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Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Arab News: Obama committed to two-state solution in ME‭, ‬says aide


Obama committed to two-state solution in ME‭, ‬says aide
Barbara Ferguson I Arab News

CANDID TALK: US National Security adviser Gen. James Jones, left, at the fourth annual gala of the American Task Force on Palestine in Washington over the weekend. (AN photo)

WASHINGTON‭: ‬The Obama administration is committed to creating a Palestinian state and determined to move forward with peace talks‭, ‬said National Security Adviser Gen‭. ‬James L‭. ‬Jones‭, ‬at the fourth annual gala of the American Task Force on Palestine‭ (‬ATFP‭). ‬

‭"‬We are clear‭, ‬unambiguous and consistent‭. ‬The time has come to relaunch negotiations without preconditions to reach a final status agreement on two states‭," ‬said Gen‭. ‬Jones‭, ‬adding that he was proud to represent President Barack Obama at the ATFP event‭, ‬held this weekend‭.‬

‭"‬The president is committed to achieving two states‭, ‬Israel and Palestine‭, ‬living side-by-side in peace and security‭. ‬Make no mistake about that‭. ‬He is personally committed to this goal because he believes that peace is in America's interests‭, ‬just as it is in the interests of the Palestinian and Israeli peoples‭. ‬The president has recognized that this will be a difficult task‭, ‬but he has emphasized that he will pursue it with the patience and the dedication that this task requires‭."‬

Gen‭. ‬Jones said ending the conflict and the occupation is‭ "‬essential‭" ‬because what is at stake is‭ "‬nothing less than the dignity and the security of all human beings‭." ‬

‭"‬The time has come to relaunch negotiations without preconditions to reach a final status agreement on two states‭: ‬a Jewish state of Israel‭, ‬and a viable‭, ‬independent and contiguous Palestine that ends the occupation that began in 1967‭ ‬and realizes and unleashes the full potential of the Palestinian people‭," ‬Jones told the ATFP audience of over 650‭, ‬which included members of Congress‭, ‬current and former senior administration officials‭, ‬ministers and ambassadors from numerous states‭, ‬prominent policy analysts and journalists‭, ‬and noted Palestinian and Arab Americans‭.‬

In his welcoming remarks at the gala‭, ‬which was entitled‭: "‬Palestine Alongside Israel‭: ‬Liberty‭, ‬Security‭, ‬Prosperity‭," ‬ATFP President Dr‭. ‬Ziad Asali said‭: "‬The occupation simply must end‭... ‬For their own sake‭, ‬courageous Palestinians have begun a new policy to build‭, ‬in spite of the occupation‭, ‬the foundations of a society and state in which every citizen is afforded both the rights and responsibilities of liberty‭."‬

The black-tie gala in Washington‭, ‬DC‭, ‬honored three prominent Palestinian Americans‭: ‬Dr‭. ‬Najat Arafat Khelil‭, ‬professor Shibley Telhami and Dr Fuad Jubran‭. ‬It also presented a Special Recognition commemorating 20‭ ‬Years of US-Palestinian diplomacy to Ambassador Robert Pelletreau‭.‬

Khelil currently presides over the Arab Women's Council Research and Education Fund and is co-coordinator of the Dialogue Project between American Jewish and Palestinian Women‭. ‬

Born in Nablus‭, ‬Palestine‭, ‬Khelil obtained her doctorate degree in nuclear physics from the State University of North Texas‭, ‬Denton‭, ‬where she was the first woman to get such a degree‭.‬

‭"‬To me‭, ‬the Palestinian question was and still is at the center of my universe‭. ‬All the work I was doing did not satisfy my hunger to achieve results‭," ‬said Khelil‭. "‬I wanted to be part of all efforts and engage in all organizations dealing with the conflict‭."‬

