Americans for Peace Now Urges Senate To Not Sign AIPAC-Backed Letter

[Purveyor]

Americans for Peace Now is urging U.S. senators to not sign a letter to the president backing his efforts to encourage Arab states to normalize relations with Israel, because the letter doesn't mention the administration's efforts to halt Israeli settlements.

APN says the bipartisan letter, circulated by Sens. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) and James Risch (R-Idaho) and backed by AIPAC, is "unhelpful" because it "seems to make a straightforward and reasonable demand for the Arab world to normalize relations with Israel," but "the subtext of the letter directly contradicts and undermines the efforts" of the Obama administration "to promote Middle East peace."

"The Bayh/Risch letter conspicuously ignores Israel's continued refusal to stop settlement activity" and "never even once mentions the word 'settlements,'" states the APN letter. "It sends a message that signers consider settlements more important that peace."

The Bayh-Risch letter notes that "over the past few months Israel has taken concrete measures to reaffirm its commitment to advancing the peace process," such as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu backing a two-state solution and the removal of roadblocks and other measures to "improve the daily lives of Palestinians."

"We encourage Arab leaders to take similar tangible steps to demonstrate their commitment to the peace process," write the senators. "Such steps could include ending the Arab League boycott of Israel, meeting openly with Israeli officials, establishing open trade relations with Israel, issuing visas to Israeli citizens, and inviting Israelis to participate in academic and professional conferences and sporting events. We also believe that Arab states must immediately and permanently end official propaganda campaigns which demonize Israel and Jews."

MORE...

http://blogs.jta.org/politics/article/2009/07/27/1006827/apn-urges-senate-to-not-sign-aipac-backed-letter