Political Quotes

“I strongly support an end to terror and violence in the Middle East, so I voted for resolution supporting peace between the Israelis and Palestinians, and American engagement. At the same time, this resolution does not tell the whole story. It rightfully holds the Palestinians to their commitments, but says nothing about the commitments made by Israel to freeze all settlement growth and remove illegal outposts in the West Bank. It rightfully supports the withdrawal of Israeli settlements and military installations from the Gaza Strip, but says nothing about the need for a return to negotiations. The ultimate resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the preservation of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, and security for Israel can only come through a negotiated solution, the outline of which has been known for years. President Bush has diminished America's leadership role, despite backtracking only a week later in discussions with King Abdullah of Jordan. American leadership is needed now more than ever to re-engage with regional allies and the Palestinian Authority to make the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza a success and to ensure that leaving Gaza is the first step towards peace. Helping Israel and the Palestinians to live up to their previous commitments and renewing negotiations can bring security to Israel, independence to the Palestinians, and peace to the region.”