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For Immediate Release
Contact:

Naomi Dann | naomi@jewishvoiceforpeace.org | 845-877-5745

Grassroots Support Encourages Members of Congress to Skip Netanyahu's Speech

Jewish Voice for Peace members across the country have helped organize a multifaceted campaign to encourage members of Congress to skip Prime Minister Netanyahu's inappropriate and destructive speech to Congress tomorrow. Speaking to reporters as he departed for Washington, Prime Minister Netanyahu once again asserted that he would speak as an emissary of "the entire Jewish people."

WASHINGTON

Jewish Voice for Peace members across the country have helped organize a multifaceted campaign to encourage members of Congress to skip Prime Minister Netanyahu's inappropriate and destructive speech to Congress tomorrow. Speaking to reporters as he departed for Washington, Prime Minister Netanyahu once again asserted that he would speak as an emissary of "the entire Jewish people."

A campaign launched with partner groups US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation, RootsAction, CodePink and American Muslims for Palestine to encourage members to #SkiptheSpeech produced over 110,000 letters and an additional 20,000 petition signatures which were delivered to 75 offices on the Hill and 30 local district offices. To date, 42+ members of Congress have pledged to skip the speech.

JVP executive director Rebecca Vilkomerson, who wrote a piece published in The Washington Post last week, stated, "The outpouring of outrage at the grassroots level shows that Americans and American Jews are deeply disturbed by Prime Minister Netanyahu's attempt to sabotage US efforts at diplomacy with Iran and strongly oppose the outrageous assertion that he speaks for all Jews."

Jewish Voice for Peace is a national, grassroots organization inspired by Jewish tradition to work for a just and lasting peace according to principles of human rights, equality, and international law for all the people of Israel and Palestine. JVP has over 200,000 online supporters, over 70 chapters, a youth wing, a Rabbinic Council, an Artist Council, an Academic Advisory Council, and an Advisory Board made up of leading U.S. intellectuals and artists.

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