Grassroots support encourages members of Congress to skip Netanyahu’s speech

Grassroots support encourages members of Congress to skip NetanyahuŠ__s speech 
Contact: Naomi Dann | media@jvp.org | 845-877-5745

Jewish Voice for Peace members across the country have helped organize a multifaceted campaign to encourage members of Congress to skip Prime Minister NetanyahuŠ__s inappropriate and destructive speech to Congress tomorrow. Speaking to reporters as he departed for Washington, Prime Minister Netanyahu once again asserted that he would speak as an emissary of Š__the entire Jewish people.Š__

A campaign launched with partner groups US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation, RootsAction, CodePink and American Muslims for Palestine to encourage members to #SkiptheSpeech produced over 110,000 letters and an additional 20,000 petition signatures which were delivered to 75 offices on the Hill and 30 local district offices. To date, 42+ members of Congress have pledged to skip the speech.

JVP executive director Rebecca Vilkomerson, who wrote a piece published in The Washington Post last week, stated, Š__The outpouring of outrage at the grassroots level shows that Americans and American Jews are deeply disturbed by Prime Minister NetanyahuŠ__s attempt to sabotage US efforts at diplomacy with Iran and strongly oppose the outrageous assertion that he speaks for all Jews.Š__

JVP members wrote op-eds published in papers across the country:

The Detroit News: Š__Congress needs to cancel NetanyahuŠ__s speechŠ__ (February 17, 2015)
The Chicago Sun-Times: Š__Durbin and all the Dems should boycott NetanyahuŠ__s speechŠ__ (February 25, 2015)
The Santa Barbara Independent: Š__Bibi Go HomeŠ__ (February 25, 2015)
The Durham Herald-Sun: Š__Netanyahu not a man Congress should applaud and cheerŠ__ (February 28, 2015)
The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Š__Israel is not always rightŠ__ (February 28, 2015)
The New Haven Register: Š__ConnecticutŠ__s members of Congress should join move to Š_…Skip the SpeechŠ__Š__ (March 1, 2015)