[WCUSP] Intl ME Peace Work

Sun Sep 9 10:32:19 CDT 2007

Susi circulated to the Intl ME Committee the below letter from a US
ambassador re the Quartet plan for "peace." Then, Edith Ballantyne forwarded
a letter from a former head of the American Jewish Congress.

Please let us know through this listserv what activities you've been
involved in to Challenge US Policy on the Middle East and also what help
you'd like from national in your work.

best,
C.J.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Edith Ballantyne <edibal at bluewin.ch>
Date: Sep 9, 2007 2:04 AM
Subject: Re: Statement by Ambassador Wolff on Situation on Middle East in SC
on 8-29-07
To: Susi Snyder <susi.snyder at wilpf.ch>, middle_east at wilpf.ch

 Friends,

The attached article by Henry Siegman, former head of the American Jewish
Congress (circulated by Information Clearing House) should help us see just
how disingenuous the US policy statements re ME peace are. Edith

Le 05/09/07 12:51, « Susi Snyder » <susi.snyder at wilpf.ch> a écrit :

Hi folks,

In addition to the information that was circulated by Daphne  (thank you!!)
 I thought that the statement below might be of interest to those on this
committee.  Mostly because to hear what is being said by the US sometimes is
interesting- especially in a security council context (given the long
history of the SC engagement in the region…….. and lack of follow-up on
resolutions, etc).

Best Wishes,
Susi Snyder
Secretary General
Women's International League for Peace and Freedom
1, rue de Varembe
Case Postale 28
1211 Geneva 20
Switzerland
Telephone: +41 22 919 7080
Fax: +41 22 919 7081
www.wilpf.ch
www.PeaceWomen.org <http://www.PeaceWomen.org> <http://www.PeaceWomen.org>
www.ReachingCriticalWill.org
<http://www.ReachingCriticalWill.org><http://www.ReachingCriticalWill.org>

------------------------------

*From:* Kerry, Peggy [mailto:kerryp at state.gov] <kerryp at state.gov%5D>
*Sent:* Tuesday, September 04, 2007 3:23 PM
*To:* Kerry, Peggy
*Subject:* Statement by Ambassador Wolff on Situation on Middle East in SC
on 8-29-07

USUN PRESS RELEASE # 198
                                                       August 29, 2007
As Prepared for Delivery

*Statement by Ambassador Alejandro D. Wolff, Deputy U.S. Permanent
Representative, at the Open Debate on the Situation in the Middle East, to
the Security Council, August 29, 2007
*
Mr. President, on July 16, President Bush called for an international
meeting this autumn of nations that support a two-state solution, reject
violence, recognize Israel's right to exist, and commit to all previous
agreements among the parties.
This meeting on a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
will aim to support discussions and negotiations between the parties and
achieve meaningful progress on the path to peace, Palestinian statehood, and
an end to the conflict.
We believe the government of President Abbas and Prime Minister Fayyad can
be a partner for peace. The international community has recognized this, and
is responding by re-establishing diplomatic and economic ties with the
Palestinian Authority government. As President Bush has said, the
international community must work with the PA to develop a solid
institutional and economic foundation for a future Palestinian state.
In that vein, Secretary Rice and Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad
signed an $80 million assistance package aimed at supporting efforts to
reform and professionalize the Palestinian security forces. The Framework
Agreement formalizes the intention of the United States to provide
assistance to the Palestinian Authority to promote law and order by
strengthening and reforming the Palestinian security sector. We believe the
ability to provide security for the population is a core responsibility of
any functioning government. The rule of law and security must be the
foundation of any successful Palestinian government.
We believe that this assistance package will help improve the Palestinian
Authority's capacity to deliver security for the Palestinian people and
fight terrorism, build confidence between the parties, and ultimately help
to meet the security needs of Palestinians and Israelis alike. The United
States and the Palestinian Authority have worked together closely to design
this program and will continue to cooperate in its implementation. This
security assistance package is in addition to more than $190 million in U.S.
assistance to the Abbas government this year. We encourage others,
particularly regional parties, to step forward with additional support at
this critical time.
We continue to call on all Palestinians to reject terror, and on the PA
government to arrest terrorists, confiscate illegal weapons, and confront
corruption. We remain deeply concerned by the continued intransigence and
illegal occupation of Gaza by Hamas, including recent moves to crackdown on
freedom of speech there. We are very concerned about Hamas' provision of
safe haven to fellow terrorist organizations operating in Gaza, and strongly
condemn the continuing acts of terror, such as recurring indiscriminate
rocket attacks, being conducted from Gaza against civilians in Israel.

We welcome the August 6 and 28 meetings between Prime Minister Olmert and
President Abbas, the second and third since late June. We strongly support
direct dialogue between the parties. The United States remains committed to
working with Israel and the Palestinians on day-to-day issues that affect
the lives of Israelis and Palestinians, as well as a political horizon for
Palestinian statehood.
We have always said that bilateral dialogue between the parties is the key
to realizing the two-state vision. We will continue to work with the parties
and the international community to this end.
The development of a viable Palestinian economy and institutions remains
crucial to the success and prosperity of a future Palestinian state. The
United States looks forward to the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee meeting in New
York next month, and to the Quartet meeting, where we expect to hear about
Quartet Representative Tony Blair's travel to the region to lay the
foundation for President's vision of two states, Israel and Palestine,
living side by side in peace and security.

Mr. President, we welcome the unanimous decision of the UN Security Council
to extend UNIFIL's mandate for one year. We remain committed to a sovereign,
democratic, and prosperous Lebanon and continue to call for the full
implementation of all Security Council resolutions pertaining to Lebanon,
including 1559, 1680, and 1701.
While we commend the work of UNIFIL in south Lebanon, we remain deeply
concerned by persistent reports of breaches of the arms embargo along the
Syria-Lebanon border and the continuing failure of militias to disarm. These
issues, along with the fate of the two abducted Israeli soldiers, must be
addressed if efforts to achieve peace are to succeed.
We applaud the peaceful and transparent parliamentary by-elections in
Lebanon this month and congratulate the winners and the Lebanese people on
the process. We look forward to similarly free and fair, and peaceful
presidential elections this fall that are held in accordance with Lebanon's
constitution and are free of foreign intervention.

-- 
------------
C.J. Minster
Program Chair, US Section
Women's International League for Peace and Freedom
railing against the military industrial complex since WWI
http://www.wilpf.org

~Social Upheaval~
political analysis from a feminist, activist perspective
http://www.socialupheaval.com

~angelheaded hipster~
cotton candy for the brain
http://www.angelheadedhipster.com
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