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Monday, March 29, 2010

AJC's Harris responds to NYT Editorial on Israel

Responding to the New York Times on Israel

David Harris, Executive Dir., American Jewish Committee
March 29, 2010      Published in the Huffington Post

On March 27, the New York Times published a lead editorial entitled "Mr. Obama and Israel."

It was a bare-knuckled assault on Israel. That will bring joy to Israel's critics. But it did a disservice to the realities on the ground.

Of the editorial's twenty-six sentences, exactly one - "He [President Obama] must also press Palestinians and Arab leaders just as forcefully." - is devoted to Israel's neighbors.

That's the sum total given to other side of the peace-process equation. It reads like a throwaway line to cover that flank.

Of course, getting serious about peace, which is the editorial's nominal purpose, requires more attention to those who have rejected every serious overture - from the 1947 UN Partition Plan to the 2009 two-state proposal offered by Prime Minister Olmert.

And it necessitates a more thorough review of the past 14 months since President Obama took office - and of most of the Arab world's failure to respond to Washington's pleas for confidence-building measures.

Until early 2009, let's remember, direct Israeli-Palestinian talks were ongoing. No preconditions on settlements or anything else were set by either side. And, as suggested, Olmert offered a remarkable peace package, including a compromise on Jerusalem.

Now look where we are. The Obama Administration called for a settlement freeze as a way to restart talks. Why? That had never been the case before.

Suddenly, settlements became the centerpiece of the discussion - not as an outcome of the talks, but rather as a precondition for resuming them.

When Washington and Jerusalem finally agreed on terms, including a ten-month freeze on new building in the West Bank that Secretary Clinton called "unprecedented," the Palestinian Authority dug in its heels and insisted on a total freeze everywhere, including Jerusalem, before returning to the table.

Meanwhile, true to form, the PA mainly sat on its hands. Wait, that's not quite accurate. At just about the time of Vice President Biden's visit to the region, it was involved in naming a West Bank square for a terrorist, Dalal Mughrabi, responsible for the 1978 murder of 37 Israelis and an American.

The New York Times overlooks all of this, while focusing laser-like on eastern Jerusalem.

Yes, a big mistake was made during Biden's stop in Israel. Prime Minister Netanyahu, who was unaware of the announcement of 1,600 new housing units, apologized to the vice president. The torrent of criticism from Washington that followed was striking.

But the truth is that the democratically elected Netanyahu had never pledged to stop building in eastern Jerusalem in order to restart talks. Moreover, the units are in an area that has thousands of Jewish residents and is placed inside Israel on every peace map, not in a new Palestinian state. And since 1967, each Israeli prime minister - right, left, and center - has strengthened the Jewish presence in a city that has embodied the Jewish people's physical and metaphysical center for more than 3,000 years.

The editorial also takes a big swipe at Netanyahu's commitment to peace.

Yet last year, the prime minister voiced his support for a two-state settlement, echoing the position of his immediate predecessors.

He has removed dozens of security checkpoints in the West Bank to ease Palestinian movement, even at risk to Israelis.

He has encouraged economic growth in the West Bank, arguing that peace is not a top-down process alone, but also bottom-up. The more Palestinians benefit from an improving economy - and the recent growth rate has been impressive - the more they are likely to have a stake in a new status quo.

And security cooperation between the Israeli military and U.S.-trained Palestinian forces is improving.

In other words, positive things are happening.

That said, if the prime minister doesn't believe an immediate peace deal is possible, it's not necessarily because of his "hard-line positions," as the Times asserts, but rather because he may deem the chances of reaching an accord now as slim.

With Palestinians divided between Hamas and the PA, and with President Abbas not showing sufficient courage, most Israelis don't see an agreement anytime soon. That doesn't make them anti-peace, only realistic analysts of the situation as it is.

Moreover, recent experience, besides the spurned Olmert offer, doesn't provide much hope.

President Clinton and Prime Minister Barak presented the Palestinians with a two-state deal. The response? A new intifada that claimed the lives of one thousand Israelis.

Barak withdrew Israeli forces from southern Lebanon. The response? Hezbollah filled the vacuum and posed a new threat to Israel.

Prime Minister Sharon pulled all soldiers and settlers out of Gaza in 2005. The response? Hamas stepped in and increased its attacks on Israel.

But again, the context and countervailing facts are missing from the editorial.

Another thing.

The Times finds it "refreshing" that President Obama "has forced public debate on issues that must be debated publicly for a peace deal to happen."

Really? Why publicly?

Were the Camp David Accords of 1979, the Oslo Accords, and the Israel-Jordan talks, all of which involved immensely challenging and sticky issues, thrust into the public realm for a "refreshing" debate before agreement was reached? They were not.

And finally, the difficulty that arose during Vice President Biden's visit was not the first tough moment in American foreign policy for this administration.

So far, China has rejected new Iran sanctions, even as the U.S. has told Chinese leaders that this is our highest international priority. New reports indicate that Turkey may do the same.

France's president, speaking at the UN Security Council in September, condescendingly chided President Obama for seeking a nuclear-free world, reminding the American leader that "We live in a real world, not a virtual world ... and right in front of us two countries [North Korea and Iran] are doing the exact opposite."

Scotland, with possible acquiescence from London, released a convicted Libyan terrorist in the Lockerbie bombing that killed, among others, 190 Americans. Despite the special UK-U.S. relationship, there was no consultation with Washington. To add fuel to the fire, President Obama warned Libya to "make sure he is not welcomed back," which is precisely what happened.

Meanwhile, the U.S. restored ties with Damascus. No sooner had a senior State Department official left Syria with what he believed to be progress to report, than the Syrian president invited the Iranian president and the Hezbollah leader for a powwow - the diplomatic equivalent of giving Washington the finger.

And though it has never been reported, there are rumors that Prime Minister Putin sought to convey a message to President Obama in Moscow last year by making the American leader wait for nearly an hour while swimming laps.

The list goes on.

The point is that none of these insults to American foreign policy elicited anything approaching the sustained tongue-lashing Israel received, not to mention the rough treatment the Israeli prime minister got at the White House last week. Not even close.

And, needless to say, none was the focus of such a hard-edged editorial in America's newspaper of record.

---------------

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-harris/responding-to-the-new-yor_b_516795.html?msource=DHBLOG09&tr=y&auid=6131966

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Tony Blair: "A state for the Jewish people. A state for the Palestinian people"

Former British Prime Minister and envoy to the Middle East Quartet Tony Blair reaffirmed the right of Israel to defend itself, in an address to the AIPAC Conference on March 23, 2010.


