CALL YOUR REPRESENTATIVE

Phone calls are an easy way to communicate your support for an equitable U.S. policy toward Israel and Palestine to your elected representatives.  Below is a checklist of things that you should do to make your call as effective as possible: 

BEFORE YOUR CALL 

  1. Determine why you are calling your representative – if possible, call about a specific bill.
  2. Clarify and write down the reasons that you support or oppose the bill and the reasons that you think your representative should adopt your position.  Or use our talking points when we provide them.
  3. Take 10-15 minutes to rehearse what you want to say.
  4. Get your representative’s name and phone numbers by clicking here.

DURING YOUR CALL 

  1. If you can’t speak to your representative, then ask for your representative’s foreign policy staff member.
  2. Introduce yourself and the fact that you are a constituent (if you are).
  3. If there is a specific bill, identify the bill (by number) that you support or oppose.
  4. State the reasons why you support or oppose the bill and why you think your representative should adopt your position.
  5. Ask your representative or his or her staff member to support your position.

    If he or she is supportive of your position, then ask him or her to assist by speaking out in favor of your position, asking his or her colleagues to support your position, or forwarding informational materials to his or her colleagues.  Offer to be a resource to support his or her efforts. 

    If he or she is opposed to or angered by your position, or makes ill-informed comments, don’t get angry or rude in response; just go home and educate more and more of his or her constituents.  The more constituents that he or she hears from, the more likely he or she will learn more about the issue, understand the depth of support among his or her constituents and review his or her positions. 

    If he or she is noncommittal, then ask what else you can do to help him or her make a commitment, and ask when he or she expects to take a position. 

    Finally, if he or she wants further information or asks a question to which you don’t have an answer, say that you’ll get back to him or her with an answer.  If you can’t easily find the information on AAPER’s website within one day of your call, then give AAPER a call and we will help you find it. 

  1. Provide your contact information and request the contact information of the person to whom you are speaking so that you can effectively follow up.
  2. End your call on a positive note.  Thank your representative or his or her staff person for taking the time to speak with you

AFTER YOUR CALL 

  1. Immediately after your call, fill out and send a Call Evaluation Form to AAPER by fax to (202) 333-5110 or by email to info@aaper.org.
  2. Provide any informational materials that you might have mentioned during your call. 
  3. Follow up with your representative and/or his or her staff person on the issue that you met about and work to develop a relationship.  If you are unable to reach the appropriate staff person, then leave a message.  Be persistent, but professional, in all of your follow up communications.

PROTOCOL 

Remember to be polite.  Always say please and thank you.  And never shout or yell at your elected representatives or their staffs.