Samah Salaime meets with US Congress representatives and J Street members

WASNS development director Samah Salaime was invited, together with representatives of peace and human rights organizations, to meet with members of the US Congress of the J Street Executive Committee, during their current tour of Israel/Palestine. In the framework of the tour, they plan to meet with Israeli and Palestinian officials, including Pres. Herzog of Israel and PM Shtayyeh of Palestine. Their planned visit to Gaza had to be shelved due to Israeli objections.

Samah and other civil society representatives spoke of the importance of American involvement in advancing peace efforts and emphasized the ability of the US government to exert pressure upon Israel in order to avert backtracking, continued injustice, and further explosions of violence.

Rep. Rosa DeLauro voiced serious concern regarding Israel’s blacklisting of the six Palestinian human rights organizations. She requested materials and position papers on that subject. Optimistically, she said that the US government is likely to go ahead with its plan to open a consulate to the O.P.T. in Jerusalem.

Samah presented the educational institutions of WASNS, especially the activities of the School for Peace. She voiced her hope that Israeli and Palestinian peace organizations would once again receive funding through USAID, following Pres. Biden’s decision to reverse the Trump-era stoppage of such support.