Mr. Bush: Listen to America —
Stop Appeasing Palestinian Authority

New York – The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) has launched a major ad campaign in the United States and Israel citing a major new poll showing that Americans oppose withdrawing from Gaza and forcibly removing 10,000 Jewish Israelis from their homes and businesses (by 63%-16%); believes the Gaza Plan rewards terrorists (by 2-1), oppose financial aid to Palestinian Arabs (by 80%-12%); support Israel sovereignty over Jerusalem (by 63%-5%); believe a Palestinian State’s goal is destruction of Israel (58%-21%); oppose negotiating with Hamas members, even if elected (by 61%-28%); and that Americans do not trust Saudi Arabia as an ally (by 78%-8%), while supporting economic sanctions against Saudi Arabia (by 58%-28%).

This poll of a representative sample of 1000 Americans was conducted by a major nationally respected polling group, McLaughlin and Associates on June 26-27, 2005.

These full page ads were placed in the Weekly Standard, Washington Times, New York Sun, two major Israeli newspapers, Ma’ariv and Ha’aretz, New York Jewish Week, Jewish Press, Philadelphia Jewish Exponent, Washington Jewish Week, Los Angeles Jewish Journal, Detroit Jewish News, Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle, and others.

The ad said that Americans say no to the various issues cited. It made clear the Americans’ overwhelming support for Israel as a Jewish country and opposition and distrust of the Palestinian Arabs and their regime. It also made clear that concessions to appeasement of terrorists and their regimes is a serious mistake. The ad cited Winston Churchill’s famous line, “Those who appease the crocodile will simply be eaten last.” It also called on Americans to inform their House and Senate members of the results of this national poll. The ad was signed by ZOA President Morton A. Klein, Chairman of the Board Dr. Michael Goldblatt, Chairman of the Executive Committee Dr. Alan Mazurek, and National Treasurer Henry Schwartz.

ZOA President Morton A. Klein said, “ZOA placed these ads to highlight the continuing and overwhelming support Americans have for Israel as opposed to the Palestinian Arabs. Americans understand that there is a continuing Palestinian Arab war against Israel. It was re-affirming to see that by a margin of 63% – 5%, Americans support Israel’s sovereignty over Jerusalem. And by 3 to 1 margin, Americans continue to understand that a Palestinian State would be a ‘terrorist state’ whose goal would be ‘to destroy Israel,’ not to ‘live in peace’ with her.

“We were most gratified to see that unlike so much of the rest of the world, Americans strongly oppose concessions to, and appeasement of any regime that promotes and allows terrorism including the Palestinian Authority and Saudi Arabia.

“The ZOA calls on President Bush to listen to the American people and stop coddling the Palestinian Authority by giving them $350M in taxpayer’s money, promising them a State, ignoring their Road Map violations, and calling their leaders like Mahmoud Abbas’ peace-seeking moderates.

“Abbas has not dismantled or disarmed the terror groups, has not ended the promotion of hatred against Jews and Americans in their textbooks, media, speeches and sermons, has not arrested terrorists, has not stopped the weapons smuggling from Egypt into Gaza, has not stopped naming schools, streets, and sports teams after suicide bombers, has invited Hamas to join his government and has invited the terror chiefs of Syria to move their headquarters to Gaza after Israel leaves. Mr. Bush, enough is enough. You must demand that the Palestinian Authority fulfill all of their obligations or end negotiations and aid to them. Mahmoud Abbas is simply Yasir Arafat in a suit.

“Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations Dan Gillerman, told a group of Jewish leaders this week that there are 30 alerts every day in Israel of possible terror attacks. He said it is only the great work of the IDF and the security fence that has stopped an even larger barrage of death, destruction and murder against the Israelis. In fact, during this so-called cease-fire, hundreds of Israelis have been killed or maimed. Some cease-fire.

“Please, Mr. President, no more concessions to the Palestinian Arab terrorist regime; they are still at war with Israel; and no more talk of a Palestinian State; we must end terror states, not create new ones.