Progress on Capitol Hill

We are proud to share a significant gain for all those who support Israeli and Palestinian peacebuilders but may have gotten lost in last week’s news cycle. On October 16, bipartisan legislation was introduced in the United States House and Senate to establish a Palestinian Partnership Fund that, according to the Alliance for Middle East Peace, will “improve economic cooperation and people-to-people exchanges to further shared community-building, peaceful coexistence, dialogue, and reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians.”

We are thankful to the following members for Congress for sponsoring this bill and standing up for a better future for Israelis and Palestinians: Senators Chris Coons (CT), Lindsey Graham (SC), Tim Kaine (VA), and Cory Gardner (CO); and Congresspeople Jeff Fortenberry (NE-1) and Nita Lowey (NY-17). Thanks to their leadership, there is continued hope for bipartisan U.S. government support of critical peacebuilding initiatives.

We are grateful to the Alliance for Middle East Peace for leading the charge on Capitol Hill, and for demonstrating that on issues of strategic and moral concern, Democrats and Republicans can find common ground. We have high hopes for this legislation and the message of hope and shared values it sends to the Israeli and Palestinian people. Even so, we need your help for this effort to succeed. Reach out to our own Massachusetts political delegation and encourage them to support The Palestinian Partnership Fund Act of 2018, Senate bill 3549 and House bill 7060.

As Senator Kaine said about the legislation, “Promoting economic cooperation and social contact between Israelis and Palestinians is a crucial step toward reconciliation. Our legislation recognizes that the peace process will be intergenerational and forward momentum is not just dependent on political leadership, but on those affected by the conflict in their day-to-day lives. I’m proud to join my colleagues to introduce this bipartisan bill that sends a strong signal of Congressional support for joint Israeli and Palestinian endeavors.” We couldn’t have said it better.

Contact your Representatives, make your voice heard, and help make Boston a leader in bringing about Israeli-Palestinian peace. It can start with us!