The American Jewish Committee is applauding Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Sunday policy speech for "setting forth his vision" of Arab-Israeli peace.
“Prime Minister Netanyahu could not have been clearer about Israel’s desire to live in peace and security with all its Arab neighbors, including an independent Palestinian state,” said AJC executive director David Harris.
“We salute the prime minister’s call for immediate negotiations without preconditions with the Palestinian Authority,” said Harris, “and for his bold offer to go to Beirut, Damascus, and Riyadh to pursue peace. Arab leaders, we hope, will demonstrate similar goodwill by extending invitations to the Israeli leader and reciprocating the desire for visits to each other’s capitals in the pursuit of peace.”
The AJC press release does not specifically address Netanyahu’s statement that he would not support a Palestinian state until he received assurances that any Palestinian state must be demilitarized and the Palestinians recognize Israel as a Jewish state.
The AJC’s full statement is after the jump:[[READMORE]]
AJC Applauds Prime Minister Netanyahu’s Vision for Peace
June 14, 2009 – New York – AJC applauded Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for setting forth his vision today of Arab-Israeli peace.
“Prime Minister Netanyahu could not have been clearer about Israel’s desire to live in peace and security with all its Arab neighbors, including an independent Palestinian state,” said AJC Executive Director David Harris. As the prime minister declared, “No one in Israel wants war.”
“We salute the prime minister’s call for immediate negotiations without preconditions with the Palestinian Authority,” said Harris, “and for his bold offer to go to Beirut, Damascus, and Riyadh to pursue peace. Arab leaders, we hope, will demonstrate similar goodwill by extending invitations to the Israeli leader and reciprocating the desire for visits to each other’s capitals in the pursuit of peace.”
The prime minister set forth his vision in a major and much anticipated policy address delivered tonight at the Begin-Sadat Center of Bar-Ilan University.
“President Obama and Prime Minister Netanyahu have now expressed the shared U.S.-Israel commitment to achieve negotiated Arab-Israeli peace,” said Harris. “Let us hope that Palestinian and Arab leaders will seize the opportunity to join with Israel on the path of peace. As Egypt and Jordan already have found, Israel will be a willing partner.”
AJC fully agrees with the Israeli prime minister that the potential is enormous for regional cooperation in business, technology, tourism and other fields that can only further peace, development and mutual understanding, and urges Arab businessmen and governments to invest in the Palestinian territories and in joint projects with Israel.
But advancing peace also requires a clear understanding of history and of current challenges, said AJC.
As the prime minister stated, “To achieve peace, courage and honesty are necessary from both sides. The Palestinians must say – ‘Enough with this conflict. We recognize Israel’s right to exist, and want to live by their side.’”
