NEW YORK- The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) is urging the Bush administration to disband the Quartet in response to the Quartet members’ complete embrace of Arab demands against Israel.

The Quartet, consisting of the U.S., the United Nations, Russia, and the European Union, was established with the support of the Bush administration in order to take part in the Arab-Israeli negotiating process. But instead of facilitating peace, the Quartet has completely sided with Arab demands.

A statement issued by the Quartet on May 3, 2004, declared that Israel “must end the Israeli occupation that began in 1967” meaning, a complete Israeli withdrawal to the pre-1967 borders, that is, total surrender of Judea, Samaria, Gaza, the Golan Heights, and much of Jerusalem. The Quartet statement also said that any Arab-Israeli solution must be based on previous U.N. resolutions (which are slanted against Israel) and the Saudi Plan for total Israeli surrender. (Washington Post, May 5, 2004)

The ZOA is deeply disappointed that the Bush administration endorsed the Quartet’s statement, which essentially nullifies President Bush’s own recent statement that “it is unrealistic to expect … a full and complete return” to the pre-1967 borders.

ZOA National President Morton A. Klein said: “Instead of allowing himself to be dragged into endorsing the pro-Arab positions of the Quartet, President Bush should acknowledge the Quartet’s severe bias against Israel and disband it. The Quartet serves no purpose now except to increase the one-sided pressure on Israel and embolden the Arabs by embracing their extremist demands.”

The ZOA president also expressed concern about the Bush administration’s reported surrender to a demand by Jordanian King Abdullah II for a U.S. statement of support for Arab positions. The administration reportedly at first rebuffed the king’s demand, but now there has been “an abrupt policy reversal” and a letter will be issued to “placate” the king, the New York Times reports (May 5, 2004). ZOA president Klein commented: “It is outrageous that this two-bit dictator thinks that he can give orders to the president of the United States. American soldiers have died to keep Saddam Hussein from invading his neighbors—including Jordan. Abdullah should be expressing his gratitude, not issuing demands.”

The prominent Mideast scholar Prof. Fouad Ajami, of Johns Hopkins University, recently wrote: “We buy no friendship in Arab lands with pro-Palestinian diplomacy and we ward off no anti-American terrorism.” (U.S. News & World Report, May 26, 2003)