“Israel will not and can not agree to a Palestinian state unless it is sure the state will be securely and properly governed,” Blair said to thunderous applause. “I wouldn’t take risks with my country’s security; I don’t ask Israel to take risks with theirs.”

What he considers "the only path to lasting peace":    " A state for the Jewish people.  A state for the Palestinian people."

"Once there is an agreement on the contours of a Palestinian state, that is that. The end of all claims. A settlement that is final."

"When Israelis say they doubt if they have a partner for peace, it is not only about whether Palestinian leaders want peace; but whether they can deliver peace."

"What I ask of the Palestinians is to realise one thing above all else: the two state solution begins not with a state of land but a state of mind. The mentality has to move from resistance to governance.  There can be no ambiguity, no wavering, no half heart towards terrorism. It is totally and completely without justification and we will never compromise in our opposition to it or those that practice it."



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Opzu6HmTJiY

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Netanyahu agrees to concessions

In bid to end crisis, Netanyahu and Clinton agree to include core issues in proximity talks with Palestinians; in addition, prime minister to approve prisoner release, Israel to ease Gaza Strip blockade

Roni Sofer

  03.21.10, Ynetnews  
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3865510,00.html

Core issues up for discussion, east Jerusalem construction slowdown, Gaza siege to be eased – this is the price to be paid by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the wake of the major crisis vis-à-vis the US.

 

The above understandings allayed tensions between Jerusalem and Washington ahead of the PM's upcoming trip to the US. Now, officials at the Prime Minister's Office are hoping for a meeting between Netanyahu and US President Barack Obama.

 

Diplomatic Crisis
Netanyahu-Clinton meeting in works / Roni Sofer
Officials in Jerusalem working to schedule meetings between PM, senior US officials
Full Story
Israel wanted its proximity talks with the Palestinians to only deal with procedures ahead of direct negotiations, while the Palestinians wanted to discuss the core issues – it now appears that the Israel-US crisis tilted the balance in favor of the Palestinians. As Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepared to head to Washington, comments by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton over the weekend indicated that the core issues will indeed be up for negotiations in the upcoming proximity talks.

 

The US Administration recently pressed Israel to start discussing the question of borders as the first core issue. The argument put forth by the US was that the moment borders are agreed upon, there would be no construction freeze problem and each side would be able to build in its own territory.

 

Meanwhile, US Special Envoy George Mitchell will be arriving in Jerusalem Sunday and meet Netanyahu. The prime minister will inform Mitchell, and possibly the Israeli public as well, of the series of gestures he agreed to in order to facilitate the proximity talks with the Palestinians.

 

The gestures will apparently include much stricter supervision by the PM himself over east Jerusalem construction. According to senior government ministers, this would mean a slowdown in Jewish construction - both government-funded and private - beyond the Green Line in Jerusalem.

 

The gestures will also include several steps meant to boost Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, such as a prisoner release.

 

Over the weekend, the prime minister worked on drafting his speech at the AIPAC Conference next week. Netanyahu's aides said that the speech will be "powerful and significant" and will likely deal with Israel-US ties in an effort to allay the recent tensions as result of Israel's construction announcement in east Jerusalem during President Joe Biden's visit.

 

Under fire, again [ ynetnews.com] : Several Qassam rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip Saturday, prompting residents in southern Israel to take cover in secure rooms.

 

A Qassam rocket fired from northern Gaza Saturday evening landed in the Shaar Hanegev regional council.

 

The rocket landed in an open area; no injuries were reported.

 

Earlier, a rocket landed in an open area in the Ashkelon Beach regional council; no injuries or damages were reported in the attack.

 

Shortly after the strike, the Color Red alert was also activiated in the Sderot region and in the Ashkelon area. Police initially said these were false alarms, but officials later announced that a rocket did land in an open area near Sderot.

 

Meanwhile, a third rocket fired from Gaza Saturday landed in Palestinian territory near Kissufim.

 

The latest attacks continued a series of rocket launches from the Gaza Strip in recent days. On Friday, a Qassam fired from northern Gaza hit an open area near a kibbutz in the Sha'ar Hanegev regional council.

 

No injuries or damages were reported in that strike either.

 

On Thursday, a Thai worker was killed in Netiv Ha'asara, just north of the Gaza border and another 50 Thai laborers suffered from shock after a Qassam landed in a greenhouse. The foreign workers required treatment by social workers with the assistance of translators.

 

The escalation in rocket attacks has prompted the IDF to retaliate for the Qassam strikes. Thursday night, the Air Force hit several targets in Gaza, and on Friday it struck a Hamas facility in the southern part of the Strip; the Palestinians said that 14 people were hurt in the attack, including two who sustained serious wounds.

 

Friday, March 19, 2010

Yoffie affirm's Israel's right, but urges Jerusalem moratorium

Rabbi Eric Yoffie: "The Union for Reform Judaism, like most American Jewish organizations, supports a united Jerusalem under Israeli sovereignty. This means that we believe housing units constructed in Jerusalem by Israel are not settlements and they are not illegal....I see no reason why Israel should renounce her claim to all of Jerusalem as Israel’s eternal capital, or her right to build anywhere within Jerusalem’s borders. But there are many reasons why Israel should consider a temporary moratorium on all such building."
 
Jewish Telegraphic Agency

Another great idea from the Quartet

"The Quartet reiterates its call on Israel and the Palestinians to act on the basis of international law and on their previous agreements and obligations – in particular adherence to the Roadmap, irrespective of reciprocity – "   http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2010/03/138583.htm

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Obama on Israel: Friends disagree

Obama on Israel: Friends disagree
By: Josh Gerstein     March 17, 2010 09:09 PM EDT       http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=6ED0E866-18FE-70B2-A8D1308E283D9326

President Barack Obama is rejecting talk that U.S.-Israel relations are in a meltdown. Relations have been strained since administration officials delivered rare harsh public rebukes after an Israeli announcement of approval of new housing units in East Jerusalem during Vice President Joseph Biden’s visit there last week.

Asked in a Fox News interview Wednesday whether the falling out amounted to a “crisis,” Obama said flatly, “No.”

