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April 16, 2001 Vol. 3, No. 9 This Week in Washington... For more information, contact Reva Price, Washington Representative at rprice@thejcpa.org ILSA Renewal Drive: Legislation to extend the Iran-Libya Sanctions Act (ILSA) for another five years is on deck when Congress returns next week. Senators Gordon Smith (OR) and Chuck Schumer (NY) and Representatives Benjamin Gilman (NY) and Howard Berman (NY) will introduce the measure, which is set to expire in August 2000 and designed to deter foreign investment in Iran’s petroleum industry. With Iranian hardline clerics still firmly in charge and continuing to call for the destruction of Israel, it is critical that US sanctions remain in place. Iran uses revenues from its oil exports to finance terrorism. The Iranian oil industry is in desperate need of foreign investment to keep oil flowing. Since Congress passed the ILSA in 1996, Iran has sought foreign investment for 55 petroleum development projects. Only six were funded by foreign investment owing to fear of U.S. sanctions. It is likely that the Bush administration will be pressed to rescind the executive order banning US companies from trading in certain Iranian sectors if the legislation is not renewed and foreign companies are exempt from sanctions. Contact your legislators to ask that they become original co-sponsors of the extension of the Iran-Libya Sanctions Act. Fourteen Senators and 61 House Members have already put their names on this critical legislation. Please contact the JCPA Washington Office for an up-to-date list of co-sponsors.
Holocaust Remembrance Day: The President and First Lady will visit the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum on Wednesday, April 18th. President Bush will offer remarks at the Days of Remembrance Commemoration in the Capitol at noon on Thursday. Check local TV listings for cable broadcast information. The Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany has scheduled a satellite broadcast/ conference call on Wednesday April 18, at 1 p.m. through the UJC satellite system to update and train those helping survivors with settlement forms. The program is designed to assist survivors eligible for restitution from the German slave/forced labor settlements or have a Swiss bank claim. Please make sure the appropriate local agencies have received the information. Contact Harriet Martin at the Claims Conference at 212-696-4944. This Week in New York… For more information, contact Benita Gayle-Almeleh, Director of Community Relations and Special Projects at bga@thejcpa.org
Human Rights Update: See today’s edition of The New York Times (A section, p.13) for a full-page ad, placed by the American Jewish Committee, on Israel’s mistreatment by the UN Commission on Human Rights at its annual session beginning this week in Geneva. In addition to citing the inherent bias of selecting Israel as the exclusive focus of one of the agenda items, the ad alludes to the fact that Israel cannot even serve on the commission. One of the conditions placed on Israel’s recent admission to the Western European and Others Group (WEOG) was that Israel could only represent the group in New York City. Thus, Israel is the only country denied the right to participate in the Human Rights Commission or any other UN forum outside of New York. Concern about the Geneva meeting’s agenda and Israel’s limitations within WEOG should be conveyed to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, ambassadors of the Western European countries and U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell.
That’s Not Funny Department: Concern about the Easter Sunday installment of the comic "B.C." generated numerous calls by CRCs to JCPA. The strip depicts a menorah which, as it transforms into a cross, has lights which extinguish. The ADL and AJCommittee issued statements critical of this depiction. Please continue to communicate with local papers carrying this syndicated strip to determine what their individual policy is in dealing with problematic content such as this.
Busy JCPA Conference Call Schedule: JCPA has scheduled two conference calls for Tuesday, April 17th. The first scheduled for 1pm will be a discussion of the President’s budget. The blueprint for our country’s priorities and how our government will spend its money has just been set out by the President and Congress. They now have just over 5 months to figure out how the money will be appropriated. The discussion will center around JCPA priority issues – from foreign aid to civil rights enforcement to programs aiding the elderly and poor and disadvantaged children. The second call, scheduled for 4pm will be our first briefing and discussion on the UN World Conference on Racism scheduled for the end of the summer in South Africa. Contact twallace@thejcpa.org for call information.
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