News Brief

A Jewish U.S. peace group called on President Bush to take bold steps toward Israeli-Palestinian peace. Americans For Peace Now sent a letter to the U.S. leader Friday urging him to immediately establish a U.S. mechanism to monitor the process, clarify that the “road map” requires both sides to honor their obligations, press both sides to formalize their negotiating teams, and insist that Palestinians fight violence and terror. The group also asked Bush to demand that Israel not jeopardize the peace process as well as transparency and accountability from the Palestinian Authority, and urge Israel to facilitate an economic recovery in the West Bank. It also asked the president to intervene in the growing conflict between Israel and Egypt along the Gaza Strip-Egypt border. “The desire to pressure Hamas notwithstanding, the dramatic deterioration in the health and welfare of civilians in Gaza over the past year represents an entirely man-made, and entirely avoidable, humanitarian tragedy,” Americans For Peace Now said in urging the president to address the humanitarian crisis there. “As we have said before, the pursuit of Middle East peace is not for the irresolute or faint of heart,” the group added. “It requires courage, vision, determination, tenacious leadership and a clear focus on the end-game.”