Defenders of the unworkable status quo are whispering
to the White House and Congress that supporting the President’s
thoughtful and balanced approach to the Middle East could hurt them
politically.
And they’re supporting a sign-on letter in the
Senate, authored by Senators Bayh (D-IN) and Risch (R-ID), that
directly undercuts the President’s policy, asking that President Obama
press only Arab states. The letter
doesn’t even mention the need for Israel to stop building settlements
or for Palestinians to end incitement to violence against Israel!
We know that the majority of Jewish Americans – and
of Americans generally – support the President’s balanced calls on
Israel to freeze settlements, for the Palestinians to rein in violence
and incitement, and for Arab states to take steps toward normalizing
relations with Israel.