2013 Briefing Book - Print Version - Aipac

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PEACE PROCESS The Palestinian Divide: Impediment to Peace The Palestinians are ruled by two rival factions: the Palestinian Authority (PA) in the West Bank and the terrorist group Hamas in Gaza. Hamas’ continued violence and refusal to recognize Israel, as well as PLO Chairman Mahmoud Abbas’ refusal to negotiate and efforts at the United Nations, compound the difficulty of reaching an Israeli-Palestinian agreement. KEY POINTS • The Palestinian Authority (PA) governs in the West Bank, where the dominant political force is the Palestine Liberation Organization’s (PLO) Fatah Party. • Although the Palestinians have said that they are committed to reaching an agreement with Israel, they are currently refusing to enter direct, high-level negotiations with Israel. • In a step opposed by the United States and that further hindered the peace process, the PLO upgraded its status at the U.N. General Assembly (UNGA) and has threatened to use this new status to isolate Israel in the international arena. • The U.S.-designated terrorist group Hamas, which is committed to destroying Israel and replacing it with an Islamic state, rules the Gaza Strip, and has fired some 9,500 rockets and mortars on Israel since it withdrew from the area in 2005. The Important Role That Congress Can Play Congress should continue to support Palestinian leaders committed to peace with Israel and opposed to violence. Congress should press the Palestinian leadership to resume direct negotiations with Israel without preconditions. Congress should continue to send a clear message to the Palestinians that there are consequences for pursuing action against Israel at the United Nations and other international fora. Congress should also continue to insist that Hamas cannot be a partner for negotiations or part of a Palestinian Authority government until it meets key requirements demanded by the international Quartet (the United States, E.U., Russia and the United Nations): recognize Israel, renounce violence and accept previous Israeli-Palestinian agreements. 149
PEACE PROCESS Hamas: 25 Years of Terror Hamas was founded 25 years ago with the goal of destroying Israel. Since its founding, Hamas has killed more than 500 innocent civilians, including two dozen Americans. It has conducted suicide bombings, shootings and 14,000 rocket attacks since 2001. Hamas’ founding charter, published in 1988, details the guiding principles of the group, which is laced with anti-Semitism and racism. The charter rejects peaceful efforts to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and calls for the destruction of the State of Israel through jihad, or holy war. The charter’s opening statement declares: “Israel will exist and continue to exist until Islam eliminates it as it had eliminated its predecessors.” Hamas Seizes Control of Gaza After Israeli Withdrawal In August 2005, Israel took a bold step by unilaterally withdrawing from Gaza, which Israel captured during the 1967 Six-Day War. In a dramatic move that caused great trauma among the Israeli public, Israel dismantled all 21 settlements in Gaza, relocated roughly 8,500 residents and removed all its soldiers. At that time, the PA governed in both the West Bank and Gaza. Israel had In 2007, Hamas carried out a bloody coup against Fatah, taking control of the Gaza Strip by force. 150
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1 1 3 T H C O N G R E S S • 1 S T
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TABLE OF CONTENTS FOREIGN AID 102 F
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INTRODUCTION What AIPAC Supports Th
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WHY ISRAEL MATTERS Why Israel Matte
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WHY ISRAEL MATTERS The Jewish Conne
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THE HISTORY OF ISRAEL’S BORDERS L
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WHY ISRAEL MATTERS massacres, prese
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WHY ISRAEL MATTERS An Ancient Capit
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WHY ISRAEL MATTERS Israel. However,
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WHY ISRAEL MATTERS What Congress Di
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WHY ISRAEL MATTERS Israel Shares Am
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WHY ISRAEL MATTERS Israel Respects
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WHY ISRAEL MATTERS prime minister.
