Brit Tzedek v'Shalom
Jewish Alliance for Justice and Peace
Iran's President Doesn't Speak for Palestinians
Povidence Journal
December 26, 2005
By Philip Rosen
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has once again given aid and comfort to any Muslims or Jews who believe that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict cannot be settled until the other side has been annihilated. As reported in The Journal ("Iran's president says Europe created Holocaust 'myth,' " news, Dec. 15), the Iranian president declared the Holocaust to be a myth, and once again advocated the removal of the State of Israel.
Despite President Ahmadinejad's claims, he represents neither the best interests nor the popular sentiment of the Palestinians -- the majority of whom recognize that the viability of the future Palestinian state depends on its ability to co-exist with Israel.
In fact, Palestinian Authority spokesperson Saeb Erekat was the first to condemn similarly inflammatory remarks by Ahmadinejad in November: "We have recognized the State of Israel and we are pursuing a peace process with Israel, andwe do not accept the statements of the president of Iran. This is unacceptable."
Erekat's statement reflects the views of the majority of Palestinians. A poll by the highly respected Palestinian Center for Policy and Research showed in September that two-thirds of Palestinians support recognizing Israel as the state of the Jewish people, as long as Israel recognizes a Palestinian state alongside it.
We at Brit Tzedek v' Shalom -- The Jewish Alliance for Justice and Peace -- continue to call for vigorous U.S. engagement in bringing the Israelis and Palestinians back to the negotiating table. Only a just peace, negotiated between the two sides, can change the climate represented by the Iranian president's statement.
Philip Rosen
Barrington
* The writer is chairperson of the steering committee of Brit Tzedek v' Shalom in Rhode Island.