“Israel’s one of our closest allies and we and the Israeli people have a special bond that’s not going to go away. But friends are going to disagree sometimes,” the president said. “There is a disagreement in terms of how we can move this peace process forward…The actions that were taken by the Interior Minister in Israel weren’t helpful to that process, Prime Minister Netanyahu acknowledged as much and apologized for it.”

Obama insisted that despite the highly-public criticism of Israel by various U.S. officials, including Biden and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the U.S. is being fair to both sides.

“Yesterday, when there were riots by the Palestinians against a synagogue that had been reopened we condemned them in the same way because what we need right now is both sides to recognize that it is in their interests to move this peace process forward,” Obama told Fox.

During a hallway exchange that followed a lengthier interview on health care reform, Obama was also asked if his foreign policy would be “a failure” if Iran manages to build a nuclear weapon.

“It is one of our highest priorities to make sure that Iran doesn’t possess a nuclear weapon. That is why I’ve worked so hard to mobilize the international community, successfully, to isolate Iran,” the president said.

Obama acknowledged that his early ambitions of drawing the Iranian regime to the negotiating table have met with little success.

“The Iranian government has been more concerned about preventing their people from exercising their democratic and human rights than trying to solve this problem diplomatically. That’s why we’re going to go after aggressive sanctions,” the president said.

Obama said he hasn’t “taken any options off the table” for resolving the nuclear impasse. “It’s a problem we need to solve because, if Iran gets a nuclear weapon, you could potentially see a nuclear arms race throughout the Middle East and that would be tremendously damaging to our national security interests,” he said.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Oren: For Israel and America, a Disagreement, Not a Crisis

 

For Israel and America, a Disagreement, Not a Crisis

Washington

ISRAEL and America enjoy a deep and multi-layered friendship, but even the closest allies can sometimes disagree. Such a disagreement began last week during Vice President Joseph Biden’s visit to Israel, when a mid-level official in the Interior Ministry announced an interim planning phase in the expansion of Ramat Shlomo, a northern Jerusalem neighborhood. While this discord was unfortunate, it was not a historic low point in United States-Israel relations; nor did I ever say that it was, contrary to some reports.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had no desire during a vice presidential visit to highlight longstanding differences between the United States and Israel on building on the other side of the 1949 armistice line that once divided Jerusalem. The prime minister repeatedly apologized for the timing of the announcement and pledged to prevent such embarrassing incidents from recurring. In reply, the Obama administration asked Israel to reaffirm its commitment to the peace process and to its bilateral relations with the United States. Israel is dedicated to both.

We should not, however, allow peace efforts, or the America-Israel alliance, to be compromised by Israel’s policy on Jerusalem. That policy is not Mr. Netanyahu’s alone but was also that of former Prime Ministers Ehud Barak, Yitzhak Rabin, Shimon Peres and Golda Meir — in fact of every Israeli government going back to the city’s reunification in 1967. Consistently, Israel has held that Jerusalem should remain its undivided capital and that both Jews and Arabs have the right to build anywhere in the city.

This policy certainly applies to neighborhoods like Ramat Shlomo, which, though on land incorporated into Israel in 1967, are home to nearly half of the city’s Jewish population. Isolated from Arab neighborhoods and within a couple of miles of downtown Jerusalem, these Jewish neighborhoods will surely remain a part of Israel after any peace agreement with the Palestinians. Israelis across the political spectrum are opposed to restrictions on building in these neighborhoods, and even more opposed to the idea of uprooting hundreds of thousands of their fellow citizens.

Though not uncontested, Israel’s policy on Jerusalem did not preclude the conclusion of peace agreements with Egypt and Jordan. Nor did it prevent the Palestinians from negotiating with Israel for more than 15 years after the Oslo accords of 1993. Consistently, Israelis have demonstrated remarkable flexibility as well as generosity to any Arab leader genuinely offering peace.

Indeed, while maintaining the longstanding Israeli position on Jerusalem, the Netanyahu government has unilaterally frozen new construction projects in the West Bank and has removed dozens of roadblocks to allow Palestinian transportation and commerce. The Israeli government acknowledges that the Palestinians have their own stance on Jerusalem, which they will surely raise at the negotiating table.

Unfortunately, Palestinian leaders have balked at face-to-face negotiations, insisting on new preconditions, including the annulment of Israel’s Jerusalem policy. Recently they have encouraged violent demonstrations in the Old City, and have named a square in the West Bank city of Ramallah in honor of Dalal Mughrabi, a terrorist who in 1978 killed 38 Israeli civilians, among them 13 children, and an American photographer, Gail Rubin. Israel expects the Palestinians to stop such incitement and to cease sponsoring attacks against Israel’s legitimacy, like the deeply slanted Goldstone report on the Gaza war.

Despite these Palestinian actions, Israel wants to begin “proximity talks” — indirect negotiations involving United States intermediaries — which we hope will lead to a direct dialogue and a historic and permanent peace. But the only way to negotiate a peace agreement is to begin negotiations.

To achieve peace, Israel is asked to take monumental risks, including sacrificing land next to our major industrial areas and cities. Previous withdrawals, from Lebanon and Gaza, brought not peace but rather thousands of rockets raining down on our neighborhoods.

Though Israel will always ultimately rely on the courage of its own defense forces, America’s commitment to Israel’s security is essential to give Israelis the confidence to take risks for peace. Similarly, American-Israeli cooperation is vital to meeting the direst challenge facing both countries and the entire world: denying nuclear weapons to Iran.

Israel appreciates President Obama’s commitment to a comprehensive peace that guarantees Israel’s security and Jewish identity, and provides for a Palestinian state. To ensure that such a state is peaceful, Prime Minister Netanyahu has said that it must be demilitarized and that Palestinians must recognize Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people, just as Israel is asked to recognize a future Palestinian state as the nation-state of the Palestinians.

Though we may disagree with the White House at certain stages of the peace process, we must never allow such differences to obscure the purpose we share or to raise doubts about the unbreakable bonds between us.

During his visit, Vice President Biden declared that support for Israel is “a fundamental national self-interest on the part of the United States” and that America “has no better friend in the community of nations than Israel.” The people of Israel, in turn, view the strengthening of their relations with the United States as a paramount national objective. Because we share fundamental values — democracy, respect for individual rights and the rule of law — our friendship can sustain occasional disagreements, and remain unassailably solid.


 

'Simpsons visit Israel' to be aired March 28

From Ha'aretz  3/17/2010

The first images from the upcoming episode of The Simpsons, in which the animated family visits Israel, were released this week after six months of buzz over the special show to be aired in the United States on March 28.

