November 8, 2005

To the editor:

We condemn Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinajad for his recent outrageous statements calling for "Israel to be wiped off the map."

In this, we echo our national group, Brit Tzedek v´Shalom, a grassroots organization of American Jews who support a negotiated two–state solution to the Mideast conflict. Brit Tzedek calls on the leadership of Arab states who recognize and maintain diplomatic relations with Israel, including Jordan and Egypt, to follow the example of Palestinian Authority spokesperson Saeb Erekat in repudiating President Ahmadinajad´s incitement and moving decisively to isolate this extremism. Erekat explicitly condemned Ahmadinejad´s remarks, stating: "We have recognized the state of Israel, and we are pursuing a peace process with Israel... we do not accept the statements of the President of Iran."

Brit Tzedek also calls on the Bush administration to appoint a high–level American envoy who will work to defuse the growing tension between Israel and the Palestinian Authority and to bring the two parties back to the negotiating table.

If the Iranian president truly has Palestinian interests at heart, he should retract his extreme rhetoric and heed the Palestinian leadership´s explicit recognition of Israel and its right to exist in peace.

Jennifer Bass, Julie Bloom, Bruce Solomon – Bloomington

The signers are all members of the local chapter of Brit Tzedek v´Shalom/the Jewish Alliance for Justice & Peace.