PM Olmert and President Bush at previous meeting

See the follow-up release: "APN Disappointed at Public Outcome of Bush-Olmert Meeting: No New Initiatives; Volatile Situation in Gaza Not Addressed"

For Immediate Release - November 10, 2006
Contact Ori Nir - (202) 728-1893

President Bush and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will meet Monday at the White House. This meeting takes place as Iran intensifies its nuclear quest, as the security situation in Gaza deteriorates, as the Palestinian leadership inches toward a new government that could become an interlocutor for Israel and the United States, as Syria's president, Bashar Assad, calls for peace talks with Israel - but also threatens war - and as President Bush faces a new Congress, controlled by Democrats.

There is certainly enough on the two leaders' agenda to turn the hour that they are planning to spend together in the White House into a serious, substance-packed meeting. Given all that is at stake, Americans for Peace Now (APN) sincerely hopes that they take full advantage of the opportunity. APN is a Jewish, Zionist organization dedicated to enhancing Israel's security through peace and to supporting the Israeli Peace Now movement.

To gauge whether they have indeed used their meeting to make real progress, APN suggests observers watch for the following:

Gaza:

• Did the two leaders announce any concrete steps to stabilize the situation in the Gaza Strip?
• Did the President indicate that he is going to be working with the Egyptian government to make sure that Egypt steps up efforts to block the flow of smuggled weapons into Gaza?
• Did the President announce that he would be mobilizing the Quartet or regional allies to help? Did the President say he was going to be making more resources available to his military envoy, Lieutenant General Keith Dayton, to bolster security arrangements in and around the Strip?
• Did the President and Prime Minister Olmert say what they will do to meet humanitarian needs and enhance the rule of law in the chaotic Gaza Strip?

Israeli-Palestinian track:

• Did the President announce any concrete new initiatives, such as the naming of a senior-level envoy, to deal with the conflict?
• Did Prime Minister Olmert make any concrete commitment to the President to implement the measures that the Roadmap calls for Israel to take, such as "freezing "all settlement activity (including natural growth of settlements)" in the West Bank and removing illegal outposts? (The Prime Minister frequently says he is committed to the internationally-sponsored "Roadmap" peace-plan).
• Did either leader indicate any new willingness to work with a national unity or technocrat government that might be formed to replace the Hamas government? Any new initiative to work with President Abbas or the PLO?
• Was there any indication of a real plan of action to help free Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit?

Syria:

• Were there any indications that the Bush administration has lifted its opposition to Israeli negotiations with Syria?
• Were there any indications that Prime Minister Olmert is prepared to take President Assad up on his offer to resume peace negotiations without preconditions?
• Was there any discussion of ways to ensure the success of the UNIFIL mission in Lebanon, including recognition of the role that Syria plays in the success of that mission?

The Arab peace plan:

• Was there any indication that Prime Minister Olmert and President Bush are in exploring the possibility of using the March 2002 Arab Peace Plan as a vehicle for achieving progress toward regional peace deal?
• Was there any indication of plans to follow up on this bilateral meeting with any regional meeting, along the lines of a second Madrid Conference or via the United Nations?

Iran:

• Was there any discussion of strategies for mitigating the threat posed to Israel and the region by Iran?
• Does it appear that the Bush administration recognizes that a key to dealing with Iran - and also stabilizing Iraq - is achieving progress on the Israeli-Palestinian front?

** APN Experts Available for Media Interviews **

To evaluate the immediate results of the meeting, reporters are welcome to call Americans for Peace Now, immediately after the Bush-Olmert meeting on November 13, and talk with one of our policy experts at 202-728-1893. Please ask to speak with Ori Nir. APN will also issue a press release commenting on the meeting shortly after the two leaders talk to the media.

Debra DeLee, President & CEO, Americans for Peace Now (APN): Ms. DeLee is President and CEO of APN, a national Zionist organization dedicated to enhancing Israel's security through peace and to supporting the Israeli Peace Now movement. Since joining APN in April 1997, she has worked tirelessly to promote American support for peace in the Middle East. DeLee has traveled to the Middle East on numerous occasions on behalf of APN and discussed peace process issues with various Israeli and Arab leaders, including heads of state. In 1993, DeLee served as Executive Director of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and was appointed DNC Chairman by President Bill Clinton in November 1994.

Mark Rosenblum, Founder, Americans for Peace Now: In addition to his work with APN, Professor Rosenblum is a long-time faculty member of the History Department at Queens College and director of the Michael Harrington Center. The author of numerous scholarly and popular articles, Professor Rosenblum has appeared as a Middle East analyst on CNN, CBS, NBC, MSNBC, and National Public Radio. Professor Rosenblum's project, "The Middle East and America: Clash of Civilizations or Meeting of the Minds," has garnered considerable acclaim and media attention for its requirement that Jewish and Muslim students immerse themselves in the opposing group's history relative to the Middle East conflict and construct a compelling "narrative" that supports the opposing viewpoint. Professor Rosenblum was recently selected by the Clinton Global Initiative as one of two winners of an award for work in the field of Religion, Conflict and Reconciliation.

Ori Nir, Spokesperson, Americans for Peace Now: Mr. Nir joined APN following a twenty year career as a journalist covering Israel and the peace process. From 2002 to 2006, he was the Washington Bureau Chief for The Forward, America's largest and most influential independent national Jewish weekly newspaper. Previously, he worked for 16 years at Israel's leading daily newspaper, Ha'aretz, where he served as the Washington Bureau Chief, West Bank Correspondent, and Israeli-Arab's Affairs Correspondent. Mr. Nir's opinion and analysis articles have also been published by the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the Baltimore Sun, and New York Newsday. His television appearances include PBS, CNN, ABC News, and CBS.