WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Former U.S. government officials Josh Paul and Tariq Habash, who resigned from government positions over fundamental disagreements with U.S. policy on Israel/Palestine, announce the launch of A New Policy and A New Policy PAC to represent the majority of Americans who seek change in U.S. policy towards the Middle East.
Leading with American values of governing with fairness and an equal application of the law, A New Policy seeks to build a powerful and diverse American political movement to forge new U.S. policy toward Israel and Palestine and support elected officials whose position aligns with these fundamental American values.
A New Policy also announces the addition of two distinguished names to its incoming board of directors: former U.S. Ambassador to Syria and Algeria Robert Ford and trailblazing corporate executive Jaleh Bisharat. Further board members, representing a broad cross-section of American society and leadership, will be announced in the future.
“The past year has shown us just how deeply damaging our policy in the Middle East is - to the region, and to America,” said Josh Paul, a former Director in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs. “We’ve spent billions of taxpayer dollars while sacrificing national interests and global credibility, the safety of all people in the region has been compromised while Palestinians, in Gaza in particular, endure immeasurable suffering, and now we’re on the brink of a regional war. More than a policy problem, we have a political problem and until we address the politics, we won't make significant headway on the policy issues. A New Policy recognizes this dynamic, and is designed to address it head-on.”
A New Policy is unique as it focuses on relationship-driven, policy-oriented lobbying, while its partner organization, A New Policy PAC, will direct financial support to political campaigns. The organizations’ singular focus will be on foreign and domestic policy towards Israel/Palestine, including bolstering civil rights protections in the U.S. to enable continued debate. A New Policy is not affiliated with any specific political, ethnic or religious identities; as such, it can provide a broad platform through which Americans across all political parties can engage and make their voices heard.
“This past year has brought unimaginable pain and suffering to Palestinians in Gaza. For decades, elected officials have compromised American interests in favor of funding Israel’s continued oppression of Palestinians,” commented Tariq Habash, Former Policy Advisor and Political Appointee in the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Planning, Evaluation, and Policy Development. “American voters are clear: they do not want to be complicit in this humanitarian catastrophe and a majority want an end to the transfer of lethal weapons that are used to kill Palestinian civilians. Elected officials have not kept up with the sea change in public opinion and A New Policy will work to close this gap.”
A New Policy believes that U.S. policy toward Israel and Palestine should:
- Advance American National Security and Foreign Policy Interests in the Middle East, and should contribute to peace and prosperity for all Americans.
- Reflect American Values in our policy towards the Middle East, including freedom, equality, and human rights, and should enhance the health, security, welfare, and prosperity of all peoples.
- Comply with American and International Law, including laws, regulations and policies governing the transfer of arms equally to all countries in the Middle East, including Israel.
In pursuit of a just peace, A New Policy supports Palestinian freedom, equality and human rights, and believes in the Palestinian right to self-determination. A New Policy also supports an end to all forms of U.S. support for illegal settlements and, that fundamental to the right of Palestinian freedom, is an end to Israel’s occupation. Moreover, the U.S. should ensure its role in any diplomatic or state-building process does not create incentives for the use of violence.
A New Policy believes that the U.S. government should equally apply our laws that restrict U.S. assistance and arms transfers to countries and units that violate human rights; and, when they occur within those restrictions, A New Policy will push to condition U.S. arms transfers on Israeli compliance with human rights laws, as well as use the leverage provided by our security assistance to achieve progress towards a just and lasting peace.
Finally, A New Policy will work to oppose the enactment of laws or issuance of policies that run counter to American domestic interests. Recent efforts to repress free speech, to prevent accountability, and to limit Americans’ abilities to exercise their constitutional freedoms undermine prospects for a lasting peace both here and abroad.
About A New Policy
Relying on foundational American values as our guiding principles, A New Policy will promote a hopeful, forward-looking vision that advances liberty, equality and human rights in Israel and Palestine.
Hardline lobbies have spent decades setting up political incentives that have skewed American politics, and by extension, American society away from a rational and moral policy in the Middle East. Meanwhile, there is no equivalent set of organizations promoting a fair and just policy centered on human rights and American interests and values. A New Policy will be the voice for that just and balanced approach.
As a nondenominational, nonsectarian, nonpartisan American organization, A New Policy will educate members of Congress on related foreign policy, legislative, and regulatory matters, and will lobby government officials to urgently pursue long-overdue policies that reflect our American values, interests, and voter preferences, as well as comply with U.S. laws. A New Policy works in partnership with organizations across the political spectrum to bring together a large American constituency that strengthens our impact and influence.
For more information, visit https://anewpolicy.org/.
