Rep. Henry Waxman - 29th District of California

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In Washington, D.C.
2204 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
(202) 225-3976 (phone)
(202) 225-4099 (fax)

In Los Angeles
8436 West Third Street, Suite 600
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(323) 651-1040 (phone)
(323) 655-0502 (fax)

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Issues and Legislation

Foreign Affairs - Middle East - Confronting Anti-Israel Bias

Confronting Anti-Israel Bias

On July 12, 2007, Rep. Waxman spoke on the floor of the House of Representatives condemning the decision by the University and College Union of the United Kingdom to support a boycott of Israeli academia.
Statement


On March 13, 2006, Rep. Waxman and his colleagues wrote to Secretary of State Rice thanking her for the vital role America played in winning approval of the Third Additional Protocol to the Geneva Convention and asks for her continued involvement until this important humanitarian issue is resolved. Many International organizations will meet to consider the full membership of Israel's Magen David Adom humanitarian aid society and it is America's responsibility to lead these efforts.

Letter to Secretary of State Rice

Response from the State Department

On March 2, 2006, Rep. Waxman joined 40 other House Democrats in a letter opposing the Bush Administration’s approval of a deal to allow Dubai Ports World, a company owned by the United Arab Emirates, to manage six U.S. ports. The letter expresses concern that the deal would reinforce the Arab boycott against Israel and the UAE funding of Hamas.

Letter to President Bush
Response from the Treasury Department

On February 6, 2006, Rep. Waxman joined over seventy of his colleagues in a letter urging Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to help end the continuing discriminatory restrictions on Israel’s participation in the United Nations.
The letter calls for strong diplomatic pressure to ensure that Israel is accorded full rights in all UN forums. 

Letter to Secretary of State Rice
Response from the State Department


On November, 4, 2005, Rep. Waxman sent a letter urging U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan to press for a strong U.N. condemnation of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s call for Israel to be ‘wiped off the map’ and threats to countries that recognize Israel.
Press Release

U.N. Secretary-General Annan
Response from U.N. Secretary-General Annan

On May 12, 2005, Rep. Waxman sent a letter urging Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to sever all State Department ties with schools and professors who abide by the British Association of University Teachers’ (AUT) academic boycott of Israeli universities.
Press Release
Letter to Secretary of State Rice

On January 29, 2004, Rep. Waxman sent a letter urging President Bush to intervene on behalf of Israel in the case before the United Nations’ International Court of Justice (ICJ) regarding the security fence being constructed between Israeli and Palestinian areas. The letter expressed concern that the Administration has sent mixed messages with so many negative comments about the fence’s construction and called upon the Bush Administration to emphasize the necessity of the security fence and Israel’s right to defend itself from the ongoing threat of terrorism.

Press Release
Letter to President Bush

In November and December 2001, Rep. Waxman sent letters urging U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, Swiss President Moritz Leuenberger,and Secretary of State Colin Powell to take action to call off a meeting being organized by the Arab League and the Organization of the Islamic Conference solely to isolate and condemn Israel through an unprecedented invocation of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which sets guidelines for the treatment of civilian population in time of war. The letters raised concern that the meeting, held in Switzerland, would exacerbate violence against Israel by promoting an agenda that demonized Israelis and Jews and ignored the grave terrorist attacks committed against Israeli civilians.

December 3, 2001
Letter to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan
Letter to Swiss President Moritz Leuenberger

November 26, 2001
Letter to Secretary Powell
Response from Secretary Powell

December 4, 2001
Press Release

November 26, 2001
Press Release

International Red Cross and Magen David Adom

On November 15, 2005, Rep. Waxman sent a letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice calling for continued U.S. leadership in the effort for the International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC) to permit the full membership of Magen David Adom, Israel's humanitarian aid society. For decades, MDA has been denied full status in the organization because of anti-Israel bias among countries that refuse to recognize the State of Israel or the symbol of the Star of David. The letter asks Secretary Rice to work to build consensus support for the adoption of a third neutral symbol, the Red Crystal, for Israel to use in its international operations.
Letter to Secretary of State Rice

On September 30, 2005, Rep. Waxman sent a letter urging the Swiss Government to take action so that Israel's humanitarian aid society, the Magen David Adom (Red Star of David), can participate in the International Committee of the Red Cross and operate with the recognition and protections of other Red Cross and Red Crescent societies. To resolve this issue, the Swiss Government must convene conference of the states parties to the Geneva Convention to adopt a protocol allowing for the use of a red diamond, or "crystal," as an acceptable third neutral symbol.
Letter to Swiss Government  
Destruction of Antiquities on the Temple Mount
In July 2001, Rep. Waxman sent a letter urging Secretary of State Colin Powell to take action against the destruction of antiquities on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The letter raised concern about reports that the Palestinian Waqf was bulldozing areas near the Southern Wall and refusing to allow the Israeli Antiquities Authority or international archeologists to inspect the damage. Rep. Waxman sent a second letter calling upon the Secretary General of UNESCO to investigate the excavations. UNESCO oversees the preservation of designated World Heritage Sites including the Temple Mount.

July 9, 2001
Press Release

July 9, 2001
Letter to Secretary Powell

July 30, 2001
Response from Secretary Powell

July 9, 2001
Letter to UNESCO Director-General Koichiro Matsuura

July 23, 2001
Response from UNESCO Director-General Koichiro Matsuura
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