Kevin's Watch

WASHINGTON -- In response to the release of the Trump Administration's "Peace to Prosperity: A Vision to Improve the Lives of the Palestinian and Israeli People," Bishop David J. Malloy of Rockford and chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' (USCCB) Committee on International Justice and Peace, stated in a recent letter to Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo:

"Intrinsic to a fruitful discussion is the necessity that each state recognizes and supports the legitimacy of each other. The future peace and flourishing of life in the Holy Land depend on such a mutual recognition that calls for concrete steps in mutual counsel and collaboration, before the fundamental agreements can be achieved. The United States and all other interested parties who offer their counsel and aid must do so as contributors to strengthen bilateral agreement between the two principal entities. As such, we are concerned 'Peace to Prosperity' makes propositions without these requisite conditions being met.

"May the good offices of our nation assist Israel and Palestine to travel the road of mutual recognition and mutual legitimacy to its intended goal. As Pope Francis declared when he visited Israel in 2014, 'The two-state solution must become a reality and not merely a dream.' We shall be one in our prayers that both Palestinians and Israelis be able to live side by side with sovereignty, dignity, and peace."

The full text of Bishop Malloy's letter can be found here.

Avatar wrote:Eh, the Israeli leadership is not interested in peace. If they were, they wouldn't include automatic deal-breakers in every peace offer they make.

--A

Skyweir wrote:Thats interesting ... is that the Dem position broadly?

Avatar wrote:Fixed that one too. For some reason your URL's for the image oare showing up as:




Take out everything in bold to make it work. (Are you browsing through Wayback Machine or something?)

--A

Wosbald wrote:
Please don't fix 'em, if that's at all possible. Yes, they're s'posed to be linked to Wayback.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo delivers remarks during the AIPAC convention at the Washington Convention Center in Washington, U.S., March 2, 2020. (Photo Credit: REUTERS//TOM BRENNER)


Pompeo announced that the State Department released official guidance on the subject only hours before his address.


WASHINGTON -- The State Department will take action against harassment of businesses blacklisted by the "UN's so-called human rights council" for operating in the West Bank, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said at the AIPAC Policy Conference on Monday.

Pompeo announced that the State Department released official guidance on the subject only hours before his address.

"Neither the UN Human Rights Council nor the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights can tell you what to do," he said. "If you face harassment, let America know and the US will respond to take action [to help] members of our business community that are being threatened by this release that was so sorely mistaken."

The Secretary of State called the blacklist "a real threat," but also said that all it does is strengthen's BDS and delegitimize Israel, Pompeo argued.

"This was an organization set up to ensure no one ever endured suffering like Jews did in the Holocaust, and now it is antisemitic," Pompeo said, adding that the "UN's so-called human rights council ... betrays its most fundamental mandate."

[...]

"What damages peace is not recognizing truth, and recognizing truth is what our administration has done... What damages and discredits the US is denying that Palestinian terrorism has been the real obstacle to peace. What discredits the relationship is when you deny the settlement issue is a political dispute," he stated.

US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman also touted the administration's position on settlements, saying in response to those complaining that Israelis will remain in the West Bank under the Trump peace plan that "Judea and Samaria will not be judenrein," the German term used by Nazis, meaning "free of Jews."

The new State Department opinion issued by Pompeo says that Israel has an "unassailable" right to build in the West Bank, Friedman said, mocking "hysteria [that] overcame the progressive left" about the new policy.

Friedman said to those who accuse the Trump peace plan of being too pro-Israel: "Sure it is pro-Israel on the issue of security. Security is not a game and it is not political. Security ... is life and death. We will never compromise Israel's security. And by keeping this pledge we are ensuring the security of the Palestinians as well."

[...]