Schumer: Obama criticizing Israel “counterproductive”
The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) has praised Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) for his recent speech taking the Obama Administration to task for fixating on Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria as constituting an obstacle to peace when the truth is that Jews living and building homes there poses no obstacle to a genuine peace were Palestinians in favor of one. Speaking at an Agudath Yisrael breakfast in New York, Senator Schumer said, “The reason we don’t have peace in the Middle East is because a large percentage, I would say the majority … of Palestinians and Arabs do not believe there should be a Jewish state anywhere in the Middle East. Period.”
Senator Schumer also said that U.S. President Barack Obama’s decision to criticize Israel over construction for Jews in Judea and Samaria was “counterproductive,” that the current Administration’s position on Jewish communities in the territories is “to the left of the PA … Anyone who thinks the settlements are the cause of the problem, all they have to do is look at Gaza .. [Israel withdrew completely] and what was the response? Missiles on Sderot! … By giving the Palestinian and the Arab world hope that they can break the tie between the U.S. and Israel, you don’t further the cause of peace, you set back the cause of peace … If they think the tie is immutable, they will say, well maybe we should throw in the towel and have some kind of peace with Israel. It’s that simple … what’s unequivocally wrong in my opinion is saying that settlements are the reason there’s not peace and there’s not talks” (‘Senator Schumer: Settlements No Obstacle to Peace,’ Israel National News, October 31, 2010).
ZOA National President Morton A. Klein said, “We applaud Senator Schumer’s timely and trenchant remarks. George Orwell once said that ‘In an age of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.’ By stating the truth that the Arab war on Israel – for that’s what it is, not an Arab/Israeli conflict – Senator Schumer immediately cuts the ground from under the false rationales that have been used for blaming Israel, or Jewish communities in the territories, for the conflict and for pressuring Israel further while ignoring Palestinian terrorism, extremism and incitement to hatred and murder.
“Jews building homes and moving into neighborhoods does not prevent peace just as Arabs moving into neighborhoods in other parts of Israel does not prevent peace – the Palestinian Authority (PA) protecting terrorist groups while refusing to ban or disarm them, while inculcating incitement to hatred and murder into Palestinian society through the PA-controlled media, mosques, schools and youth camps does make peace impossible. Changing the Palestinian culture is a prerequisite or peace. Stopping Jews build communities is not.”