Renew the Freeze
This September, Israel will make a historic choice about whether to extend the freeze on new settlement construction. This will be a moment of truth for the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
For Israel, this is a choice between hope and despair; between settlements and the peace process; between a Jewish, democratic state and a bi-national state; between investing in health care for Israelis and investing in construction in the West Bank; between international isolation and global support for Israel.
This is a critical moment.
Your voice – the voice of friends of Israel from across the globe – needs to be heard. Israelis deserve to understand that choosing settlements over peace will have a destructive impact on public support for Israel.
Join us in signing this petition.
Prime Minister Netanyahu,
As individuals who care deeply about Israel's future, we write to express our concern with the notion that you might fail to renew the freeze on new settlement construction in September.
We believe in Israel. We do not hesitate to speak out to defend Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish and democratic state. We stand up for Israel’s legitimate exercise of the right to self-defense. We speak out for Israel even when it is not popular to do so.
As supporters of Israel, we want to warn you that ending the settlement freeze would jeopardize our ability to be persuasive in our defense of Israel. It would play into the hands of Israel’s detractors.
The perception of Israel as a peace-seeking democracy is critical to fending off those who want to delegitimize Israel. New settlement construction will be seen as a sign that your government would rather rule over Palestinians than to forge peace.
Mr. Prime Minister, please help me help Israel. In September, please choose peace over settlements.