The Words of Our President, Words of True Peace
Dear Friends,
On Wednesday, President Obama uttered these historic words before the United Nations:
Let us be honest with ourselves: Israel is surrounded by neighbors that have waged repeated wars against it. Israel’s citizens have been killed by rockets fired at their houses and suicide bombs on their buses. Israel’s children come of age knowing that throughout the region, other children are taught to hate them. Israel, a small country of less than eight million people, looks out at a world where leaders of much larger nations threaten to wipe it off of the map. The Jewish people carry the burden of centuries of exile and persecution, and fresh memories of knowing that six million people were killed simply because of who they are.
Those are facts. They cannot be denied.
The Jewish people have forged a successful state in their historic homeland. Israel deserves recognition. It deserves normal relations with its neighbors. And friends of the Palestinians do them no favors by ignoring this truth, just as friends of Israel must recognize the need to pursue a two-state solution with a secure Israel next to an independent Palestine.
For our dream of peace to become real, both the United States and Israel must be perceived as strong and dedicated to peace. The people of Israel must feel assured that they will not stand alone against those who seek to destroy them if they make the painful sacrifices that they will need to make.
In these past weeks, the American Jewish community mobilized to support our brothers and sisters in Israel through the True Peace campaign. We are grateful that our President has now made America’s position clear.
- Click here to write a letter thanking the President for his strong words in support of Israel.
- Click here to write U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice thanking her for her support both inside the UN and in the media throughout the week.
As we approach Rosh Hashanah we look for signs of hope for the coming year. President Obama’s words offer us hope.
Shanah Tovah and best wishes for a year of true peace.
Barry Shrage
President, CJP
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