PALESTINE
Wed 20 Sep 2023 8:13 am - Jerusalem Time
Jewish leaders in the US urge Biden to include steps toward 2 state solution in Saudi normalization efforts
Over 75 current and former American Jewish community leaders have signed onto an open letter to US President Joe Biden, urging him to only pursue a normalization agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia that includes “measures that tangibly advance prospects for a two-state solution” and reverses “the worrisome trajectory of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”
The letter was published Tuesday as Biden addressed the UN General Assembly, where he referred to his administration’s push for further Arab states — chiefly Saudi Arabia — to normalize relations with Israel and its “tireless” work toward a two-state solution with the Palestinians.
“In practical terms, this would entail halting Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank and increasing territorial sovereignty for Palestinians, while simultaneously holding the Palestinian Authority accountable to reforms and strengthening its financial stability,” the letter stated. “These steps would arrest the current deterioration of the situation on the ground and advance American interests by improving regional stability and laying the groundwork for two states.
“This is necessary both for the sake of the viability of the agreement itself and as a bulwark against further escalation of the conflict, which is especially important at a time when Israel’s security and its Jewish and democratic character are being tested.”
Signatories included the heads of the Reform and Conservative religious denominations, former executives at AIPAC, the American Jewish Committee, the Jewish Federations of North America, the ADL, the Conference of Presidents, and the Jewish Agency along with former US ambassadors to Israel.
“In your upcoming meeting with Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu, and in your administration’s discussions with Saudi and Palestinian leaders, we urge you to pursue an agreement that would, in addition to advancing American national security interests, enhance Israel’s long-term security, and expand regional peace, which necessarily requires reversing the worrisome trajectory of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” the letter organized by the Israel Policy Forum said.
The US in recent months has been seeking to broker a normalization deal, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken considering a trip to Israel, the West Bank and Saudi Arabia next month as part of that effort.
In exchange for normalizing ties with Israel, Saudi Arabia is asking for a major defense pact with the US, major arms deals and US cooperation in establishing a civilian nuclear program on Saudi soil. Washington, in turn, is looking for Riyadh to pare down its economic and military dealings with China and Russia.
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Jewish leaders in the US urge Biden to include steps toward 2 state solution in Saudi normalization efforts