July 22, 2004

To: Officers, Rabbis, Key Contacts
From: Richard B. Stone, Chairman
Betty Ehrenberg, Director, International and Communal Affairs
Re: Response to UN Resolution on ICJ - Support S.Res.408

On Tuesday, July 20th, 2004, the UN General Assembly overwhelmingly adopted a resolution supporting the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice that Israel's security fence beyond the 1949 armistice plan (pre-1967 borders) violates international law, and should be dismantled, with compensation to Palestinians affected by the fence's structure. Israel had hoped that those states that voted last December against sending the issue to the ICJ, or abstained, would do so again, especially the European states. That was not the case. Recognizing that a U.S. veto will be cast should the resolution come to the Security Council, it is expected that the Palestinians will bring the issue back to the GA in September, arguing Israeli non-compliance with the ICJ opinion and GA resolution. Their strategy is to cast Israel in the role of a pariah state in ways that will lead the international community to impose diplomatic and/or economic sanctions and, later, greater pressure on the Security Council to act.

We are urging all our members to write to the UN ambassadors of the EU to express outrage over the General Assembly vote. View a list of addresses. If you have personal business or academic contacts in high places in these countries, please call on them to communicate with their leadership as well. Information and talking points that you may wish to use in your correspondence can be found at www.conferenceofpresidents.org/fence.html.

Immediate Action Necessary

A bipartisan resolution was introduced in the Senate on Wednesday, July 21 addressing the ICJ advisory opinion on the fence. The resolution, S.Res.408, supports the construction by Israel of the security fence to prevent Palestinians terrorist attacks, condemns the decision of the ICJ on the legality of the security fence and urges no further action by the UN to delay or prevent construction of the security fence.

S.Res.408 was introduced by Senators Gordon Smith (R-OR), Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Jim Bunning (R-KY), Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), Hillary Clinton (D-NY), Norman Coleman (R-MN), Susan Collins (R-ME), John Corzine (D-NJ), Michael Crapo (R-ID), Elizabeth Dole (R-NC), Peter Fitzgerald (R-IL), Joseph Lieberman (D-CT), Richard Lugar (R-IN), Patty Murray (D-WA), Charles Schumer (D-NY), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

Please contact your Senators today and urge them to co-sponsor and pass S.R.408 before the Senate adjourns at the end of the week for the summer. Senators can be reached at 202-224-3121.

S.R.408 resolves that the Senate:

• Recognizes Israel's right to self-defense against Palestinian terrorist attacks, and supports the construction of the security fence, the route of which, with the support of the government of Israel, takes into account the needs of the Palestinians involved;

• Condemns the decision of the ICJ on the legality of the security fence, and

• Urges the United States to vote against any further UN action that could delay or prevent the construction of the security fence and to engage in a diplomatic campaign to persuade other countries to do the same.

Please contact Senators immediately at 202-224-3121 and urge them to co-sponsor and pass S.R.408.

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