The episode, titled "The Greatest Story Ever D'ohed," includes scenes of Homer and Bart at the Western Wall with their Israeli tour guide, who will be voiced by British comedian Sascha Baron Cohen, of Borat and Bruno fame.

CUFI activists e-blast White House on 'crisis'

WASHINGTON (JTA.org) -- Pro-Israel U.S. Christians are e-mailing the White House every several seconds urging President Obama to "end the crisis" with Israel.

Christians United for Israel sent an action alert on Tuesday to its membership urging them to ask Obama to roll back criticism of Israel after last week's controversy, when Israel announced approval of a plan to build 1,600 apartments in a fervently Orthodox eastern Jerusalem neighborhood during a visit by U.S. Vice President Joe Biden. U.S. officials condemned the announcement as an "insult" and an "affront."

The CUFI action alert asks the president to "end this unnecessary crisis, return to a more productive approach, and stand with our ally Israel."

As of Tuesday evening, CUFI said more than 11,000 emails had been sent -- a rate of one every one or two seconds.

"The strong response of the Christian Zionist community on this issue reflects their steadfast commitment to standing with Israel," Ari Morgenstern, a CUFI spokesman, told JTA. "Christian friends of Israel are capable of distinguishing between temporary disputes between friends, and the deeper ties that bind our two countries.”  

CUFI held one of its signature "Nights to Honor Israel" in Jerusalem last week.  Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the event, attended by over one thousand CUFI activists. The CUFI leadership also met with other Israeli leaders, including President Shimon Peres and Defense Minister Ehud Barak.

Israel's ambassador and White House deny 'crisis quotes'

March 17, 2010

Oren, White House deny 'crisis quotes'

WASHINGTON (JTA.org) -- Israel's ambassador to Washington and the White House denied remarks that have fueled the current Israel-U.S. crisis.

Israel's Michael Oren was quoted this week by Ha'aretz as saying that relations were at a 35-year-low after Israel embarrassed Vice President Joe Biden during visit to the region by announcing a massive housing start in Jerusalem.

On Tuesday evening, Oren issued a statement flatly denying that account of a conference call he had Saturday night with Israeli diplomats.

"I was flagrantly misquoted about remarks I made in a confidential briefing this past Saturday," Oren said in a statement. "Recent events do not -- I repeat -- do not represent the lowest point in the relations between Israel and the United States. Though we differ on certain issues, our discussions are being conducted in an atmosphere of cooperation as befitting long-standing relations between allies. I am confident that we will overcome these differences shortly."

Separately, numerous media quoted senior White House officials as denying an account in Yediot Achronot last week that Biden had told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Israel was endangering the lives of American troops in the region.

"He never said that, and there's no basis to assert that he did," The Atlantic quoted one official as saying. "What he did say in a meeting with the prime minister and his senior advisers and his own team was that the U.S. is doing a number of things in our national security interest, and in Israel's national security interest, and they include a strong effort to build a coalition against Iran's nuclear program; deploying 200,000 troops in conflict areas in the region; standing against efforts to delegitimize Israel in various international bodies, sometimes virtually alone; acting decisively against terrorists in very significant ways; and building probably the strongest defense cooperation relationship with Israel that we've seen, including on missile defense."

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Israeli police predict continued violence in Jerusalem on Wednesday


Fifteen police officers and some 40 Palestinian protesters were injured in East Jerusalem on Tuesday in a series of clashes during the orchestrated "Day of Rage" announced by Hamas.

Police predict that Palestinian rioters will continue to stage violent protests on Wednesday in East Jerusalem and elsewhere. [ Ha'aretz,  http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1157014.html ]
----

Several buses stoned in Jaffa

Two buses travelling through Jaffa were pelted with stones on Tuesday evening. There were no reports of injuries and no suspects were arrested, but one of the vehicles' windowpane was smashed. The incident took place on two of Jaffa's main streets - Jerusalem Avenue and Yefet Street.

The circumstances of the incident were unclear, but the police were looking into a possible link to the "day of rage" events in Jerusalem. [ ynet  http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3863821,00.html]


Conference of Presidents on U.S. -Israel Relations


STATEMENT BY CONFERENCE OF PRESIDENTS CHAIRMAN ALAN SOLOW AND EXECUTIVE VICE CHAIRMAN MALCOLM HOENLEIN ON U.S.-ISRAEL RELATIONS

New York, March 16, 2010 … Alan Solow, Chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations and Malcolm Hoenlein, Executive Vice Chairman, issued the following statement.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s upcoming visit to the United States, coming shortly after Vice President Biden’s visit to Israel, provides an important opportunity for long time allies to reassert their shared interests, including the fight against extremism, the necessity of stopping Iran from developing nuclear weapons capability and the importance of moving forward expeditiously on a viable peace process. During his time in Israel, the Vice President forcefully affirmed that the bond between the United States and Israel was unbreakable, and that progress in the Middle East peace process can only be made when there is no daylight between Israel and the United States when it comes to the security of Israel.

The controversy which has arisen regarding Israel’s planning process for future development in its capital city in the form of the construction of 1600 new housing units within the declared municipal boundaries of Jerusalem was addressed during Vice President Biden’s trip by Prime Minister Netanyahu’s apology and Vice President Biden’s statement of understanding and recognition of the importance of a continuing close relationship. The unusually harsh comments made since then by members of the Administration have resulted in increased tensions. The interests of all concerned would best be served by a prompt commencement of the proximity talks that had been previously agreed to by all parties, and all parties should act in a manner that does not undercut such talks. We urge the United States and Israel to resolve the controversy with the use of language reflecting their historic friendship.

Israel has consistently stated that it is prepared to return to direct negotiations with the Palestinian Authority without preconditions, and recently has agreed to enter into proximity talks that would lead to face-to-face discussions. The Palestinians also had agreed to such proximity talks. Notwithstanding that apparent sign of progress, the Palestinians and their supporters in the Arab League have repeatedly looked for ways to avoid discussions that might lead to a peace agreement and have imposed conditions never demanded of previous Israeli governments. Despite this, Prime Minister Netanyahu and his government have declared an unprecedented settlement freeze in the West Bank and have taken important steps to remove roadblocks and to otherwise promote conditions to improve life in the Palestinian territories. This conduct by Israel, supported by the United States, together with action undertaken by the Palestinian Authority, has resulted in tangible improvement for those living under the control of the Palestinian Authority. The United States of America should capitalize on these improved conditions and insist that the Palestinians operate in good faith and live up to their commitment to begin new talks.

