Successes
In the wake of the Hamas electoral victory in January 2006, H.R. 4681, The Palestinian Anti-Terrorism Act of 2006, was introduced to the United States House of Representatives. After analyzing the legislation, APN found that the bill would censure and punish all Palestinians, and close the door on any future negotiations to achieve peace with Palestinians.
APN worked with Members of Congress and legislative staff in the U.S. House of Representatives to improve and strengthen the bill. APN pushed for a US policy that pressures Hamas, seeks to avert a humanitarian disaster, and facilitates the eventual return to peace negotiations. These efforts ensured that the bill went through mark-ups in two House Committees, including the House International Relations Committee, where the bill was improved to deal with some of the specific concerns raised by APN – albeit not improved enough for APN to endorse the result.
The Senate version of the bill, S. 2370 – introduced significantly later than the House version, after APN’s advocacy and educational efforts were underway – was significantly better than H.R. 4681. Like H.R. 4681, the Senate legislation sends a sharp message of rejecting terrorism, while giving the President more flexibility to conduct foreign policy and preserves the possibility of producing US and moderate Palestinian relations. In December 2006, the House passed the Senate version of the bill.
Read more about this topic: Americans For Peace Now
Famous quotes containing the word successes:
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—A.J. (Alfred Jules)
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