Standing up for peace
The Community Relations Committee of MetroWest would like to publicly thank New Jersey Senators Menendez and Lautenberg for their strong support for S. Res 185 opposing Palestinian efforts to undermine the peace process.
In a show of overwhelming bipartisan support, the Senate passed the resolution. The resolution calls on the Obama administration to lead opposition to Palestinian efforts seeking UN recognition as an independent state and threatens a major change in United States relations with the Palestinian Authority if it includes an unreformed Hamas, including a suspension of aid. The resolution makes clear direct bilateral negotiations are the best hope for a meaningful and lasting peace agreement.
Sen. Menendez was one of the original sponsors of the Resolution.
During June, the CRC mobilized the community to contact their members of Congress in support of this resolution through CRC action alerts and the CRC section in the UJC e-newsletter. We are proud that all of our MetroWest representatives — Frelinghuysen, Garrett, Pascrell, Sires, and Lance — have signed on to the House Resolution (H. Res 268) with the exception of Rep. Payne.
Rather than responding to Israel’s efforts to negotiate peace, the P.A. is abandoning the peace process and engaging in diplomatic warfare against the Jewish state. By bypassing negotiations and seeking recognition of a Palestinian state at the United Nations this fall, the Palestinians are violating past agreements with Israel that commit the parties to direct talks. President Obama has publicly rejected the Palestinian approach at the UN and has committed to vetoing any UN resolution that calls for a Palestinian Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI).
PA President Abbas is also choosing reconciliation with Hamas over talks with Israel. Hamas has yet to accept the Quartet’s conditions of recognizing Israel’s right to exist, renouncing violence and endorsing previous Israeli-Palestinian peace agreements. A Palestinian unity government with an unreformed Hamas raises serious concerns for Israel.
We believe a two-state solution can only be successful if it is based on negotiations and agreements.
The CRC will keep the community updated on this situation and informed of advocacy opportunities that will take place leading up to the fall and during the opening of the UN General Assembly in September.
Steve Newmark
Chair, Government Relations Committee
CRC of United Jewish Communities of MetroWest NJ
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