FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - October 8, 2007
CONTACT: Ori Nir - (202) 728-1893

Washington, D.C - Americans for Peace Now (APN) today applauded the strong statement of commitment that Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Olmert made "to take advantage of every shred of opportunity" to advance peace talks with the Palestinian leadership. APN also applauded Olmert's call on Israeli politicians to "end the vicious cycle" of missed opportunities for peace.

APN called on Olmert to go beyond statements and turn his promising statements into a serious, bold strategy of negotiations with the Palestinian leadership. APN also urged other stakeholders in the Israeli-Palestinian political process, as they approach next month's peace parley in Annapolis, to help Olmert and his Palestinian counterparts make a real push for peace.

"Prime Minister Olmert's speech reflects the real yearning in Israel and among the Palestinians for a breakthrough," said APN's president and CEO, Debra DeLee. "Such a breakthrough requires bold action on his part, on the part of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and on the part of President Bush. Olmert's upbeat spirit ought to elicit a bold Israeli negotiating platform and inspire our government to aim high rather than try to lower expectations from the Annapolis summit. Next month's meeting is a golden opportunity to harness regional and international players to the cause of Israeli-Palestinian peace and generate momentum toward substantial final-status negotiations."

APN, a Jewish, Zionist organization whose mission is to enhance Israel's security through peace and to support the Israeli Peace Now movement, has long called on the U.S. administration to demonstrate in deeds its stated commitment to advance the Israeli-Palestinian political process.

Olmert spoke today at the opening of the Israeli Knesset's winter session. Following are selected quotes from his speech:

• "The Palestinian leadership today is not a terrorist leadership. President Abu Mazen and his prime minister, Salam Fayyad, are committed to all the agreements that were signed with Israel and I believe that they want to advance, with us, on a path toward changing the relations between us and them."
• "Israel has excellent excuses to justify stagnation between us and the Palestinians (.) I would like to announce here, in the firmest terms, that I do not intend to seek excuses to avoid a political process. I am firm and steadfast in my desire to seek ways to advance the political process" (.) "any other option will lead to a demographic struggle, soaked with blood and tears, which will not serve the interest of the state of Israel."
• "Under no circumstances should Israel miss an opportunity that could bring an improvement in our relations with our neighbors, the Palestinian people." "[it is] my determination to take advantage of every shred of political opportunity."
• "We don't have an agreement [with the Palestinians]. Nothing was given and nothing was taken. Nothing was promised. But an atmosphere of personal trust was created, an atmosphere of a mutual willingness to listen to the concerns, the pains, the anxieties and worries that each side carries in its national purse." "I feel that there is what to talk about and that talking is worthwhile."
• "For forty years we have been pounding our chests with guilt over our belated understanding of what could have been comprehended earlier (.) this vicious cycle should be brought to an end."
• "The peace process requires steadfastness to take bold, unavoidable decisions, which would lead to compromising a full and complete realization of the dreams that fed our national ethos for many years, and which are so easy to cling to."