FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Boxer, Isakson, 74 Senate Colleagues Urge Administration to Continue Encouraging Israeli-Palestinian Peace Negotiations
Letter to Secretary Clinton Reaffirms ‘Unbreakable Bonds’ between U.S., Israel

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Johnny Isakson (R-GA) – along with 74 of their Senate colleagues – today wrote Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton urging her to continue promoting Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations while reaffirming the “unbreakable bonds that tie the United States and Israel together.”

The full text of the letter is below:

April 13, 2010

The Honorable Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
United States Department of State
Washington, DC 20520

Dear Secretary Clinton:

We write to urge you to do everything possible to ensure that the recent tensions between the U.S. and Israeli administrations over the untimely announcement of future housing construction in East Jerusalem do not derail Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations or harm U.S-Israel relations. In fact, we strongly believe that it is more important than ever for Israel and the Palestinians to enter into direct, face-to-face negotiations without preconditions on either side.

Despite your best efforts, Israeli-Palestinian negotiations have been frozen for over a year. Indeed, in a reversal of 16 years of policy, Palestinian leaders are refusing to enter into direct negotiations with Israel. Instead, they have put forward a growing list of unprecedented preconditions. By contrast, Israel’s prime minister has stated categorically that he is eager to begin unconditional peace negotiations with the Palestinians. Direct negotiations are in the interest of all parties involved – including the United States.  

We also urge you to continue to reaffirm the unbreakable bonds that tie the United States and Israel together and to diligently work to defuse current tensions. The Israeli and U.S. governments will undoubtedly, at times, disagree over policy decisions. But disagreements should not adversely affect our mutual interests – including restarting the peace process between Israel and her neighbors and preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

From the moment of Israel’s creation, successive U.S. administrations have appreciated the special relationship between our two nations. Israel continues to be the one true democracy in the Middle East that brings stability to a region where it is in short supply. Whether fighting Soviet expansionism or the current threats from regional aggression and terrorism, Israel has been a consistent, reliable ally and friend and has helped to advance American interests. Similarly, by helping keep Israel strong, the United States has helped to reduce threats to Israel’s security and advance the peace which successive Israeli governments have so avidly sought.

It is the very strength of our relationship that has made Arab-Israeli peace agreements possible, both because it convinced those who desired Israel’s destruction to abandon any such hope and because it gave successive Israeli governments the confidence to take calculated risks for peace. As the Vice President said during his recent visit to Israel: “Progress occurs in the Middle East when everyone knows there is simply no space between the U.S. and Israel.” Steadfast American backing has helped lead to peace treaties with Egypt and Jordan.

We recognize that our government and the Government of Israel will not always agree on particular issues in the peace process. But such differences are best resolved amicably and in a manner that befits longstanding strategic allies. We must never forget the depth and breadth of our alliance and always do our utmost to reinforce a relationship that has benefited both nations for more than six decades.

Thank you for your consideration.

Barbara Boxer
Johnny Isakson
Joseph I. Lieberman                                                                        
Lamar Alexander               
Bill Nelson                                                                                      
Tom Coburn
Susan M. Collins                                                                            
Mike Crapo
Charles E. Schumer                                                                        
Jon Kyl
Russell D. Feingold                                                                       
Pat Roberts
Daniel K. Akaka                                                                             
Sam Brownback
Evan Bayh                                                                                      
Chuck Grassley
Barbara A. Mikulski                                                                        
John Ensign        
Robert P. Casey, Jr.                                                                       
James M. Inhofe            
Benjamin L. Cardin                                                                        
John Cornyn
Mark Begich                                                                                  
Saxby Chambliss
Mark L. Pryor                                                                                 
Mitch McConnell
Ron Wyden                                                                                     
John McCain
Jon Tester                                                                                        
Jim DeMint
Robert Menendez                                                                          
Olympia J. Snowe
Maria Cantwell                                                                               
Christopher S. Bond
Daniel K. Inouye                                                                            
Jim Bunning                               
Amy Klobuchar                                                                             
Kay Bailey Hutchison
Ben Nelson                                                                                     
John Barrasso     
Lisa Murkowski                                                                             
David Vitter
Debbie Stabenow                                                                           
Richard C. Shelby          
Arlen Specter                                                                                  
John Thune  
Kirsten E. Gillibrand                                                                       
George V. Voinovich             
Patty Murray                                                                                   
Robert F. Bennett                  
Kent Conrad                                                                                   
Roger F. Wicker         
Herb Kohl                                                                                       
George S. LeMieux        
Thomas R. Carper                                                                           
Scott Brown
Roland W. Burris                                                                            
Blanche Lincoln
Frank R. Lautenberg                                                                       
James E. Risch
Al Franken                                                                                      
Mike Johanns        
Mary L. Landrieu                                                                            
Richard Burr
Mark R. Warner                                                                              
Jeff Sessions
Sheldon Whitehouse                                                                       
Jeanne Shaheen
Tim Johnson                                                                                    
Michael Bennet
Lindsey Graham                                                                             
Orrin G. Hatch
Carl Levin                                                                                       
Kay R. Hagan
Jeff Merkley                                                                                    
Thad Cochran

###