October 29, 2002

To: Officers, Rabbis, Key Contacts
From: Richard B. Stone, Chairman
Betty Ehrenberg, Director, International and Communal Affairs
Re: End to Palestinian Terror

Urge Congress to End Palestinian Terror

On June 24th, 2002, President Bush called for an end to Palestinian terrorism and a new Palestinian leadership that was not tainted by corruption, violence, or engaged in terrorism. As of now, Congress is in the process of considering potential legislation that would codify President Bush’s June 24th speech into law. The Institute for Public Affairs is requesting all our members to urge Congress to support legislation that would ensure that Palestinian reform and the preconditions outlined in the President’s speech are met before the United States lends any support to the creation of a Palestinian state. Without these stringent standards, peace cannot come to the Middle East. As President Bush said, “A Palestinian state will never be created by terror.” Any new Palestinian peace partner must be committed to peace with Israel and must oppose terror and not support it. The preconditions laid down by President Bush should be enacted into law by Congress.

Urgent Action Necessary
Urge Members of Congress to Enact into Law Preconditions
Listed in President Bush’s June 24th Speech

Below are talking points that you can use in your contacts with elected officials:

• Israel seeks and yearns for peace. Since its founding 54 years ago, Israel has not known a single day of peace. Whenever a credible peace partner emerged among Israel’s neighbors, Israel responded immediately. Treaties were made between Israel and Egypt and Jordan based on territorial compromise. Israel has also proven its desire to reach a peace agreement with the Palestinians by redeploying from areas in the territories and making far-reaching proposals at Camp David in the summer of 2000. Instead of negotiations, the Palestinian response was an onslaught of premeditated and preplanned terrorist attacks.

• No credible Palestinian peace partner has yet emerged. President Bush, in his speech of June 24th, 2002, described the terrorism, violence, corruption, and lack of democracy in the current Palestinian leadership. He said, “The Palestinian Authority has rejected your offer at hand and traffic with terrorists. You have a right to a normal life. You have a right to security.”

• Palestinian history has been rejection of peace. As far back as 1947, and as recently as the summer of 2000, the Palestinians could have had their own state living side-by-side with Israel. They refused in both instances. Far from being committed to peaceful co-existence with Israel, they have demonstrated a commitment to the destruction of Israel as a Jewish state. Since September 2000, more than 600 Israelis have been murdered at the hands of Palestinian terrorists, including civilians, women, and children. The Israeli government has had no choice but to react in defense of its citizens.

• Israel is currently without a peace partner. Negotiations can begin again only when a Palestinian partner who is genuinely serious about peace will emerge. The current Palestinian leadership, headed by Yassir Arafat, has proven time and again that it is not a sincere peace partner. As President Bush stated, “Today the Palestinian Authority are encouraging, not opposing, terrorism. This is unacceptable. The United States will not support the establishment of a Palestinian state until its leaders engage in a sustained fight against the terrorists and dismantle their infrastructure.”

• Terrorism cannot be rewarded. Israel did not initiate the current round of violence that began in September 2000 when Jews were brutally attacked as they worshipped at the Western Wall on Rosh Hashanah. Ironically, it began right after Prime Minister Ehud Barak of Israel had made far-reaching proposals at Camp David. Israeli Jews have since then lost their lives in cafes and restaurants, hotels and markets, on the roads and in their homes. As long as the current Palestinian leadership structure remains in place, neither the United States nor Israel should offer any political concessions. Two years of brutal terrorism cannot be rewarded or it will never end, either in Israel or anywhere else in the world.

• Reform of the Palestinian Authority is essential. It is time for the Palestinians to take responsibility and to abandon terrorism and insist on a leadership committed to peace. United States Members of Congress must be vigilant and speak out to ensure that true reform as described by President Bush will indeed be enacted. As President Bush said, “Reform must be more than a cosmetic change or a veiled attempt to preserve the status quo. True reform (in the Palestinian Authority) will require entirely new political and economic institutions based on democracy, market economics, and actions against terrorism.”

Urgent Action Requested

Since Congress is in the process of considering potential legislation that would make sure that the Palestinians will oppose terrorism and fight corruption amongst their leadership and support a true peace, members of Congress should be contacted and urged to support legislation that would ensure that these preconditions are met before the United States extends any more support to the Palestinians.

Write or call your Representatives and Senators using the talking points listed above:

Kindly call us at (212) 613-8123 with any questions you may have.

RBS
BE
 

Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America
Institute for Public Affairs

Prof. Richard Stone, Chairman
Nathan Diament, Director
Betty Ehrenberg, Director, International Affairs & Communal Relations

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