Representative Raskin,

Thank you so much for vocally opposing Israel’s plan to annex large parts of the West Bank and working to get your colleagues from across the Democratic Party to join you. As your constituents in the Montgomery County Jewish community, we appreciate you taking a stand. However, in this moment, it feels crucial to us that progressive Jewish Members of Congress who are against annexation do more than just make statements. We need to show the Israeli government that there will be consequences for their violations of human rights and international law.

For years right-wing nationalists and the Jewish establishment in the United States have relied on the Jewish community to legitimize U.S. financial support for Israel’s war crimes and de facto annexation of the West Bank. When we dissent and shed light on those atrocities committed in our name, on our dime, groups like AIPAC and right-wing politicians demand our silence. Now, in this moment when annexation is no longer de facto, but going to be signed into law, we can no longer be silent. We do not support annexation and ongoing violations of human rights in Israel and Palestine; financial consequences for this behavior are long overdue. Financial consequences mean conditioning the 3.8 billion dollars in aid that the US government gives to Israel every year.

We are asking you to stand up with us, to join us in making conditional aid to Israel a reality. We need your voice in Congress, alongside other progressive champions of human rights, freedom, and dignity for all people, to hold our government and the Israeli government accountable for this illegal action. Annexation of the West Bank clearly disregards any future Palestinian state, throwing the two-state solution out the window.

We know you believe that the two-state solution offers the greatest potential for peace and security for all peoples in Israel and Palestine. In the face of this blatant dismissal of a future Palestinian state, we are asking you to take action. The two-state solution is no longer a viable possibility once annexation occurs. If there was ever a moment to back statements of opposition up with tangible consequences, the time is now.

Progressive members of Congress like Rep. Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Sanders recently circulated a letter calling for conditional aid. Now, AIPAC is falsely calling many of the non-Jewish signers antisemitic. As a progressive Jew who believes in freedom and dignity for the Palestinian people, we are asking that you stand with your colleagues in Congress who are calling for conditional aid.

We have seen over and over again that statements opposing right-wing Israeli policies do not effectively stop the Israeli government from committing human rights atrocities against the Palestinian people. If there was ever a moment to take action to show the Israeli government that there are consequences for their right-wing policies, the moment is now. As your constituents we are imploring you to take action and make conditional aid to Israel a reality; please sign our legislation!