The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, in a statement of consensus, said today it “vigorously opposes and deplores any meetings–official or unofficial–with the Palestine Liberation Organization.” The text of the statement, which was adopted at a plenary meeting of the Presidents Conference Tuesday, was released today. The statement, introduced by David Blumberg, president of B’nai B’rith, said:
“The only purpose and possible result of such meetings is PLO propaganda aimed at providing this terrorist federation with an image of moderation and conciliation. We endorse and support the U.S. government’s steadfast refusal to meet with representatives of this terrorist organization. We are confident that the Administration will maintain this position, but we are concerned that any private meetings such as mentioned above with the PLO could tend to undermine the peace process.
“Peace can only be achieved by free and unfettered negotiation between parties to the conflict–Israel and the Arab states. Outside parties, be they foreign governments or individuals acting in private capacities, cannot take on the role of negotiators and could actually subvert progress on this front.”
Last month two PLO officials met with five Jews in Washington and a number of Jews in New York. All the Jews present said they were there as private individuals, not as representatives of any organizations for which they worked. Several, however, were reprimanded by their respective organizations for participating in the meetings.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
