52 years of illegal occupation rewarded.  View this email in your browser Quneitra, one of many Golan Heights towns destroyed and depopulated by Israel. Click on photo to see video. Dear Anne marie and thomas, A quick reminder in case you missed Friday's action alert. (If you already called them, thank you!) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been pressuring the U.S. to support Israel's illegal annexation of the Syrian Golan Heights. Accordingly, President Trump has announced that the U.S. will now recognize this as Israeli territory, and some Republican Congressmen have introduced legislation that would make it law.  Please contact your representatives: Oppose H.R. 1372 and S.567 Click THIS LINK to phone and email your Congressional reps! This pandering legislation would recognize an Israeli action that violates international law.   • The House of Representatives' bill is "H.R.1372 - To clarify that it is United States policy to recognize Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights."  It is sponsored by Wisconsin Republican Mike Gallagher and now has 43 co-sponsors; all Republicans. It has been referred to committees.   • The Senate bill is S.567 - A bill clarifying that it is United States policy to recognize Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights It is sponsored by Ted Cruz (R-TX) and has 7 cosponsors, all Republicans.  Both bills have been referred to committee. By immediately telling your representatives to oppose this legislation, you show politicians that we're aware of this effort and will work to oppose it! BACKGROUND: Israel has been occupying the Golan Heights ever since its 1967 war against Syria and Egypt.   Before the Israeli occupation, the Golan Heights was filled with villages. Now much of it is empty. This is because in the ensuing years Israel undertook a policy of demolishing these villages  and depopulating the area. It has also moved in some Israeli settlers.  The United Nations issued a detailed report about Israel's actions. Among its information is this:  "Following the occupation of the territory in 1967, the occupation authorities destroyed 244 villages and built-up areas in the Golan and expelled their population, sparing only five villages (Majdal Shams, Buq'ata, Ain Qunya, Mas'ada and al-Ghajar). Not even places of worship, schools and health centres escaped destruction. The underlying aim of the occupation authorities was to eliminate Arab landmarks and obliterate the Arab identity of the Golan, as a result of which anyone who visits the Golan today is able to identify the locations of the former Arab villages only from their ruins." More and more politicians with their fingers to the wind decided not to attend this year's AIPAC conference. I was in front of the White House on Sunday at Al-Awda's protest against AIPAC, and was pleased to see so many principled, determined people who had come from all over the country and the world to march with Al Awda in support of Palestinian rights.  Let's keep the pressure on! Tell your representatives not to go along with Netanyahu's latest ploy. – Alison Weir Contact Congress now! Thank you, as always, for your support. Your tax-deductible donations are what make our work possible. We greatly appreciate and need your continued contributions. IfAmericansKnew.org • IAK News & Analysis Blog Israel-Palestine Timeline • Against Our Better Judgment Follow If Americans Knew To invite Alison Weir to give a presentation, write here. Order educational materials about Israel-Palestine on our website (or write here). MAILING ADDRESS If Americans Knew, 5694 Mission Center Rd, Ste 602-710, San Diego, CA 92108  PHONE 202-631-4060  EMAIL contact@PROTECTED DONATE Manage Subscription