by Middle East Forum
"Every attempt at negotiations with the Palestinians without demanding that they recognize Israel as the national homeland of the Jewish people will fail"
From
left to right: Israeli MKs Oded Forer and Avraham Neguise with Reps.
Ron DeSantis (R-FL) and Bill Johnson (R-OH) on November 15.
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Washington, DC – November 16, 2017 – An unprecedented joint declaration
by members of Congress and Israel's Knesset has laid the core
principles of a bold new approach to ending the Israel-Palestinian
conflict ahead of an expected new push for Middle East peace by
President Trump.
The
declaration signed by members of the Congressional Israel Victory
Caucus (CIVC) and the Knesset Israel Victory Caucus (KIVC) affirms that
"the primary obstacle to ending the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is the
near-century of Palestinian rejectionism of the right of
self-determination for the Jewish people," and that "only Palestinian
acknowledgement of the Jewish people's historic connection to the Land
of Israel, and acceptance of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state,
will end the conflict."
The
declaration was signed on a visit by KIVC Co-Chairman Oded Forer
(Yisrael Beytenu) and Chairman of the Knesset Committee for Immigration,
Absorption, and Diaspora Affairs Avraham Neguise (Likud) to Washington
and New York, where they met their counterparts in the CIVC, dozens of
congressmen from both sides of the aisle, senior government
decision-makers, Jewish and Christian leaders, and other
opinion-shapers.
Click here to view.
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"Every
attempt at negotiations with the Palestinians without demanding that
they recognize Israel as the national homeland of the Jewish people will
fail," MK Forer said. "Together with members of Congress from both
parties, we call on the American administration to demand that the
Palestinians recognize the State of Israel as the national homeland of
the Jewish people as a precondition to future talks. There can be no
negotiations on our legitimate right to self-determination."
"The
central message we have brought to the US is that the Palestinians need
to move from rejectionism to recognition and we are delighted at the
support we have received from our friends in Congress, both Republicans
and Democrats," said MK Neguise. "We hope this is a message that will be
taken on board by the Trump administration in any efforts or
initiatives it pushes forward in the months ahead."
The
CIVC, co-chaired by Reps. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), Juan Vargas (D-CA), and
Bill Johnson (R-OH), has 32 members of Congress from both the Republican
and Democratic parties. The KIVC, co-chaired by Forer and MK Yaakov
Perry (Yesh Atid), has 16 MKs representing every mainstream Zionist
party in both the government and the opposition.
"It
has been an honor to meet with the Israeli members of the (Knesset)
Israel Victory Caucus this week and discuss the cherished friendship
between our two nations," Rep. DeSantis said. "We agree that the
greatest obstacle to peace is the refusal of Palestinians to acknowledge
that Israel is the legitimate national home of the Jewish people."
KIVC
Co-Chair Oded Forer and MK Avraham Neguise with (clockwise from top
left) Rep. Juan Vargas (D-CA), Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA), Rep. Joe Wilson
(R-SC), and Hillel President Eric Fingerhut.
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"I'm
looking forward to working with our allies in the Knesset to advance
the idea of an Israeli victory as an alternative approach to the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict – one where Israel stops making unnecessary
concessions and instead the Palestinians concede their goal of
destroying the State of Israel and accept that it is here to stay," Rep
Johnson said. "There can be no progress made towards peace until the
Palestinians accept that significant, but simple concept."
The
two caucuses were formed with the support of the Middle East Forum, led
by Daniel Pipes, who launched the Israel Victory Project (IVP) earlier
in the year.
"The
Israel Victory Project is building political and intellectual support
eventually to replace the current 'peace process' paradigm with one that
will work better for both Israelis and Palestinians," Pipes said.
The Middle East Forum promotes American interests through activist, intellectual, and philanthropic efforts.
For immediate release
For more information, contact:
Gregg Roman, Director
Roman@MEForum.org
215-546-5406
For more information, contact:
Gregg Roman, Director
Roman@MEForum.org
215-546-5406
Middle East Forum
Source: http://www.meforum.org/7019/us-israeli-lawmakers-issue-joint-declaration
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