The recent disclosure by Israel of its intention to build additional housing units in eastern Jerusalem at a future date does not contradict its announced commitment to freeze settlement building for a limited period, and a cessation to building in Jerusalem was never a condition of the proximity talks. Israel has always claimed a right to build in its capital city. The apparent refusal by the Palestinian Authority to avoid discussions now until the plans regarding the 1600 future units are withdrawn is yet another instance of the Palestinians missing an opportunity to move toward a resolution of the conflict. The true test of peaceful intentions is the willingness to engage in negotiations.

Israel’s commitment to participate in proximity talks is in sharp distinction to the continued incitement by the Palestinian Authority and its public relations organs which have consistently acted in violation of its agreements with Israel. Only last week, coincident with the visit of Vice President Biden to the region, the Palestinians went ahead with the dedication of  a public square in honor of  Dalal Mughrabi, a terrorist who was responsible for the massacre of 37 Israelis and American photographer Gail Rubin in 1978. It is such conduct which merits the attention and condemnation of those who seek to achieve peace.
 

###

The Conference of Presidents is the central coordinating body representing 51 national Jewish organizations on issues of national and international concern.

Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations
633 Third Avenue, 21st Floor, New York, NY 10017
Tel. 212-318-6111  /  Fax 212-644-4135
Email: info@conferenceofpresidents.org
www.conferenceofpresidents.org

Monday, March 15, 2010

Rubin: Explaining the U.S. -Israel crisis

What are the real issues involved?

By Barry Rubin,   March 15, 2010

It is important to understand that the current controversy over construction in east Jerusalem is neither a public relations’ problem nor a bilateral policy dispute. It arises because of things having nothing directly to do with this specific point.

What are the real issues involved:

1. The U.S. and most European governments are determined not to criticize the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) sabotage of the peace process. The facts are clear: The PA rejects negotiations for fourteen months. No reaction. The PA makes President Barack Obama look foolish by destroying his September 2009 initiative saying there would be talks within two months. The PA broke its promise to Obama not to sponsor the Goldstone report. In the end, the PA still won’t talk directly. Yet during fourteen months in office the Obama administration has not criticized the PA once. The point is clear: The U.S. government will never criticize the PA no matter what it does. (We’ll talk about why this is so in a moment.)

2. Same thing regarding Syria. Dictator Bashar al-Assad supports terrorists who kill the United States in Iraq; kills Lebanese politicians; openly laughs at U.S. policy; and invites Iran’s president immediately after a major U.S. concession. Yet the Obama Administration makes no criticism and in fact offers more concessions.

3. The United States will criticize Iran but will not take a tough and vigorous stand against it. Now it is mid-March and no higher sanctions. Indeed, the administration’s sanctions’ campaign is falling apart.

4. On whom can the Administration’s failures be blamed? Answer: Israel. Since it is a friend of the United States and to some degree dependent on it, no matter what the Obama Administration does to Israel that country has no wish or way to retaliate. It is safe to beat up on Israel.

5. By doing so, the Administration gets Europeans to go alone easily and can say to Arabs and Muslims: See we are tough on Israel so you should be nice to us.

6. What does the U.S. government want? A lot of things. An easier withdrawal from Iraq; popularity; quiet; nobody attacking it verbally or materially (at least not so its constituents will hear the attacks); an ability to claim success or at least claim it would have been successful on the peace process if not for Israel; supposedly, Arab support for its doing something on Iran; hopefully, less terrorism; and so on.

7. There is also an ideological aspect given the Administration’s general worldview, which need not be repeated here at length. But large elements in the government apparently have so accepted the manifestly untrue idea that everything in the region is linked to the Arab-Israeli conflict that high-level officials have reportedly remarked that the construction of apartments in east Jerusalem jeopardize the lives of American soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan or that Arab states won't cooperate with the United States because of the U.S.-Israel relationship.

The argument that U.S.-Arab relations rests on U.S.-Israel relations has been repeated for a half-century and repeatedly proven wrong. American attempts to resolve the conflict have rarely received help from the Arab world, and often been bitterly opposed. At the same time, Arab states have repetedly functioned on the basis of their own interests to seek U.S. help because they recognized American power: to convoy tankers and deter Iran during the Iran-Iraq war, to reverse Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, to protect them from Iran and revolutionary Islamists today, and in dozens of other cases. They may say that everything depends on Israel but that is propaganda.

By the same token, if the Arab world--that is the relative moderates--isn't being helpful to the United States now, this is due to the fact that such action is often against the interests of states and precisely because they do not view America as a strong and reliable power today. That is the result of Administration policies.

No matter what the Administration does to Israel, these things won't change. In short, the Administration is falling for the oldest trick, the most venerable con-game, in the Middle East book: Move away from Israel, pressure Israel, solve the conflict, and all the Arab governments will love America and do what it wants them to do.

What makes this even more ridiculous is that now the United States is focusing on Iran and Afghanistan, places where Israel-Palestinian issues clearly have zero effect on events. Sunni and Shia Iraqis aren't in conflict because of Israel; Sunni insurgents aren't attacking American troops because of Israel. Al-Qaida and the Taliban aren't fighting to seize power in Afghanistan and Pakistan because of Israel. And al-Qaida isn't seeking to overturn all Arab regimes, create an Islamist government, and destroy any Western role in the Middle East because of Israel.

And even if the Israel issue may be one factor affecting the attitudes of Arabs toward revolutionary Islamism it is only a single factor among many. The people prone to supporting revolutionary Islamism won't interpret an American conflict with Israel as showing the goodness of Obama but the weakness of Obama and the coming triumph of Iran in the region.

8. The handling of this issue is also counterproductive because it ensures Israel-Palestinian talks won't get going again. After all, if the United States is so angry at Israel why should the PA and Arab states defuse the crisis? They will raise their demands because they win either way: If the United States forces Israel to make more concessions then they get something for nothing. But if Israel doesn't make those concessions then it gets blamed for the impasse and the Arab side profits from reduced U.S. support for Israel. As for the radical forces--Iran, Syria, Hamas, and Hizballah--they aren't going to become pro-American or support a real peace process no matter what happens.

