I hope that American Jews, and others who support a real two-state solution between Israel and the Arab world, will take a moment to support the current J-Street petition:
Israel’s recent announcement of 1,600 new housing units in East Jerusalem wasn't just a slap in the face to Vice President Joe Biden.
It was a wake-up call to us all that business-as-usual peace processing is bringing us no closer to ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. And now it may derail or delay the proximity talks just announced by Special Envoy Mitchell.
The alarm bells couldn’t be ringing more loudly, telling us that hope is fading for a future where a Jewish, democratic Israel lives side-by-side in peace and security with the state of the Palestinian people.
Yet an urgency of purpose suited to the danger of the moment is missing – here in the U.S., in Israel and in the American Jewish community. The time has come for strong action, not more talk.
Since Secretary of State Clinton spoke to Prime Minister Netanyahu on Friday to relay her concerns about the new East Jerusalem construction, the attacks on the Obama administration are already starting to mount.
Click here to join our petition to the President in support of stronger American leadership to ensure a two-state solution now.
We applaud your Administration's early commitment to achieving a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the appointment of Special Envoy George Mitchell.
As pro-Israel, pro-peace Americans, we urge you to take even stronger action to achieve a two-state solution and to proceed with an urgency of purpose suited to the danger of the moment.
We believe success will require that the U.S. provide a clear time frame for talks, commit to propose solutions when the parties can't close gaps, be willing to state publicly when the parties are not living up to their responsibilities, and be ready to demonstrate real seriousness of purpose to reach a two-state endgame.
Israel's national anthem is HaTikva - "The Hope." It speaks of the 2,000-year dream of the Jewish people to be a free people again in their own land. 62 years ago, that dream became a reality.
Today, that dream is slipping through our hands – on our watch. A minority of ideologues more interested in settlements than in securing a democratic, Jewish homeland are putting the future of Israel at grave and imminent risk.
Over the years, American Jews and their friends helped the people of Israel build a nation. We sent aid to provide security, and we rallied to its defense at even the hint of danger. Now the State of Israel faces a true existential challenge. Will we answer the call? The future of a 2,000-year old dream hangs in the balance.
Without serious commitment and leadership from President Obama and this administration, the clock will run out on the two-state solution. And our generation will bear responsibility.
It is time for leadership and courage, and it's time for us to move beyond business as usual.
For more on this topic see here and here.
Although J-Street avoids direct confrontation by name, I am just a private citizen and so I will say it: If one thinks that AIPAC and the ADL are delusional and wrong and counterproductive, then please support J-Street, which is supporting the Obama administration including the message from Secretary of State Clinton to Israel on what it needs to do now:
Clinton's list includes at least four steps the United States expects Netanyahu to carry out to restore confidence in bilateral relations and permit the resumption of peace talks with the Palestinians.
- Investigate the process that led to the announcement of the Ramat Shlomo construction plans in the middle of Biden's visit. The Americans seek an official response from Israel on whether this was a bureaucratic mistake or a deliberate act carried out for political reasons. Already on Saturday night, Netanyahu announced the convening of a committee to look into the issue.
- Reverse the decision by the Jerusalem District Planning and Building Committee to approve construction of 1,600 new housing units in Ramat Shlomo.
- Make a substantial gesture toward the Palestinians enabling the renewal of peace talks. The Americans suggested that hundreds of Palestinian prisoners be released, that the Israel Defense Forces withdraw from additional areas of the West Bank and transfer them to Palestinian control, that the siege of the Gaza Strip be eased and further roadblocks in the West Bank be removed.
- Issue an official declaration that the talks with the Palestinians, even indirect talks, will deal with all the conflict's core issues - borders, refugees, Jerusalem, security arrangements, water and settlements.