More Than 100 House Democrats Urge Pompeo to Rescind Israeli Settlement Policy

More than 100 Democrats in the House of Representatives urged Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to rescind his Nov. 18 announcement that Israeli settlements in the West Bank aren’t illegal in a Nov. 21 letter, the Jerusalem Post reports.

The letter, which included Reps. Andy Levin (D-Mich.), Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and Karen Bass (D-Calif.) as signatories, contends that reversing the policy will damage the efforts for peace in the Israel-Palestinian conflict “because settlement expansion into the occupied West Bank makes a contiguous Palestinian state inviable, jeopardizing Israel’s future as a secure, democratic homeland for the Jewish people. The State Department’s unilateral reversal on the status of settlements, without any clear legal justification, therefore has offered a tacit endorsement of settlements, their expansion, and associated demolitions of Palestinian homes.”

They argued that Israeli settlements in the West Bank violate Article 49 of the Geneva Convention stating that a country can’t send its citizens to reside in occupied territory.

“In ignoring international law, this administration has undermined America’s moral standing and sent a dangerous message to those who do not share our values: human rights and international law, which have governed the international order and protected U.S. troops and civilians since 1949, no longer apply,” the letter states. “If the U.S. unilaterally abandons international and human rights law, we can only expect a more chaotic and brutal twenty-first century for Americans and our allies, including the Israeli people.”

Pompeo said in his Nov. 18 announcement, “The establishment of Israeli civilian settlements in the West Bank is not, per se, inconsistent with international law. There will never be a judicial resolution to the conflict, and arguments about who is right and who is wrong as a matter of international law will not bring peace.” In 1978, the State Department issued a legal opinion saying that settlements are illegal.

J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami praised the letter in a statement, saying that the move is intended to thwart efforts toward a two-state solution.

“It’s extremely important that leading members of Congress are making clear that this decision undermines human rights, jeopardizes both US and Israeli interests, and flouts international law,” Ben-Ami said.

Americans for Peace Now Director of Policy Relations and Government Relations Debra Shushan similarly tweeted, “Excellent letter. Thanks for your leadership, @RepAndyLevin & co-signers, too numerous to tag. For the 329 non-signers (incl. 127 Dems): Do you oppose int’l law generally or just favor an Israel exception? Do you think settlements & occupation are in US interest — or Israel’s?”

Excellent letter. Thanks for your leadership, @RepAndyLevin & co-signers, too numerous to tag.

For the 329 non-signers (incl 127 Dems): Do you oppose int'l law generally or just favor an Israel exception? Do you think settlements & occupation are in US interest — or Israel's? https://t.co/CYceNkmwBO

— Debra Shushan 🌻 דבורה שושן 🌻 دبرا شوشان (@DrShushan) November 22, 2019

The Simon Wiesenthal Center, on the other hand, tweeted, “Jewish communities on the West Bank are not illegal. Located on disputed territory subject to negotiations between Israel and Palestinians. When Palestinians are prepared to negotiate peace and recognize legitimacy of Jewish neighbors there will be peace.”

Jewish communities on the West Bank are not illegal. Located on disputed territory subject to negotiations between Israel and Palestinians. When Palestinians are prepared to negotiate peace and recognize legitimacy of Jewish neighbors there will be peace https://t.co/ZBMBytm3xz

— SimonWiesenthalCntr (@simonwiesenthal) November 25, 2019

Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) National President Morton Klein and National Chairman Mark Levenson also criticized the letter, arguing that Jordan occupied the West Bank from 1949 to 1967; during that timeframe, “Jordan was never internationally recognized as having a rightful claim to these areas, and never established a Palestinian Arab state. No Arab group even made a claim for a Palestinian state in Judea/Samaria during Jordan’s illegal occupation,” the ZOA said. They added that the 1994 Israel-Jordan treaty firmly established the West Bank as Israeli territory.

Klein and Levenson also argued that the settlements are not a barrier to peace.

“The Palestinian Authority turned down over-generous peace offers of a Palestinian-Arab three times during the last 19 years, because the PA refused to give up its genocidal goal of completely destroying Israel,” they said. “The real ‘obstacles to peace’ are that the PA continues to preach hatred and violence towards Jews in every conceivable venue (schools, media, mosques, sports teams, etc.); pays Arabs to murder Jews; and seeks to annihilate the Jewish state and her people.”