Why is it that when Israel goes to war, its friends in America rally to its side, but when it makes moves for peace, support is much harder to come by?
Israel’s Ambassador to Washington Michael Oren recently called for greater American Jewish support, across ideological lines, for Israeli moves toward peace with the Palestinians. [1]
Ambassador Oren needs to know that Israel can count on a large and vocal community of support if it takes the hard steps necessary to achieve real peace and security, including an extension of the settlement compromise that Prime Minister Netanyahu authored ten months ago.
These talks are an opportunity for both parties to move beyond cynicism and despair to finally achieve the goal of a lasting peace for their peoples. The fork in the road is clear. The stakes are high – for the Prime Minister and for American Jews. The time for us to step forward is now.
[1] “Oren urges Jewish leaders to support peace moves,” by Hilary Leila Krieger. The Jerusalem Post, September 8, 2010.