Partnership with Israel

The Rabbinical Council of America’s Partnership with Israel

May 16, 2001 — WHEREAS the State of Israel, under several previous governments, led by the Likud and by Labor, has taken great risks to engage peacefully with the Palestinian population around it and within it, and;

WHEREAS the previous government of Ehud Barak offered the Palestinian leadership unheard of concessions in exchange for peace, and;

WHEREAS the State of Israel was willing to give up the most critical areas of Israel, from a standpoint of Israeli security, history and spirituality, all to no avail, and;

WHEREAS instead of engaging the Israeli leadership and embracing the peace process, the Palestinian leadership has encouraged their population to take up the cause of violence and terrorism in order to fight the Jewish state, and;

WHEREAS Israeli citizens, adults and children, have been killed and wounded throughout Israel, and;

WHEREAS this violence has been encouraged – and peace efforts discouraged – by Arab states who surround Israel – even by those with diplomatic relations with Israel, and;

WHEREAS Israel is threatened as well by terrorism and violence from Lebanon, from Hizballah forces supported by the Syrian government, and;

WHEREAS this violence from the north, resulting in the death of soldiers and injuries to many civilians, has been declared by the United Nations to be in clear violation of the terms of Israel’s withdrawal, under the Barak government, from the Lebanese security zone, and;

WHEREAS the government of the United States has condemned the violent turn away from peace of the Palestinian leadership, and their encouragement of a return to violence and terrorism, which began weeks before the famous Sharon visit to the Jewish holy site, the Temple Mount, in 2000, and;

WHEREAS the government of the United States has expressed its understanding that Israel needs to react to the violence directed at its citizens both from the Territories and from Lebanon and surrounding countries, and;

WHEREAS it is well known that no one but the State of Israel itself will protect its citizens and its cities and towns;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT 

We, the membership of the Rabbinical Council of America, endorse the steps the State of Israel has taken, and might need to take, in order to ensure the security of its citizens. We urge the Bush administration to continue to support Israel’s right to defend itself against its enemies and to respect Israel’s right to determine for herself the correct level of response to any strikes against it, from any direction. We understand that because the Palestinian leadership and much of its populace have chosen the road of violence, rejecting peace and the Oslo process, Israel may be forced to defend itself by retaking areas ceded in the past to Palestinian control. The Rabbinical Council of America will do its utmost to build coalitions and a consensus with other Jewish organizations, supporting the efforts of the State of Israel to remain a strong, secure homeland for Jews worldwide.