2013 Briefing Book - Print Version - Aipac

PEACE PROCESS
a state in other U.N. and international bodies in order to intensify their efforts to isolate Israel
and attack it in international fora. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO) accepted “Palestine” as a member in October 2011. The Palestinians are
politicizing the U.N. system and are using such bodies as UNESCO as platforms to attack Israel.
Such steps by the Palestinians only serve to push the parties further apart.
The Palestinians have maintained unrealistic preconditions for serious, high-level talks, including
demands that Israel cease all construction in the West Bank and eastern Jerusalem. This stance
is peculiar, given that leaked notes of Palestinian negotiators demonstrate that Palestinians—
like Presidents Clinton and Bush—were willing to accept Israeli control over nearly all Jewish
neighborhoods in eastern Jerusalem.
Palestinian leaders know that Israeli leaders never intended to extend their construction
moratorium to their sovereign capital city. The government of Prime Minister Netanyahu,
in keeping with the position of all prior Israeli governments, views Jerusalem as different
in nature from the West Bank and considers Israeli construction within Israel’s capital
as completely legal and proper. Moreover, additional construction in Jerusalem has been
necessary because Jerusalem’s government must meet the housing and infrastructure
requirements of a growing population.
Key Principles for the Peace Process
As President Obama begins his second term, it is critical that the administration keep in mind a
number of key principles that are vital to supporting successful Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.
THE U.S. AND ISRAEL SHOULD WORK TOGETHER
The chief guiding principle is that the United States and Israel must always work together,
even if they are not in full agreement on every issue. Israel can be more flexible in negotiations
when it completely trusts American negotiators. Efforts to circumvent Israel’s decisions or
pressure the state on issues relating to its security are destined to backfire. When the United
States and Israel closely coordinate their approaches to peacemaking and avoid surprises, the
chances for success increase.
The United States promotes negotiations in a variety of critical ways. The United States often
hosts talks and is in close contact with regional and international partners. It can help rally
support for negotiations and opposition to parties trying to undermine them. In the case
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