I Care About PEACE, I Care About AL AQABA

1
I Care About PEACE, I Care About AL AQABA

• How to ask your Senators and Representatives for
  help!

2
The Urgency

• On Nov. 24, 2009, the Israeli Army stormed Al
  Aqaba village to issue new orders threatening 7
  more families with the forced evacuation of their
  homes, animal shelters, and demolition of their
  new road.
• Since August 2009 the Israeli Army has ordered
  demolition of 50 entire Palestinian
  neighborhoods.
• Inquiries from House and Senate can stop this
  escalation in demolition orders.

3
Your Goal

• To speak directly to their Senior Staffer for
  Foreign Policy,
• Ask him or her to call the State Department and
  the Israeli Embassy on your behalf,
• and to call you back!

4
What you will need

• Phone
• Phone number to the Senator or Representatives
  office in Washington DC
• About 10-15 minutes for your call
• A follow-up email to send right after

5
First, find their number

• www.House.gov, enter your zip code
  www.Senate.gov, enter your state

6
Place your call

• When the receptionist answers, ask to speak to
  the senior staffer responsible for foreign policy
• Before you are transferred, ask for the senior
  staffers name and write it down.

7
If you reach their voicemail

• Leave a message
• My name is ______ and I am a constituent. Please
  call me back at _ltyour phone numbergt_.
• I need your assistance to save a kindergarten and
  a village from demolition. My message is urgent
  because demolitions could happen at any time.

8
When they answer, or call you back

• Start by introducing yourself
• My name is ______ and I am a constituent from
  __________.

9
Explain Why you are calling

• I am calling because I care about peace and I
  care about the Palestinian village of Al Aqaba
  and I think you should too!

10
Tell them more

• Have you heard about this case?
• Al Aqaba is a tiny village in the Jordan River
  Valley, far from any borders. There has never
  been a security violation and the Israeli High
  Court even ruled in favor of the village in 2002.

11
Americans Built This Place!

• Hundreds of Americans helped a U.S. nonprofit,
  the Rebuilding Alliance, build a kindergarten
  there.
• 17 other governments, UN agencies, and NGOs
  helped them build the medical center and other
  infrastructure.

12

• Al Aqaba ----------------------

• This is not an issue about security because Al
  Aqaba wants peace.
• They even built their mosque in the shape of a
  peace sign.
• This is about access to building permits and the
  basic right to a home.

13
Nearly The Whole Town is to be Demolished

• In 2004, the Israeli Civil Authority issued
  demolition orders against nearly the whole town
  the mosque, the medical center, all the homes,
  and the kindergarten FOR LACKING BUILDING
  PERMITS.

14
New Orders to Evacuate

• On Nov. 24, 2009, the Israeli Army stormed Al
  Aqaba village to issue new orders threatening 7
  more families with the forced evacuation of their
  homes, animal shelters, and demolition of their
  new road.

15
An Increase in Demolition Orders

• I am especially concerned because, since August
  2009, the Israeli Army has ordered demolition of
  50 entire Palestinian neighborhoods, as reported
  by the Jerusalem Legal Aid and Human Rights
  Center

16
Building permits are rarely, if ever, issued in
Area C.

• An April 15, 2008 article by The Guardian states
  that the Israeli Civil Administration granted
  Palestinians only 91 of 1517 building
  applications during the years of 2000-2007.
• During the same period 18,472 housing units were
  sanctioned and built in Jewish-only settlements.

http//www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/apr/15/israel
andthepalestinians
17
The Israeli High Court of Justice

• In 2004, the Rebuilding Alliance helped Al Aqaba
  village petition the Israeli High Court of
  Justice to remove the demolition orders.
• Ruling on April 17, 2008
• Under no circumstance will the court allow
  buildings without valid building permits.
• For the time being, the public buildings in the
  center of the village may remain standing.

18
As your constituent,

• Please call the State Department on my behalf,
  and the Embassy of Israel in Washington D.C. to
  express concern and say that you
• care about peace and that you care about the
  village of Al Aqaba.
• Express concern about the Israeli Army issuing
  orders to demolish Palestinian neighborhoods
• Press for approval of Al Aqabas master plan

19

• Staff member,
• Will you help resolve this and if so, what are
  the next steps to be taken?

20
I will email you a letter of request

• What is your email address? What is your title?
  Please spell your name for me once again.

21
When will you get back to me?

• Write down the date, and expect your return call
  then.

22
Recap what you are asking of the staffer by
saying, As your constituent,

• I am asking you to call the Israeli Embassy and
  U.S. State Department on my behalf to say, I
  care about peace and I care about the Palestinian
  village of Al Aqaba.
• Please express my concern about the Israeli Army
  issuing demolition orders to 50 Palestinian
  neighborhoods.
• Al Aqaba deserves the right to issue valid
  building permits and secure its future-just like
  towns anywhere in the world.

23
Thank you very much for your assistance

• I look forward to your call on ltdate promisedgt
  or Ill give you a call to touch base.

24
Add contact info to the template letter

• Then email your letter to the Senior Staffer
  right away!

25
Mark your calendar

• To follow up on the date promised and if
  possible,
• email us to let us know if you got through
• dbw_at_RebuildingAlliance.org

26
Thats it!

• Chances are, theyll make the calls.
• Call us at the Rebuilding Alliance if you need
  help
• [phone]

27
Give Al Aqaba,and all Palestinian Villages, a
Future

• For all of our children!