Dear Mr. President:
Israel deserves to exist in peace and the Palestinian people deserve their own
country.
The Palestinian Authority and the Arab nations have recognized the right of
Israel to exist.
But Israel has not pledged to withdraw completely from the West Bank and Gaza to
allow the formation of a Palestinian state on those lands.
International law forbids Israel from keeping land that it seized during the
1967 Arab-Israeli War, including the West Bank and Gaza.
The United States has thrown its weight behind Israel in the Middle East
conflict, rather than adopting a balanced approach.
Israel is the largest recipient of United States foreign aid, including more than two billion dollars a year in military aid.
Israel, with the fourth largest military in the world, can protect itself
against military conquest.
Israel could trade land for peace by agreeing to withdraw completely from the
West Bank and Gaza and recognizing a Palestinian state on those lands.
Therefore, I urge you to:
1) Work as a neutral mediator in the conflict and stop taking sides with Israel.
2) Apply strong pressure on both sides to reject terrorism.
3) Tell Israel that the United States will stop sending military aid to Israel
unless Israel withdraws completely from the West Bank and Gaza.
4) Offer substantial aid to assist economic development for both countries once
peace is established.
5) Support sending international monitors or peacekeepers to the region.