Consequently, just as with the original demand for a freeze on construction, the Administration has once gain shot itself in the foot. The chances for even indirect talks in 2010 has gone to virtually zero as a result. Israel didn't do it; the U.S. government did. Ironically, the United States will end up losing more from this than Israel because nothing much is going to be altered regarding Israel-Palestinian issues but a great deal is changing in the larger regional situation.

Why is this all not more worrisome for Israel? This is so for several reasons. First, the Administration is not going to do much or anything against Israel in material terms. It is not a tough government and doesn’t want confrontations. Its goal is not to injure Israel but to make itself look good. Moreover, it knows that pushing harder won’t bring any reward since Israel won’t yield and the peace process is going nowhere.

Second, Israel is protected by a very strongly favorable American public opinion and by Congress. At this point, Congress is no longer cowed by Obama. Indeed, the Democrats are angry with him for endangering their survival by the unpopular actions he is pressing on them. They know that the November elections look very bad for them. Taking on Israel will make things even worse. And they also have a better understanding of the radical forces in the region and the threat they pose. In other words, they are not so far left as is the White House. After the November elections, the Administration will be on even weaker political ground, especially vis-à-vis Israel.

Third, the Obama Administration’s strategy won’t work. The radicals will become more aggressive; the more moderate Arabs know that the Administration won’t credibly defend them. Sensing blood (albeit mistakenly) the PA will raise its demands higher. The PA could only exploit the opportunity if it demanded final status talks—something it would never do—and try to get the best possible peace agreement with U.S. support. But since they won’t deliver for the Administration, they won’t collect much from it.

Eventually, the extremism of Iran, Syria, the Iraqi insurgents, Hamas, Hizballah, Libya, and to a lesser degree the PA will force a shift in U.S. strategy. Either the Obama Administration will adjust accordingly—at least partly—or will not survive its own electoral test. (This is not to underrate economic factors, which remain the highest priority for Americans, but it is unlikely that these will “save” the Administration, quite the contrary. A continuing economic mess plus foreign policy disasters would make its situation worse.)

This current crisis will blow over when the Administration grows tired of it and has wrung all the benefits it can from the issue, and not before.

Optional notes: This is not to underrate the importance of the bad timing by an Israeli ministry, letting the PA pretend that Israel wrecked a negotiating opportunity. The one thing a politician can never forgive is someone else making him look bad. Unfortunately, this Administration is only concerned about friends making it look bad, letting enemies get away with it repeatedly.

But a more serious U.S. government would not have let that game happen and would have been more even-handed in attributing blame. Such a government would have seized on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s apology, asked that the building be postponed, and pushed the two sides together to talk. Instead, the Obama Administration just accepted the PA walk out as if it were powerless to do anything.

I have been informed that on a number of occasions that my criticisms of the Obama Administration have led to my being denied certain opportunities regarding projects and writing venues. I can only repeat that my criticism is a response to the government’s policies. I’d be far happier if they had a better policy and more competent implementation so that it would be possible to praise the government of the United States rather than have to criticize it.

Barry Rubin is director of the Global Research in International Affairs (GLORIA) Center and editor of the Middle East Review of International Affairs (MERIA) Journal. See the GLORIA/MERIA site at www.gloria-center.org.

Obama Israel policy: pro (Tom Friedman), con (Wall Street Journal)

Day after political journalist Thomas Friedman slams Israel for authorizing east Jerusalem building, the Wall Street Journal sides with Israel, criticizes Obama's foreign policy: 'When it comes to Israel, no trouble raising pitch'    
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Published: 03.15.10,  Ynetnews

US newspapers also go head-to-head regarding the crisis between the US and Israel over the cabinet's approval of 1,600 housing units in east Jerusalem during US Vice President Joe Biden's visit. Leading political journalists in the US fall on opposite sides of the fence in their opinions of the affair.

The Wall Street Journal published an op-ed Monday scathingly criticizing well-known New York Times' journalist Thomas Friedman's assault on Israel published Sunday.


AIPAC: US-Israel tension matter of serious concern / Yitzhak Benhorin

American Israel Public Affairs Committee issues statement expressing concern following recent crisis over east Jerusalem construction, calls on Obama administration to 'take immediate steps to diffuse tension with Jewish state'
Full Story

Friedman wrote that upon receiving notice of the east Jerusalem construction, Biden "should have snapped his notebook shut, gotten right back on Air Force Two, flown home and left the following scribbled note behind: 'Message from America to the Israeli government: Friends don’t let friends drive drunk. And right now, you’re driving drunk. You think you can embarrass your only true ally in the world, to satisfy some domestic political need, with no consequences? You have lost total contact with reality. Call us when you’re serious.'"
"Israel needs a wake-up call. Continuing to build settlements in the West Bank, and even housing in disputed east Jerusalem, is sheer madness… Israel’s planned housing expansion now raises questions about whether Israel will ever be willing to concede a Palestinian capital in Arab neighborhoods of East Jerusalem — a big problem," wrote Friedman.

Our friends are being disrespected

In response, the Wall Street Journal op-ed wrote that the Obama administration "has endorsed 'healthy relations' between Iran and Syria, mildly rebuked Syrian President Bashar Assad for accusing the US of 'colonialism,' and publicly apologized to Muammar Gadhafi for treating him with less than appropriate deference after the Libyan called for 'a jihad' against Switzerland."

However, when it comes to Israel, "the administration has no trouble rising to a high pitch of public indignation," wrote the article entitled "Obama's Turn Against Israel."
Not even "repeated apologies from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prevented Secretary of State Hillary Clinton—at what White House sources ostentatiously said was the personal direction of President Obama—from calling the announcement 'an insult to the United States,'" stated the opinion piece.
"Since nobody is defending the Israeli announcement, least of all an obviously embarrassed Israeli government, it's difficult to see why the Administration has chosen this occasion to spark a full-blown diplomatic crisis with its most reliable Middle Eastern ally… If Israel senses that the Administration is looking for any pretext to blow up relations, it will care much less how the US might react to a military strike on Iran.'
The financial newspaper took an opposite stance on West Bank settlements than that adopted by the Obama administration: "As for the West Bank settlements, it is increasingly difficult to argue that their existence is the key obstacle to a peace deal with the Palestinians. Israel withdrew all of its settlements from Gaza in 2005, only to see the Strip transform itself into a Hamas statelet and a base for continuous rocket fire against Israeli civilians."
"This episode does fit Mr. Obama's foreign policy pattern to date: Our enemies get courted; our friends get the squeeze. It has happened to Poland, the Czech Republic, Honduras and Colombia. Now it's Israel's turn," quipped the Wall Street Journal.

