IPF ‘heartened’ by Obama speech

The Israel Policy Forum is strongly applauding President Obama’s speech, saying it is "heartened" that he is "beginning to engage in the kind of sustained, tough U.S. diplomacy that will be needed in order to overcome the challenges currently facing a two-state solution and peace and security in the Middle East."

"The President reserved some of his sharpest language for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, demonstrating the strongest declaration yet by an American president in support of achieving peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians through a two-state solution," said the IPF statement. "As such, today’s direct and honest speech represents an important first step toward regaining America’s credibility as an honest broker of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and galvanizing the region toward a more peaceful and secure future."

In addition to praising Obama’s reiteration of the U.S.’s strong bonds with Israel, the organziation also lauded his emphasis on both the Israelis and Palestinians living up to their Road Map oblgations. It added that the president’s message to the Arab states that they "must recognize that the Arab Peace Initiative was an important beginning, but not the end of their responsibilities," is "a welcome sign that the President understands the importance of a regional approach to peacemaking in the region."

The full statement is after the jump:

As did the audience at Cairo University, Israel Policy Forum strongly applauds President Obama’s historic, bold and wide-ranging speech today calling for a "new beginning between the United States and Muslim around the world."

In particular, IPF welcomes the President’s pledge that he would "personally pursue" a two-state solution "with all the patience that the task requires."

The President reserved some of his sharpest language for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, demonstrating the strongest declaration yet by an American president in support of achieving peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians through a two-state solution.  As such, today’s direct and honest speech represents an important first step toward regaining America’s credibility as an honest broker of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and galvanizing the region toward a more peaceful and secure future.

Toward this end, IPF welcomes the President’s re-iteration that America’s bonds with Israel are "unbreakable" and declaration that "America will not turn our backs on the legitimate Palestinian aspirations for … a state of their own." 

In addition, IPF lauds President Obama’s message that all sides must live up to their respective Roadmap obligations, calling on the Palestinians to "abandon violence" and stating that "the United States does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlements," which "undermines efforts to achieve peace."

Furthermore, the President’s message to the Arab States that they "must recognize that the Arab Peace Initiative was an important beginning, but not the end of their responsibilities," is a welcome sign that the President understands the importance of a regional approach to peacemaking in the region.

Achieving a two-state solution, as IPF has long stated and as the President declared again today, "is in Israel’s interest, Palestine’s interest, America’s interest and the world’s interest."

Americans, Israelis and Palestinians must therefore not "see this conflict only from one side or the other," as the President said, or "we will be blind to the truth."

That is why Israel Policy Forum is heartened that President Obama is beginning to engage in the kind of sustained, tough U.S. diplomacy that will be needed in order to overcome the challenges currently facing a two-state solution and peace and security in the Middle East.     

Israel Policy Forum pledges to do all it can to strengthen the voices of the majority of Americans and American Jews who support the president’s efforts in this regard.