN), Pressley (MA), and Carson (IN).

Click Here: 3 Steps to Raise Your Voice on Social Media

Join us in solidarity with #ChurchesAgainstAnnexation by printing out the campaign graphic or creating your own and posting pictures of you individually and with groups on social media. Consider hosting a Zoom small group gathering so you can be in a picture together! Be sure to use #ChurchesAgainstAnnexation and tag us in your post – @ChurchesforMEP – on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Invite others to join the campaign. Share with friends, small groups, your community, and your church and welcome them to participate in #ChurchesAgainstAnnexation. Social media is a great way to raise awareness around this issue.

Palestinian Voices: Annexation and its impact on the Christian Community in Israel/Palestine

• For this first webinar, we were thrilled to hear from Rev. Isaac and Father Khader, who recently co-authored a powerful op-ed in Haaretz on the devastating impact annexation will have for the future of the Christian community in Palestine. Learn more about how Christian leaders in Palestine are responding to the possibility of annexation.

Why should Christians in the pews care about annexation and Palestinian human rights?

• Hear from Rev. Shannon Jammal-Hollemans of the Christian Reformed Church and Rev. David Andrews, of The Episcopal Church, on why it is critical for Christians to care about the situation in Israel-Palestine, especially now with annexation looming.

Israel Annexation: New Border Plans leave Palestinians in Despair, BBC, June 2020

The human rights effects of Area C annexation, and in the article’s left margin is a link to a longer and quite comprehensive study on it.  Yesh Din,  2020.

Why Area C annexation (and the Trump plan) won’t work.  American Prospect, 2020.  

Netanyahu adopted Area C annexation in 2017 when he found it had Trump administration support, but he had written in his 2000 book that this was his eventual solution.  Haaretz, 2019.

Whatever the Trump plan says, at Revava in July 2019 Netanyahu laid out the Government of Israel’s four principles for Area C annexation  Haaretz, 2019

While most of Israel’s political leaders have endorsed some sort of annexation, support among Jewish Israelis is only just below 50 percent.  Haaretz, 2019.

Hanan Ashrawi on the Trump administration steps toward annexation. Washington Post, 2019.

Amb. Friedman on the Trump administration steps toward annexation, before plan was presented. Israel Hayom, 2020.

A roundup of differing opinions on whether international opposition will affect annexation. Times of Israel, 2020.

The US-Israel mapping commission is deciding what Israel will annex.  Times of Israel, 2020.

Secretary Pompeo saying that annexation is for Israelis to decide.  Jerusalem Post, 2020.

The Israeli coalition April agreement on July 1 annexation.  Jerusalem Post, 2020.

 “Will Israel’s New Government Pursue Annexation?” by Commanders for Israel’s Security (CIS) Nimrod Novik and journalist Tal Shalev. A long video analysis on Israeli annexation politics and how annexation would work on the ground for Palestinians and Israelis.  Ends with discussing U.S. funding for annexation. J Street, 2020.

Naftali Bennett and other settler reps began proposing Area C-only annexation in 2012. They did so in the Government of Israel from 2016.  Washington Post, 2016.

• Area C annexation became a mainstream idea in Israeli politics fairly recently, from just before the Trump administration.  Many Israelis oppose, as do Palestinians.  Enter Trump.
• President Trump appointed his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, to build a Plan with David Friedman (who became U.S. Ambassador to Israel) and Jason Greenblatt.
• While they were working on the plan with PM Netanyahu’s Israeli government, the Trump administration set about removing other longstanding aspects from U.S. peace process policy.  They closed the Palestinians’ diplomatic office in the U.S., withheld first some and then all humanitarian and economic assistance to Palestinians, ended U.S. support for UNRWA that provides schooling and food to Palestinian refugees in the West Bank, Gaza and across the Middle East, recognized Israeli annexations of the Golan Heights and East Jerusalem, and moved the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.   
• These moves pleased many Israelis as taking their side against Palestinians.  Then President Trump’s “peace” plan – – the economic part released in June 2019 and the political part in January 2020 – – fit Prime Minister Netanyahu’s Area C annexation ideas, and he and Israeli opposition leader Gantz endorsed Trump’s plan before Israel’s March 2 election.
• That Israeli election essentially ended in a draw, and Gantz decided to join Netanyahu in a coalition government.  Their coalition agreement calls for Annexation to be presented to the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, as early as July 1.
•  As part of the Trump plan, in February 2020 the U.S. government formed a joint commission with Israel to map out what parts of Area C are to be immediately annexed by Israel.  Palestinians have no say, indeed ordinary Israelis have no say in the matter.