Israel

Israel is facing an increasingly difficult and painful period, in which our Israeli brothers and sisters are bombarded daily with terror attacks, which have been responsible for the deaths of hundreds of innocent men, women, and children, and the wounding of thousands more.  We stand in solidarity with Israel and her people, in support of her right to exist as a Jewish State and her right to self-defense as she confronts daily atrocities committed by Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and those connected to the Palestinian Authority, in addition to numerous other terrorist organizations.

The JCPA conveys both to the Bush Administration and to the United States Congress appreciation for their firm commitment to Israel’s security.  Active American engagement in the region is key to creating conditions that will enable Israel and the Palestinian people to achieve a viable peace agreement.  We support efforts of the American government that will lead to the end of Palestinian terror and will allow for a stable and peaceful future for both peoples.

In June 2002, President Bush outlined a vision, which contemplated the possibility of two states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side.  Such a vision, however, will only be realized when a Palestinian leadership emerges that accepts the legitimacy of Israel as a Jewish state, takes effective action to end all violence and incitement against Israelis and Jews, recognizes the historical and religious attachment of the Jewish people to Jerusalem, and foregoes the claim that all Palestinian refugees have a “right” to return to their villages and towns inside Israel.  We encourage those moderates in the Palestinian community, who wish to attain peace between two states, to step forward.  We also call upon the Arab world and the international community to support these Palestinian moderates.