Ask your Rep. to Support Resolution Backing Envoy to Middle East!

Mitchell Returns From Mideast;
Ask your Rep. to Support Resolution Backing Envoy

After being appointed as Special Mideast Envoy on January 22nd, former Senator George Mitchell quickly headed to the Middle East for a whirlwind trip Jan. 26 - Feb. 3 that included visits with Israeli and Palestinian leaders, a roundtable meeting in Jerusalem with humanitarian agencies working in Gaza. He also made stops in Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and France.

[Click here to read a brief summary report on the trip included below.] Mitchell is set to return to the region before the end of the month. His challenging and complex mission, coming on the heels of the Gaza war and amidst political changes in Israel and ongoing strife between Fatah and Hamas, will require a diligence and commitment that deserves strong public and Congressional support.

Please contact your Representative today and ask him or her to co-sponsor H. Res. 130, a new resolution backing Special Mideast Envoy Sen. Mitchell! Congressman Bill Delahunt (D-MA) and 31 other Members - a diverse group of Jewish, Christian, Muslim and Arab-American Representatives, Democrat and Republican - have joined together to introduce H. Res. 130 expressing support for the appointment of former Senator George Mitchell as Special Envoy for Middle East Peace.

This new resolution commits to "supporting President Obama, Secretary Clinton, and Special Envoy Mitchell in their vigorous pursuit of a diplomatic resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian and Israeli-Arab conflicts based on the establishment of 2 states, the State of Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security, and with recognized borders."

In a press release on the resolution, Rep. Delahunt, who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on International Organizations, Human Rights, and Oversight said, "The recent fighting in Gaza has refocused the world's attention on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict…George Mitchell is the right man at the right time to help bring a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian dispute." When President Obama announced the Mitchell appointment on January 22nd he said his Administration will "actively and aggressively seek a lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians".

H. Res. 130 sends a strong signal of Congressional backing for Senator Mitchell's mission and for robust U.S. peacemaking efforts. The tasks ahead are difficult and both Congressional and constituent support will be vital if the Obama Administration is going to achieve concrete results on the ground and meaningful progress toward a just and lasting two-state solution.

TAKE ACTION TODAY: Ask your Representative to Co-sponsor H. Res. 130 Further Background on the Resolution: H. Res. 130 cites key recent statements by Obama, Clinton and Mitchell demonstrating their commitment to achieving Israeli-Palestinian peace, including President Obama's January 22nd statement that he, ''was deeply concerned by the loss of Palestinian and Israeli life in recent days and by the substantial suffering and humanitarian needs in Gaza'" The resolution refers to Senator Mitchell's "well-received report on the causes of the second intifada in April 2001" - a report that cited both Israeli settlement activity and Palestinian violence. H. Res. 130 also expresses its appreciation to those engaged in helping to achieve the recent cessation of hostilities in the Gaza Strip and southern Israel, and calls on the international community "to aggressively pursue efforts that facilitate a just and lasting resolution of these conflicts".

Click here to view the full text of the resolution and the list of original co-sponsors.

Special Envoy Sen. Mitchell's Trip to the Region: A Brief SummaryIn key statements made during his Jan. 26 - Feb. 3 trip, Sen. Mitchell emphasized the importance of consolidating the cease-fire, including ending the smuggling and re-opening the crossings based on the 2005 Agreement on Movement and Access. He also raised the urgent Gaza humanitarian needs. In every location Mitchell stressed President Obama's commitment to achieving a lasting Israeli-Palestinian peace.

With Prime Minister Olmert, Mitchell said the "United States is committed to Israel's security and to its right to defend itself against legitimate threats." In Ramallah, he stated President Obama's commitment to "a better future for all Palestinians, whose legitimate aspirations for an independent and viable state, shout be met." At the UNRWA compound in Jerusalem, he announced that the President has directed the use of another "$20.3 million to provide emergency food and medical assistant to the wounded and displaced in Gaza."

Mitchell stressed that the tragic violence in Gaza and in southern Israel offers "a sobering reminder of the very serious and difficult challenges and unfortunately the setbacks that will come." Press reports indicate that the Arab Peace Initiative and Iran's role in Palestinian affairs were discussed in meetings in Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Paris.

While Mitchell was gone, the State Department fielded a number of questions, including why the Obama Administration has not yet commented on Israel's continued settlement activity and how emergency aid will be channeled to Gaza.

The State Department also clarified that Mitchell will report to both Secretary of State Clinton as well as President Obama. Now that Mitchell has returned from what was billed as an initial "listening tour", he is set to go back to the region before the end of the month. The Feb. 10th Israeli elections, ongoing strife between Fatah and Hamas, and the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza create a complex backdrop, and substantive progress will require creative and serious engagement.

In a press conference with Secretary of State Clinton on February 3rd, Mitchell said, "the situation is obviously complex and difficult, and there are no easy or risk-free courses of action. But I'm convinced…that with patient, determined, and persevering diplomacy, we can help to make a difference and that we can assist those in the region achieve the peace and stability that people on all sides long for."

Key Statements and Documents Related to Special Envoy Mitchell's Trip
Remarks by Secretary Clinton and Special Envoy Mitchell After Their Meeting, Washington, DC, February 3, 2009
Mitchell Statement at UNRWA Compound, Jerusalem, January 30, 2009
United States Humanitarian Support to Palestinians, U.S. Department of State, Washington, DC, January 30, 2009
Mitchell Statement at Palestinian Authority Presidential Compound, Ramallah, January 29, 2009
Mitchell Statement at King David Hotel, Jerusalem, January 28, 2009
Mitchell Statement following meeting with President Mubarak, January 28, 2009
Mitchell Report 2001

TAKE ACTION: Ask your Representative to Co-sponsor H. Res. 130, the new resolution backing the work of Special Mideast Envoy Sen. Mitchell