J Street's position on the US-Israel dispute over settlments

I just received an e-mail from J Street calling for support of a petition to back the Obama administration's position in opposition to new illegal Israeli settlements and in favor of a serious peace process between Israel and the Palestinians. It says [footnotes omitted]:

It all started with a slap in the face to Vice President Biden - a provocative announcement of new housing in East Jerusalem, which Biden condemned and that now threatens to derail recently-announced proximity talks.

Then, Secretary of State Clinton spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu for nearly an hour on Friday to relay her own deep concerns about the construction and the "deeply negative signal" it sends. She demanded that the Israelis "demonstrate not just through words but through specific actions that they are committed to the [US-Israel] relationship and to the peace process."

We support the Obama administration in standing firm against provocative actions on any side intended to undermine efforts to achieve a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We believe such a resolution is essential to American interests and to Israel's future as a democratic, Jewish homeland.

The administration is already under attack from those here in the US who seek to maintain the status quo. Help us show the Obama administration that there's broad support for a tough but fair approach to ending the conflict. ...

The Palestinians are making their own incendiary announcements, dedicating a public square to the leader of a 1978 terror attack that murdered 38 Israeli civilians, including 13 children. J Street strongly condemned the announcement.

The US administration is really going to have to take the reins before things spin out of control. ...

- Jeremy

Jeremy Ben-Ami
Executive Director
J Street
March 14, 2010

Tags: israel, obama administration, palestinians