Many people have asked me what I think about the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks that open today in Washington. My answer is twofold.
First, I'm excited. Today, the leaders of Israel and the Palestinians will sit down to negotiate peace, face to face. And they will do so under the auspices of President Barack Obama, who clearly is committed to achieving peace.
Make no mistake: It's a big deal that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu - head of the most hard-line coalition in Israel's history - is coming to the table to negotiate a two-state peace deal. And it is a big deal that President Mahmoud Abbas is coming to the table with the explicit backing of the entire Arab world.
This is a moment to be savored. It's a sign that our message - that negotiations are the only way to make peace for Israel - has had an impact.
First, I'm excited. Today, the leaders of Israel and the Palestinians will sit down to negotiate peace, face to face. And they will do so under the auspices of President Barack Obama, who clearly is committed to achieving peace.
Make no mistake: It's a big deal that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu - head of the most hard-line coalition in Israel's history - is coming to the table to negotiate a two-state peace deal. And it is a big deal that President Mahmoud Abbas is coming to the table with the explicit backing of the entire Arab world.
This is a moment to be savored. It's a sign that our message - that negotiations are the only way to make peace for Israel - has had an impact.
At the same time, I'm not popping open the champagne just yet.
I'm less interested in celebrating the start of negotiations, and more interested in making sure that behind this pomp and circumstance will be a push for peace that can get the job done.
Israeli-Palestinian peace talks have been launched time and again over the past seventeen years. Some of these efforts floundered because key political leaders - Israeli, Palestinian, and American - failed to show the leadership necessary to go the distance. Other times, spoilers - terrorists, assassins, and others - managed to derail the talks.
Today, peace talks start. But this is only the beginning.
President Barack Obama has a monumental task before him. He must inspire Netanyahu and Abbas to rise above the political status quo. He must help them prepare their publics for the compromises necessary for peace. He must prepare to offer his own ideas to help the two sides overcome deadlocks. And he must hold both sides accountable for actions that undermine peace.
Last week, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she believed a peace deal can be struck within a year. I agree. With political courage and determination, it can be done.
As Americans, our role now is to strengthen President Obama's hand. We must encourage him to stay personally involved and to keep these talks on track. We must show that there is a huge constituency that cares and will back him even when he must confront the parties.
As individuals who believe in Israel's promise, we must continue to stand with the Israeli Peace Now movement as they mobilize their public. We must be vigilant in opposing settlement expansion, which undermines peace negotiations and the very viability of the two-state solution.
We worked hard to empower President Obama to press both sides to do what it takes to make progress towards peace. We helped to create the political space for Obama to get us this far. In the coming weeks and months - as the negotiations (hopefully) progress - APN will continue to do the same. We will also continue to offer ongoing analysis about the effort to make peace. You'll see it on our website, and in our email updates. And, of course, we will continue to work with you to act in support of peace for Israel.
I'm less interested in celebrating the start of negotiations, and more interested in making sure that behind this pomp and circumstance will be a push for peace that can get the job done.
Israeli-Palestinian peace talks have been launched time and again over the past seventeen years. Some of these efforts floundered because key political leaders - Israeli, Palestinian, and American - failed to show the leadership necessary to go the distance. Other times, spoilers - terrorists, assassins, and others - managed to derail the talks.
Today, peace talks start. But this is only the beginning.
President Barack Obama has a monumental task before him. He must inspire Netanyahu and Abbas to rise above the political status quo. He must help them prepare their publics for the compromises necessary for peace. He must prepare to offer his own ideas to help the two sides overcome deadlocks. And he must hold both sides accountable for actions that undermine peace.
Last week, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she believed a peace deal can be struck within a year. I agree. With political courage and determination, it can be done.
As Americans, our role now is to strengthen President Obama's hand. We must encourage him to stay personally involved and to keep these talks on track. We must show that there is a huge constituency that cares and will back him even when he must confront the parties.
As individuals who believe in Israel's promise, we must continue to stand with the Israeli Peace Now movement as they mobilize their public. We must be vigilant in opposing settlement expansion, which undermines peace negotiations and the very viability of the two-state solution.
We worked hard to empower President Obama to press both sides to do what it takes to make progress towards peace. We helped to create the political space for Obama to get us this far. In the coming weeks and months - as the negotiations (hopefully) progress - APN will continue to do the same. We will also continue to offer ongoing analysis about the effort to make peace. You'll see it on our website, and in our email updates. And, of course, we will continue to work with you to act in support of peace for Israel.
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