Support for Mideast peace ...

ATFP Receives Presidential Accolades at 10th Anniversary Gala

On October 29, ATFP received yet another remarkable recognition of its impact in Washington. President Barack Obama sent a letter to ATFP’s 10 Anniversary Gala, stating that he is “pleased to have a partner in ATFP who shares this vision for peace." The President described this partnership as based on the quest for "a just and lasting resolution to a conflict that has continued for far too long." President Obama’s Special Assistant and White House Middle East Coordinator, Philip Gordon read the letter at the Gala. Dr. Gordon added that ATFP has “carved out space for a nuanced, informed policy discussion, helping provide the American public with a better understanding of the Palestinian narrative and its importance for the United States.”

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http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/02/opinion/support-for-mideast-talks.html?ref=international&_r=0

New York Times Letter

Support for Mideast Talks

Published: November 1, 2013

To the Editor:

Re “Middle East Peace Talks Go On, Under the Radar” (news article, Oct. 24): 

It’s easy to be “skeptical about the prospects for progress,” as you report many are, and to poke fun at Secretary of State John Kerry’s “upping the tempo,” as an Israeli cartoon had it. Fortunately, Mr. Kerry confounded the skeptics by getting Israelis and Palestinians to the negotiating table, and he continues to impress by keeping the negotiators quiet. 

But Americans, Israelis and Palestinians who favor a two-state solution must not keep quiet. We need to vociferously demonstrate our support for this solution, back any effort that improves the prospects for the success of the talks and challenge actions and officials who would undermine them. 

This support will give Mr. Kerry political cover when the naysayers seize on the inevitable periodic impasses to try to discredit his efforts. 

SEYMOUR D. REICH
New York, Oct. 28, 2013 

The writer is a former chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.