The Israel Action Network (IAN), a project of the Jewish Federations of North America in partnership with the Jewish Council of Public Affairs, is coordinating a North American response to the Palestinian Authority leadership’s decision to pursue a policy that has become known as Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI). While the exact course of their actions is not known, it may include seeking full membership or some form of enhanced status in the U.N. during the General Assembly in late September. UDI threatens to undermine the long-standing consensus of reaching a two states for two peoples outcome based on direct bilateral negotiations; instead it uses the UN as a vehicle to isolate and place diplomatic pressure on Israel.
The Rabbinical Assembly, having recently released a resolution on UDI, is partnering with the IAN in this important effort. We encourage our members to do the following:
- Educate yourselves and others within your orbit about the issue. A list of FAQs and Talking points are available here.
- Sign a petition that urges member states of the United Nations to reject UDI in favor of unconditional bilateral negotiations. This petition is critical for the larger public relations campaign and please share through email, Facebook and Twitter. When posting to Twitter, also use the hashtag #Sign4Peace.
- If you want to assist in local diplomatic outreach to priority countries please contact the JCRC or Federation in your community. These organizations are coordinating a broader coalition of Jewish and non-Jewish groups to reinforce the fundamental message, consistent with longstanding U.S. policy, that the conflict can only be solved through bilateral negotiations between the involved parties.