In response to the Trump administration’s Middle East plan, Democratic Majority for Israel issued the following statement:
“Democratic Majority for Israel believes in a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict – a Jewish, democratic State of Israel and a Palestinian state, living side-by-side in peace and security with mutual recognition.
“The president’s initiative meets many of Israel’s legitimate security needs and should be the occasion for restarting direct talks between the parties. But peace requires direct negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians. Unfortunately, this plan, through no fault of Israel’s, did not emerge from meaningful discussions between Israeli and Palestinian leaders.
“By accepting the president’s plan, both major political parties in Israel recommitted themselves to a two-state solution, which is a welcome development. It’s a principle to which Israeli leaders have agreed in the past, but which has been rejected by Palestinian leaders. Peace will never come unless Palestinians accept the existence of a state of the Jewish people.
“Unilateral steps by either side do not serve the interests of peace. We oppose unilateral annexation, which, though apparently sanctioned by President Trump, will make peace harder to achieve. Because it also contravenes the expressed policy of the U.S. Congress, it could have serious repercussions for the U.S.-Israel relationship.
“We urge Palestinians to join Israelis at the negotiating table so that both peoples can build a future of hope, prosperity and peace for generations to come.”
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