Talking Points

Overall Points

  1. The unresolved situation between the State of Israel and its Palestinian neighbors poses unacceptable danger to both Israelis and Palestinians.
    1. Israelis and Palestinians should each have their own countries, safety, security and autonomy.
    2. The situation poses danger to the stability of the region.
    3. The United States has a vested interest in seeing that a permanent, peaceful solution is reached through direct negotiations.
  2. Direct negotiations between responsible partners on both sides are the only proven route to peace.
    1. A negotiated settlement is possible. Israelis and Palestinians can live in peace and both sides will prosper.
    2. The successful peace treaties between Israel and Egypt (1978) and Israel and Jordan (1994) were the result of direct negotiations.
    3. The 1993 Oslo Agreement; 1995 Interim Agreement; 1998 Wye River Memorandum; and 1999 Sharm el-Sheikh Memorandum show that the Israelis and Palestinians are capable of success when directly negotiating with one another.
  3. Responsible partners can be the only participants in direct negotiations.
    1. The inclusion of the terrorist organization, Hamas, in the Palestinian government is unacceptable.
    2. Hamas is one of 48 organizations classified as a “Foreign Terrorist Organization” by the U. S. State Department – the same designation given to Al Qaeda – and whose charter calls for the destruction of Israel.
    3. The United States and the rest of the “Quartet” (European Union, Russia and the United Nations) must urge the Palestinian government to cease its relationship with Hamas.

Unilateral Declaration of Statehood

  1. Symbolic actions to isolate Israel at the United Nations in September, by unilaterally declaring a Palestinian state will not bring about the permanent peace only achievable by direct negotiations.
    1. The declaration of a unilateral state is counter to previous negotiated and signed agreements.
      1. According to the “Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip” signed on September 28, 1995: Neither side shall initiate or take any step that will change the status of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip pending the outcome of the permanent status negotiations.” (the same statement appears in the 1998 Wye River Memorandum and 1999 Sharm el-Sheikh Memorandum.)
  2. The President of the United States, the U.S. Congress, and many world leaders oppose the unilateral declaration of a state.
  3. The Palestinian people will suffer if their government loses the generous aid given by the United States and other countries that oppose a unilaterally declared state.

Connection to America

  1. Over time, direct negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinian will lead to less U.S. involvement in the conflict.
  2. The American government plays an important role in any final peace negotiations, as it did during the negotiations between Israel and Egypt and Israel and Jordan and all negotiations with Palestinians up until this point.