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WHY ISRAEL MATTERS What Congress Ha
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WHY ISRAEL MATTERS Israel Provides
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WHY ISRAEL MATTERS Israeli agricult
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WHY ISRAEL MATTERS Israeli High-Tec
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RELATIONSHIP Relationship—Key Pri
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RELATIONSHIP The United States Has
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RELATIONSHIP that providing militar
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RELATIONSHIP What Congress Has Done
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RELATIONSHIP Israel Is America’s
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RELATIONSHIP boosting Israel’s ro
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RELATIONSHIP cooperation between th
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RELATIONSHIP State, Local Officials
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RELATIONSHIP America’s Oil Depend
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RELATIONSHIP The United States and
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RELATIONSHIP oil through the deploy
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RELATIONSHIP The U.S.-Israel Econom
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RELATIONSHIP Apple, Google, Intel a
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RELATIONSHIP Israeli companies have
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RELATIONSHIP What Congress Has Done
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ISRAEL AT RISK Why Israel Is at Ris
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ISRAEL AT RISK Iran: The Leading St
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TERRORIST BUILDUP IN GAZA Ashkelon
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ISRAEL AT RISK U.N. Security Counci
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ISRAEL AT RISK The Missile Threat I
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THE IRANIAN MISSILE THREAT BEL LARU
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ISRAEL AT RISK Syrian Weapons Arsen
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ISRAEL AT RISK What Congress Has Do
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ISRAEL AT RISK Iran Pursues Nukes,
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ISRAEL AT RISK What Congress Has Do
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ISRAEL AT RISK A Region in Flux The
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ISRAEL AT RISK The Egyptian militar
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ISRAEL AT RISK From Double Standard
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ISRAEL AT RISK repeatedly held “E
Page 99 and 100: ISRAEL AT RISK 2002 alone, Palestin
Page 101 and 102: ISRAEL AT RISK What Congress Has Do
Page 103 and 104: FOREIGN AID Foreign Aid—Key Princ
Page 105 and 106: FOREIGN AID U.S.-Israel Agreement A
Page 107 and 108: FOREIGN AID The most recent U.S.-pr
Page 109 and 110: INCREASED THREATS, INCREASED COSTS:
Page 111 and 112: FOREIGN AID Keeping America Safe, S
Page 113 and 114: FOREIGN AID Securing America, Stren
Page 115 and 116: FOREIGN AID Foreign aid plays a cri
Page 117 and 118: FOREIGN AID What Congress Has Done
Page 119 and 120: IRAN Iran—Key Principles PREVENT
Page 121 and 122: IRAN How a Nuclear Iran Would Under
Page 123 and 124: IRAN UNDERMINE AMERICA’S CREDIBIL
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Page 127 and 128: IRAN In 2012, the Obama administrat
Page 129 and 130: IRAN A Terrorist Regime Iran is the
Page 131 and 132: IRAN The Islamic Revolutionary Guar
Page 133 and 134: IRAN What Congress Has Done to Coun
Page 135 and 136: IRAN The Regime Has a Long History
Page 137 and 138: IRAN What Congress Has Done to Oppo
Page 139 and 140: PEACE PROCESS The Peace Process—K
Page 141 and 142: PEACE PROCESS United States, Israel
Page 143 and 144: PEACE PROCESS a state in other U.N.
Page 145 and 146: PEACE PROCESS THE UNITED STATES SHO
Page 147 and 148: ISRAEL’S QUEST FOR PEACE Even bef
Page 149: PEACE PROCESS What Congress Has Don
Page 153 and 154: PEACE PROCESS right and real way to
Page 155 and 156: PEACE PROCESS What Congress Has Don
Page 157 and 158: SYRIA-LEBANON Syria and Lebanon—K
Page 159 and 160: SYRIA-LEBANON The Syrian Regime Has
Page 161 and 162: SYRIA-LEBANON can consolidate the m
Page 163 and 164: SYRIA-LEBANON ASSAD REJECTED U.S. O
Page 165 and 166: SYRIA-LEBANON What Congress Has Don
Page 167 and 168: SYRIA-LEBANON Hizballah Serves as I
Page 169: SYRIA-LEBANON What Congress Has Don
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