National JCPA Calls on the Presbyterian Church to Revise Anti-Israel Report

JCRC's parent organization, The Jewish Council for Public Affairs calls on the Presbyterian Church (USA) to revise its anti-Israel report

JCPA finds Church’s Report on Israel and the Middle East is Biased and Flawed
NEW YORK – A Presbyterian Church (USA) report, to be considered at the church’s General Assembly later this year, is blatantly anti-Israel and reduces the Arab-Israeli-Palestinian conflict to a caricature of right and wrong, says a leading Jewish advocacy organization.
The Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA), an outspoken critic of the Presbyterian Church (PCUSA)’s repeated attempts to delegitimize the State of Israel, has extensively studied the report, which will be debated at the church’s General Assembly later this year.
After analysis, JCPA finds the PCUSA report makes highly selective use of sacred texts, historical events, and current realities to build a narrative against the Jewish state. Furthermore, JCPA was dismayed to read that the General Assembly will be called upon to blame Israel for “Palestinian resistance,” dismissing the threat posed by Palestinian groups that are sworn to destroy Israel.  The Presbyterian Church makes more than a dozen demands for changes in Israeli policy or U.S. policy toward Israel.   The few recommendations made for Palestinian or Iranian reforms are generally paired with additional demands on Israel.   The report singles out one American company for rebuke for its sales to dealers in Israel.  The PCUSA report theologizes the conflict to allow for the condemnation of Israel using biblical sources and to deny support for Israel using the same sources.  It embraces the Kairos Palestinian document, which uses the words “evil” and “sin” to describe Israeli actions.
JCPA also points out that although the PCUSA report is highly critical of the Jewish community, the committee that produced it had virtually no consultation or dialogue with the mainstream American Jewish community.
“We are dismayed by the Presbyterian Church (USA)’s latest attempts to pressure the Christian community to delegitimize and demonize the State of Israel.  We hope that before this report is brought for a vote at the church’s General Assembly, significant revisions are made,” said Rabbi Steve Gutow, president of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs.  “It is unfortunate that although the Presbyterian Church insists it is only seeking a peaceful two-state resolution, it continues to give lip service to Palestinian responsibility, blaming Israel even for attacks made against Israel.  We hope Presbyterians will reject resources like the anti-Israel Kairos document that use words like ‘evil’ and ‘sin’ to denounce Israel.  That can only lead to demonization, the antithesis of the civility we need in our public discourse.  We are very concerned about the future of Presbyterian-Jewish relations.”
JCPA, the public affairs arm of the organized Jewish community, serves as the national coordinating and advisory body for the 14 national and 125 local agencies comprising the field of Jewish community relations.  JCPA is online at http://www.jewishpublicaffairs.org.   It's local affiliate, the Jewish Community Relations Commission of the Jewish Federation of Greater Des Moines may be contacted at jcrc@dmjfed.org.

Friday, March 12, 2010

Hoenlein radio commentary provides insight into Jewish current events

Malcolm Hoenlein, Executive Vice Chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, is an articulate commentator on topics of Jewish concern.


If you would like to hear a moderate, authoritative perspective on Jewish current events, particularly on international Jewish issues, listen to Hoenlein on the John Batchelor Show on WABC-AM

Live over the Internet, most Thursdays, 9:30 pm - 10:30 pm Central
or on demand from WABC's website.

Thursday, March 11, 2010    Topic: IRAN    GUESTS: Co-host Malcolm Hoenlein, Conference of Presidents; Ahmed Ali, The Washington Institute; Danny Ayalon, Deputy Foreign Minister of Israel

 
Malcolm Hoenlein serves as Executive Vice Chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, the coordinating body on international and national concerns for 52 national Jewish organizations.  Previously, he served as the founding Executive Director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater New York

Thursday, March 11, 2010

REBORN HURVA SYNAGOGUE TO OPEN IN JERUSALEM, MARCH 15

New York - March 11, 2010: A reborn Hurva Synagogue will open to the public on March 15, after an extensive four-year construction project in the Old City of Jerusalem. 



Built in 1864 atop ruins of an earlier synagogue, the Hurva Synagogue was the largest and considered the most important synagogue in Jerusalem.

It was destroyed in 1948 during Israel's War of Independence.





After the city was reunified in 1967, a 52-foot arch was erected on the site to commemorate the giant dome of the destroyed building, and this arch has been incorporated into the dome that is the centerpiece of the new building.





The new Hurva Synagogue features wall paintings based on the building's original murals, including depictions of the Tower of David, Rachel's Tomb, the Sea of Galilee and the Cave of the Patriarchs.



"The opening of the Hurva Synagogue is a highly anticipated and historic event in Jerusalem," says Arie Sommer, Commissioner for Tourism, North and South America, "And the re-imagined wall paintings will bring new life to one of Israel's most important synagogues."

Travelers will also be able to participate in free daytime tours and nighttime sound and light presentations. 

For more information, visit http://www.jewish-quarter.org.il/. For more information on travel to Israel, visit www.goisrael.com.

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Biden: No space between U.S., Israel

Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made statements to the media Monday after their two-hour meeting in Jerusalem.

"There is no space between the United States and Israel when it comes to Israel’s security, and for that reason and many others addressing Iran’s nuclear program has been one of our administration’s priorities," Biden said.

Biden and Netanyahu's talks reportedly focused on the Iran nuclear issue. The U.S. leader reportedly warned Netanyahu not to order a unilateral strike on Iran, and worked to get him on board with allowing U.S.-backed increased sanctions to have time to work.

Biden praised Israel for agreeing to enter into indirect peace talks with the Palestinians.

"We hope that these talks will lead, and they must lead eventually, to negotiations and direct discussions between the parties," he said. "The goal is obviously to resolve the final-status issues to achieve a two-state solution with Israel and a Palestine living side by side in peace and security.

"An historic peace is going to require both parties to make some historically bold commitments. You have done it before and I’m confident for real peace you would do it again."

Biden called on Israel to work for a comprehensive peace with the Palestinians, Syria and Lebanon, as well as normalizing relationships with the entire Arab world. 

Netanyahu called Biden "a real friend to me, and a real friend to Israel and to the Jewish people."

