Replace Blockade With New Policy to Achieve Peace for Israel
Three years after the blockade against the Gaza Strip began, the policy has failed to achieve its aims.
The blockade has not improved Israel's security. Despite tightly restricting the types of goods allowed into the Hamas-controlled area that could be re-purposed as weapons, rockets continued to pound Israel. The humanitarian situation in Gaza has deteriorated, but Hamas' grip on power has not.
Obama has said that the United States must engage all parties -- Israelis, the Palestinians, the Egyptians and other Arab states. He's right. It's time for all parties to come to the table and replace the blockade with a policy that will protect Israel's security and open up opportunities for Gazans.
This plan needs congressional support. Tell your congressmen to support the president's leadership and work to create a new policy that will achieve peace.
Dear [Decision Maker],
On June 3, President Obama spoke about the need to address Israel's security needs and the Gaza blockade through cooperation with Egypt, Israel, and the Palestinian Authority. This is the right approach.
The policy of blockade has failed. It needs to be replaced with a mechanism that meets Israel's security concerns and opens up opportunities for Gazans. Diplomacy is the tool that can create this mechanism.
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Gaza can no longer be allowed to fester. Not in terms of the threat to Israel's security, and not in terms of the humanitarian situation. I urge you to speak up in support of the president's leadership.
