House & Senate Letters Urge President To Stick to
Peace Principles
(June 27, 2008)
In letters sent to President Bush, 88 Senators and
319 Representatives expressed strong support for the clear principles
required to reach peace between Israeli and Palestinians laid out by
the president in a landmark speech
last June 24. The Senate letter was authored by Sens. Barbara Boxer
(D-CA), Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Dick Durbin (R-IL) and John Ensign (R-NV),
while the House version was authored by Reps. Roy Blunt (R-MO), Steny
Hoyer (D-MD), Henry Hyde (R-IL) and Tom Lantos (D-CA). Text of the letters follows:
Senate Letter
Dear Mr. President:
We share with you the hope that new possibilities will
be presented for peace and security in the Middle East for both Israelis
and Palestinians.
As you work to resume peace negotiations between Israel
and Palestinians, we write to express our support for the guiding principles
you outlined in your June 24th speech. These principles are the establishment
of a new Palestinian leadership that is transparent, accountable, free
from the taint of terrorism, willing and able to dismantle terrorist
networks and committed to overhauling the Palestinian security apparatus
so that it truly fights terrorism, rather than engage in it. While recent
political changes in the Palestinian Authority are a positive step,
it is only the start of what is needed for the Palestinian people to
begin to see the realization of their political aspirations.
Many are urging you to short circuit this process and
to focus on timelines, rather than benchmarks of real performance. Actions-
no just promises- are necessary for real progress. As we have learned
from recent history, without a new, empowered Palestinian leadership
that is firmly committed to fighting terror, there is no one with whom
to negotiate and no point in making unilateral concessions.
The United States has developed a level of credibility
and trust with all parties in the region which no other country shares.
In addition, the parties themselves must engage in order for progress
to be lasting. Adding other parties, who do not have the confidence
of one or more of the principals, will be counter-productive.
In summary, Mr. President, we share you r belief that
real changes in the Palestinian leadership provide the possibility to
once again explore opportunities to bring real peace to that troubled
region of the world. Only by holding fast to those principles you outlined
in your June 24th speech can we hope to end the 30 months of terror
that have lead to nothing but misery for both Israelis and Palestinians.
House Letter
Dear Mr. President:
On the eve of dramatic changes in the Middle East,
we share with you the hope that new opportunities will develop in the
region - opportunities for a more democratic and peaceful region with
fewer direct threats to the United States and our interests. Recent
political changes in the Palestinian Authority also should provide new
opportunities to begin a meaningful negotiating process with Israel.
We applaud your willingness to request significant
new assistance for Israel in your supplemental request, which will allow
Israel to bear more easily some of the burdens of the current war to
disarm and liberate Iraq.
We write to express our support for your efforts to
resume peace negotiations based on the clear principles you outlined
in your June 24th speech. Those principles should underline and guide
any "roadmap" towards peace:
- above all, Palestinian terror and violence must cease;
- a new Palestinian leadership - with real authority - needs to be
established, free from the taint of terrorism and willing and able
to dismantle the terrorist network;
- there needs to be true accountability and transparency in Palestinian
governance; and
- the Palestinian security apparatus must be overhauled so that it
truly fights terrorism, rather than engages in it.
Only then can the Palestinian people begin to see some
of their political aspirations realized and only then can we expect
Israel to respond with concrete actions.
Many are urging you to short circuit this process and
to focus on timelines in achieving the roadmap's benchmarks. We believe
that you will not be dissuaded and will focus instead on real performance.
Without a new, empowered Palestinian leadership that is firmly engaged
in fighting terror, Israel has no one with whom to negotiate.
The United States has developed a level of credibility
and trust with all parties in the region which no other country shares.
We are concerned that certain nations or groups, if given a meaningful
role in monitoring progress made on the ground, might only lessen the
chances of moving forward on a realistic path towards peace.
In summary, Mr. President, we share your belief that
real changes in the Palestinian leadership provide the possibility to
explore once again opportunities to bring real peace to that troubled
region of the world. We support your consistent effort to bring about
such changes. Only by holding fast to those principles and working closely
with the government of Israel and new leaders in the Palestinian Authority
can we hope to end the 30 months of terror that have led to nothing
but misery for both Palestinians and Israelis.
Sources: AIPAC |