1. United States
2. Wash.
3. Letter

The war in the Middle East is a humanitarian disaster, and threatens to ignite a regional conflagration or worse. I ask my Senators to urge adoption of the Center for International Policy: Recommendation #1: Push for a humanitarian ceasefire. A ceasefire or truce that begins as a temporary measure, but which could be extended, is vitally necessary to prevent further loss of civilian life on a mass scale. Recommendation #2: Undertake intensive diplomacy to end Hamas attacks, secure release of hostages and end the Israeli siege. Recommendation #3: Refocus regional diplomatic priority from bilateral normalization efforts to multilateral efforts toward a just resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the end of occupation. Recommendation #4: Take meaningful anti-occupation, anti-annexation steps: Permanent Israeli occupation and ongoing de facto annexation of Palestinian territory is incompatible with international law and shared human values.. Recommendation #5: Substantially expand support for the Palestinian people and Palestinian leaders who seek peace with Israel.