June 1, 2006
Rebecca Budner

To the editor:

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert met with President Bush on May 23, and spoke before Congress on May 24.

As an American Jew and supporter of a safe and secure Israel, I deeply hope they explored ways to engage in proactive diplomatic engagement with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and other Palestinian moderates.

While I'm happy to see any Israeli withdrawal from occupied territory, I'm worried that the pursuit of a unilateral solution to the conflict such as Israel is currently suggesting will lead only to a renewal of violence like there has been in Gaza since last summer's disengagement.

I share the concern of many that Hamas hasn't recognized Israel yet, or forsworn violence, but Hamas adopting these positions should not be preconditions that prevent Israel from entering into negotiations with President Abbas. The only sure path to a lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians is a negotiated, two-state solution.

President Abbas and Prime Minister Olmert have both expressed their willingness to meet, and polls show that Israelis and Palestinians alike prefer negotiation to one-sided measures. I hope that President Bush and PM Olmert used this opportunity to make this hope a reality.

Rebecca M. Budner, Portland