Congresswoman McCollum slams illegal Trump-Israeli annexation of Palestinian lands
Congresswoman Betty McCollum urges Democrats in Congress to Reject Illegal Israeli-Trump Annexation of Palestinian Lands To Promote Middle East Peace and Security. Slams Secretary of State Michael Pompeo for visiting an illegal racist Israeli settlement in Israel
Congresswoman Betty McCollum (DFL-Minn.) issued the following statement today after Sec. Mike Pompeo became the first U.S. Secretary of State to visit an Israeli settlement, signaling a symbolic U.S. stamp of approval of Israel’s military occupation:
“Yesterday, Secretary of State Michael Pompeo issued official U.S. ‘country of origin’ labeling guidelines that grant legitimacy to Israel’s illegal settlements by requiring all products produced in Area ‘C’ of the occupied West Bank to be marked as ‘Product of Israel’ or ‘Made in Israel’ when exported to the United States.
“Secretary Pompeo is once again flagrantly advancing the Israeli government’s effort to unlawfully annex Palestinian lands. This act effectively erases the longstanding bipartisan U.S. policy differentiating between Israel and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip, territory occupied by Israel in 1967.
“This official State Department action means that the U.S. has provided tacit recognition of de facto Israeli annexation of occupied Palestinian lands in violation of international law. This further entrenches an undemocratic system in which Israel would permanently rule over a Palestinian people who are denied basic civil rights and human rights.
“Secretary Pompeo claims his actions are consistent with a ‘reality-based foreign policy approach.’ This right-wing ‘reality’ is nothing more than overt Trump administration support for Israel to maintain an unjust political system that denies Palestinians the right to self-determination and an independent Palestinian state.
“The Trump administration has acted with complete disregard for international law and decades of bipartisan U.S. foreign policy consensus to aggressively support and legitimize permanent occupation and a de facto system of apartheid. I reject Israeli annexation and will work to ensure the U.S. does not support, defend, or legitimize any plan to illegally annex occupied Palestinian lands. This is exactly why I introduced H.R. 8050, The Israeli Annexation Non-Recognition Act, in August.
“I urge Democrats in Congress to support efforts to promote peace, justice, and equality by prohibiting the U.S. from formally recognizing, legitimizing, or providing U.S. taxpayer assistance to any area of the occupied West Bank annexed by the Government of Israel in violation of international law.
“I also strongly urge President-elect Biden to implement rights-respecting policies grounded in U.S. obligations under international law, including United Nations Security Council resolutions, specifically Resolution 2334.”
A PDF version of this statement is available here. Information on H.R. 8050, The Israeli Annexation Non-Recognition Act, is available here.
ISRAELI ANNEXATION NON-RECOGNITION ACT
INTRODUCTION
On August 14, 2020, Congresswoman Betty McCollum (MN-04) and colleagues introduced the Israeli Annexation Non-Recognition Act (H.R. 8050) a bill to prohibit the United States from formally recognizing or providing U.S. aid to any area of the occupied West Bank annexed by the Government of Israel.
In a statement submitted for the Congressional Record, Congresswoman McCollum said: “I want Palestinians and Israelis to have their human rights respected, their right to self-determination realized, and a future with peace, security, equality, and justice. Annexation is antithetical to these goals and will fuel instability, injustice, and an abhorrent system of apartheid. This is an intolerable outcome for Palestinians, Israelis, and Americans. I reject Israeli annexation. I condemn annexation. And I will work to ensure the U.S. does not support, defend, or legitimize any plan to illegally annex Palestinian lands.”
LINKS AND RESOURCES
Congresswoman McCollum’s Statement for the Record is available here.
Read the joint press release here.
The full text of the Israeli Annexation Non-Recognition Act (H.R. 8050) can be found here.
SUPPORT
Original co-sponsors of the bill are: Rep. Rashida Tlaib (MI-13), Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Rep. Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Rep. Mark Pocan (WI-02), Rep. Ilhan Omar (MN-05), and Rep. Andre Carson (IN-07).
The following groups and organizations from across the U.S. and around the world have endorsed the Israeli Annexation Non-Recognition Act:
- Adalah Justice Project
- Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Organization
- American Friends Service Committee
- American Muslims for Palestine (AMP)
- American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee
- Arab American Institute
- Center for Constitutional Rights
- Church World Service
- Churches for Middle East Peace
- Council on American-Islamic Relations
- Defense for Children International – Palestine
- Demand Progress
- Democratic Socialists of America
- Friends of Sabeel North America
- Global Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and United Church of Christ
- IfNotNow
- Institute for Policy Studies, New Internationalism Project
- Jewish Voice for Peace Action
- Joining Hands for Justice, Palestine/Israel
- Just Foreign Policy
- Middle East Children’s Alliance
- Minnesota Peace Project
- National Council of Churches
- National Lawyers Guild – Palestine Subcommittee
- New Generation for Palestine
- Norwegian Refugee Council
- Palestinian Christian Alliance for Peace
- Presbyterian Church USA
- The United Methodist Church – General Board of Church and Society
- U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights (USCPR)
- U.S. Palestinian Community Network (USPCN)
- U.S. Palestinian Council
Ray Hanania is an award winning political and humor columnist who analyzes American and Middle East politics, and life in general. He is an author of several books.
Hanania covered Chicago Politics and Chicago City Hall from 1976 through 1992 at the Daily Southtown and the Chicago Sun-Times. He began writing in 1975 publishing The Middle Eastern Voice newspaper in Chicago (1975-1977). He later published “The National Arab American Times” newspaper (2004-2007).
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