Grassroots support encourages members of Congress to skip Netanyahu’s speech
Grassroots support encourages members of Congress to skip Netanyahu__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 Netanyahu__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 __the entire Jewish people.__
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, __The outpouring of outrage at the grassroots level shows that Americans and American Jews are deeply disturbed by Prime Minister Netanyahu__s attempt to sabotage US efforts at diplomacy with Iran and strongly oppose the outrageous assertion that he speaks for all Jews.__
JVP members wrote op-eds published in papers across the country:
The Detroit News: __Congress needs to cancel Netanyahu__s speech__ (February 17, 2015)
The Chicago Sun-Times: __Durbin and all the Dems should boycott Netanyahu__s speech__ (February 25, 2015)
The Santa Barbara Independent: __Bibi Go Home__ (February 25, 2015)
The Durham Herald-Sun: __Netanyahu not a man Congress should applaud and cheer__ (February 28, 2015)
The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: __Israel is not always right__ (February 28, 2015)
The New Haven Register: __Connecticut__s members of Congress should join move to _
Skip the Speech____ (March 1, 2015)