News and Press Releases

American Israelis Applaud Obama's Recognition That Palestinian Intrnsigence is Blocking Progress to Achieve Middle East Peace; Call on Obama to Now Concentrate on Dealing Effectively with Iranian Nuclear Threat

The American Israeli Action Coalition (AIAC) today applauded President Obama for his recognition that it is the Palestinian side which is preventing any further progress towards achieving a Middle East peace treaty.

AIAC is a non-partisan, non-political, issue-oriented NGO which whose purpose is to represent the united voice of the more than 250,000 American citizens living in Israel on issues that affect Israel, Israel-U.S. relations, and the Jewish people worldwide.

In an interview in the current Time Magazine, President Obama noted that "the Israelis showed a willingness to make some modifications in their policies", but that the Palestinians refused to do so. Obama further noted that "we overestimated our ability to persuade them to do so" and that had he anticipated some of the problems sooner he "might not have raised expectations as high".

Harvey Schwartz, Chairman of AIAC, stated that " we had been stating over and over that it was the Palestinians—not the Israelis—who were the true impediment to peace and that the Obama administration's "tilt" toward the Palestinian side coupled with the enormous pressure that it placed on the Israelis , was exactly the wrong method to achieve a lasting peace. We are delighted that President Obama has now come to agree with our position".

"What the Obama administration should do now", continued Chairman Schwartz, it to give the Israeli-Palestinian track ‘a rest' and concentrate all of its energies to deal with the imminent threat posed by the Iranian rush to acquire offensive nuclear weapons. The Iranian nuclear situation poses a direct threat not only to the State of Israel, but also to other American allies in the area, such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt , Jordan and the Gulf States. The present Mullah-controlled Iran also poses a direct threat to western European countries and, if left unchecked, to the United States as well. President Obama should realize that doing away with this threat will have an enormously constructive effect upon achieving a lasting peace in the Middle East"

Aaron Tirschwell, AIAC Executive Director, stated "in the interest of world peace, the American Israelis urge President Obama to act immediately."