Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) President Morton A. Klein and ZOA Chair Mark Levenson, Esq. released the following statement:
ZOA President Morton Klein was proud be at the White House ceremony this week with President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu when they announced the plan to end the Arab/Islamic war against Israel. Klein and top Christian and Jewish leaders also attended a small meeting at the White House with top Administration officials discussing the plan in greater detail. Shortly after the meeting, Prime Minister Netanyahu announced that Israel would quickly declare its sovereignty over Jewish communities in Judea/Samaria and the Jordan Valley.
The ZOA is disappointed to now read the reports that Israel’s exercise of her lawful sovereignty over Jewish communities in Judea/Samaria and the Jordan Valley, and U.S. recognition of Israel’s sovereignty over these areas, is once again being delayed, until after the March 2, 2020 election; after Israel forms a government (which may take a very long time); after aerial photographs are taken; after a joint U.S.-Israeli committee is formed and discusses various parameters; and after, and after. . . .
There is no reason for additional delay!
Israel has already delayed exercising her lawful sovereignty over Judea-Samaria and the Jordan Valley for over half a century. Almost 53 years have passed since Israel recaptured these lawful, historic, sacred, G-D given, international law approved Jewish lands in a defensive war, ending Jordan’s 19-year illegal occupation of Judea-Samaria. The 450,000 Jewish Israelis living in Judea-Samaria are entitled to have their homes fully integrated into, and recognized as part of the Jewish state.
The fact that Israel’s current interim current government supports exercising sovereignty is sufficient reason to move forward immediately. Last summer, the plan was to exercise sovereignty after the September 2019 election. But here we are again, Israel waiting to exercise Israel’s lawful rights until some indeterminate time after yet another election. And the polls indicate that Israel’s third election, in less than a year, may well result in another deadlock.
As for committees, we’re all familiar with the interminable delays that may be produced by committees.
The laudatory and favorable portions of the Trump Peace Plan should not be subjected to such delays.
At a very minimum, sovereignty should immediately begin to be implemented in stages.
The U.S. Treaty Obligation to Recognize Israel’s Sovereignty:
As ZOA has frequently pointed out, the 1924 Anglo-American Convention [Treaty] affirmed the mandate (trusteeship) to “secure the establishment of the Jewish national home” and “close settlement by Jews on the land” in the areas that include Judea-Samaria (and Jerusalem and the rest of Israel, etc.). The Convention was ratified by the U.S. Senate, and signed by then-President Calvin Coolidge, making it a binding U.S. treaty obligation-to this day! This binding U.S. treaty, which guaranteed the Jewish people’s rights, was never lawfully overturned. It follows that the U.S. government is lawfully bound to recognize Israel’s sovereignty, and should do so with no further delay, especially since US leaders this week proclaimed their support for Israeli sovereignty over the Jordan Valley and every single Jewish community in Judea Samaria.