Jewish Telegrahic Agency report    http://bit.ly/aIyW0c


 

Monday, March 8, 2010

US govt contractor Alan Gross still in Cuban jail for assisting Jewish community


Of current interest: (AFP) – Feb 19, 2010

US demands immediate release of American held in Cuba

HAVANA — The United States demanded Friday the "immediate release" of an American contractor who has been detained in Cuba since December, the US State Department said.

A visiting high-level US delegation engaged in immigration talks with Havana "raised the case of the US citizen detained in Cuba on December 4 and called for his immediate release," said a statement from the US Interests Section, Washington's mission in the communist-ruled country.

The US government has identified the man, 60-year-old Alan Gross, as a government contractor with Development Alternatives Inc (DAI) of Bethesda, Maryland, just outside Washington, who was seeking to help Jewish groups communicate with people outside the country by distributing mobile phones and computers.

Havana has slammed him as a US spy seeking to harm the communist regime, with President Raul Castro saying Gross used "sophisticated" communications equipment to help opposition groups in their role as "mercenaries" for the United States.

Friday's statement was signed by State Department spokesman Philip Crowley, although he was not in Havana.

The US delegation was led by Craig Kelly, the principal deputy assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs, President Barack Obama's highest-ranking envoy to Cuba for fresh talks on migration issues with the island nation.

See also:  Hapless in Havana   A contractor for USAID is still in jail in Cuba. Why was he there in the first place -- and what can Washington do to bring him back?  http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2010/02/23/hapless_in_havana

Turkey rejects Israel's offer of post-quake aid


Ankara declines Jerusalem's proposal to assist search and rescue operations following 6.0-magnitude earthquake which hit country's east.
                                                   03.08.10 abridged from ynetnews.com

Defense Minister Ehud Barak instructed the defense establishment to put together an aid proposal for Turkey, following the earthquake that hit the country's eastern region Monday, only to be rejected by Ankara. Barak's office said that Turkey informed Israel that it did not require assistance at this time.

The 6.0-magnitude quake shook the Elazig province in eastern Turkey around 4:30 am (GMT). Some 57 people were killed and over 40 aftershocks have been registered since, the strongest reaching 5.5 on the Richter Scale.

Jerusalem's relations with Ankara have deteriorated greatly over the past year... 
The growing tensions have seen Turkey cancel a joint military exercise scheduled to take place between the two air forces.
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http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3859699,00.html


Thursday, March 4, 2010

Hitchens: Islamic Jihad is among the toxic forms of anti-Semitism

Christopher Hitchens decries anti-Semitism in lecture at UCLA

Christopher Hitchens, an internationally known columnist, intellectual and author whose provocative books and essays in Slate, Vanity Fair, the Atlantic and other publications have hammered at organized religion, the Clintons, Winston Churchill and Mother Teresa alike, appeared Wednesday, March 3, before a packed audience at UCLA to portray anti-Semitism as "the godfather of all other forms of racism" and "the gateway to the tyranny of fascism and war."
 
Hitchens urged his audience to "be discerning in picking out the real enemies and toxic forms of anti-Semitism, such as that posed by Islamic jihad."
 
Click to view a video of Hitchen's  Daniel Pearl Memorial Lecture.

Israel Expects Peace Talks with Palestinians to Begin Next Week


Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel hopes to begin peace negotiations with the Palestinians next week, during a visit by U.S. envoy George Mitchell. 

Mr. Netanyahu spoke to his Cabinet a day after the Arab League endorsed indirect peace talks for a period of four months.

The prime minister said direct talks are necessary to reach a peace agreement, but indirect talks are an acceptable way to restart the diplomatic process.

Palestinian officials say the first order of business during the four-month talks is charting the borders of a future Palestinian state.

(Voice of America)

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Iran asserts: no intention of complying w nuclear obligations

White House: Tehran has no intention of fulfilling nuclear obligations

Published:  03.02.10, Israel News

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said Iran has clarified that it has no intention of fulfilling its obligations regarding its nuclear program, and called Tehran's approach "worrying." (AFP)

J Street U statement opposing Israel Apartheid Week


J Street U Reiterates Opposition to BDS, "Israel Apartheid Week"

Posted:Monday, March 1st, 2010

J Street and J Street U released the following statement today as "Israel Apartheid Week" begins on a number of campuses around North America:

As "Israel Apartheid Week" comes to campuses across North America this week to advocate for boycotts, divestment, and sanctions against Israel, J Street and J Street U reiterate our strong opposition to the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement. 

The BDS movement, whose dogmatic, counterproductive approach underlies Israel Apartheid Week, aims to delegitimize Israel's very existence – making no distinction between West Bank settlements and Israel proper, and refusing to support a two-state solution that results in a viable Palestinian state and a secure, democratic Israel that is a homeland for the Jewish people, living side by side in peace and security. The BDS movement's lack of support for a two-state solution puts it well outside the mainstream of the entire political leadership of Israel, the Palestinian Authority, and the United States.

We also reject comparisons of Israel to South African apartheid. The analogy clearly implies that Israel is illegitimate, that it deserves a wholesale boycott, and suggests a single state for Israelis and Palestinians would be some sort of solution to the conflict, when in reality, it is a recipe for further violence, strife, and insecurity.

Further, the BDS movement wrongly places the entirety of blame for the conflict on Israel. Responsibility for the conflict does not rest exclusively with either the Israelis or the Palestinians, and moreover, this conflict will never be truly resolved if one side wins only at the other's loss.

The approach of the BDS movement only serves to deepen Israel's sense of isolation and thus harden Israelis against the compromises necessary to achieve peace, undermining the regular and inspiring cooperation between Israelis and Palestinians on the ground. This is singularly unhelpful particularly as the United States works to re-launch negotiations and as the window of opportunity for achieving a viable two-state solution grows ever smaller. 

Few events better exemplify the counterproductive polarization on campus than Israel Apartheid Week. J Street and J Street U are committed to an open, honest and civilized debate that allows students to work constructively towards adopting positions and actions that can help resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Therefore, we strongly oppose Israel Apartheid Week because we believe that it employs inflammatory, inaccurate language, misrepresents the complex truth of the conflict, undercuts debate, alienates significant numbers of students, and advances the agenda of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement.

We're proud to continue J Street U's "Invest, Don't Divest" campaign, which gives pro-peace students a concrete alternative to the BDS movement and an opportunity to invest in their campus debate, in their communities, and in the Israelis and Palestinians who will bring about the positive change needed to finally achieve two states and real peace and security for all.

 
Tammy Shapiro
Director
J Street U
tammy@jstreetu.org