She said that receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award‭ "‬does not mean my work is done‭." ‬Instead‭, ‬it would help to‭ "‬strengthen my resolve even more that the modest work we have started needs to continue as the Palestinian question requires our commitment‭, ‬support and attention‭. ‬More than ever before‭, ‬we need to solidify our efforts to bring a just and honorable peace to the Middle East where all people can live side-by-side in peace‭, ‬dignity and without fear‭."‬

The ATFP Award for Excellence in Scholarship went to Telhami‭, ‬whose family story is familiar to many Palestinians who have endured similar hardships‭.‬

Telhami said he came to the US at the age of 19‭, ‬with a one-way air ticket‭, $‬150‭ ‬cash and‭ "‬broken English‭."‬

‭"....‬My mother and father have been a driving force for me‭,.... ‬my mother‭, ‬Terese‭, ‬was a city girl‭, ‬born in Haifa‭, ‬who finished fourth grade but‭, ‬as the 1948‭ ‬war broke out found her family taking refuge in what was then a limited village on Mount Carmel‭. ‬

‭"‬My father‭, ‬Zeki‭, ‬raised by a widowed mother‭, ‬was one of the first two villagers to ever attend high school‭. ‬He was determined to be the first to finish college and planned to attend the American University in Beirut when war imprisoned his dreams‭, ‬limiting him to a life of a small village in which he rounded up children off the streets and offered free education‭, ‬ultimately becoming‭, ‬as the villagers called him‭ "‬Al-Ustad‭" - ‬the teacher‭.‬

‭"‬Despite the dashed aspirations that war brought‭, ‬the profound egalitarianism that my parents held was only reinforced‭. ‬Instead of bitterness‭, ‬there was openness‭. ‬Our home knew no difference between Christian and Druze‭, ‬Muslim and Jew‭. ‬It was always about human beings‭ - ‬above politics or tribe‭. ‬One must always defend what's rightfully theirs‭, ‬but never at someone else's expense‭. ‬Yes‭, ‬for much of my childhood‭, ‬I grew up with no running water or electricity with the biggest thrill being the donkey ride to the water well‭. ‬

‭"...‬When my parents let go of me‭, ‬their eldest of six‭, ‬to seek learning in the US‭, ‬it was about enabling the dreams that they could not fulfill‭, ‬and a belief that in America‭, ‬the sky is the limit‭, ‬regardless of color or creed‭."‬

ATFP's Award for Excellence in Science and Medication Education went to Jubran‭, ‬a doctor of cardiology and internal medicine at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio‭. ‬

He spoke of the need to mentor young men and women‭ - ‬and give them hope rather than despair‭: "‬What I really do nowadays is very simple‭. ‬I pick up an intelligent‭, ‬underprivileged young Palestinian or other person‭, ‬and give him an opportunity for higher education‭. ‬You pick them one at a time and make their lives better‭. ‬It is just like lighting a candle instead of cursing the darkness‭. ‬

‭"...‬It is amazing what you do when you pay special attention to a young man‭, ‬how much transformation you can achieve in his life‭. ‬You can bring someone from misery and make him a real contributor to society and hopefully to the world in general‭."‬

The ATFP's Special Recognition Award commemorated 20‭ ‬Years of US-Palestinian diplomacy to Pelletreau‭, ‬the American official who initiated the first formal contacts with the Palestine Liberation Organization‭ (‬PLO‭) ‬20‭ ‬years ago‭. ‬

In his acceptance speech‭, ‬Pelletreau told the audience‭: "‬Today‭, ‬we have a new opportunity‭" ‬for peace in the Middle East‭.‬

‭"‬After eight years of passivity and neglect‭, ‬the United States is organizing itself for serious peace diplomacy‭. ‬We know that it will not be easy‭. ‬We know there are voices out there that are opposed‭, ‬in Israel and Palestine‭, ‬and here in the United States‭, ‬and will do what they can to derail this train and we must not allow that to happen‭. ‬All of us who are supporters of peace‭ - ‬all of us in this room‭ - ‬must be actively engaged in speaking out‭... ‬and never give up‭, ‬and never give up‭, ‬and never give up‭!"‬

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