March 14th, 2006

Hey all,
Just two quickies that I thought you'd enjoy--very positive and happy: 
 
From the Washington Post:
 
Speaking at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee 2006 Policy
Conference Tuesday, Vice President Cheney said: "All of us share a
fundamental belief - that the freedom and security of Israel are vital
interests to the United States of America....We are, as President Bush
has said, natural allies." 

"If the leaders of Hamas desire the help of America and the
international community to build an independent, prosperous
Palestinian state, then the way forward is very clear. The
Palestinian government must recognize Israel's right to exist.
And Hamas must renounce terror and dismantle the infrastructure
of terror. One thing is certain: The United States will not be a
party to the establishment of a Palestinian state that sponsors
terror and violence." 

"The Iranian regime needs to know that if it stays on its present
course, the international community is prepared to impose meaningful
consequences. For our part, the United States is keeping all options
on the table in addressing the irresponsible conduct of the regime.
And we join other nations in sending that regime a clear message:
We will not allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon." 
 
From the Canadian Jewish News:
The United States' relationship with Israel will be "solid for a long
time to come," former U.S. President Bill Clinton told supporters of
the Friends of the Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies in
Toronto last week. 

"No matter what happens, we will always be there by Israel's side,"
the 42nd American president told some 1,800 people attending the
sold-out Spirit of Hope Benefit at the Toronto Performing Arts Center.
"We're not about to allow Hamas or anyone else destroy Israel." 

In a 40-minute extemporaneous talk that was warmly received, Clinton
touched on many topics, including the Middle East, the growing
interdependence of the world, and the deadly riots that followed
publication of Danish editorial cartoons depicting the Muslim Prophet
Muhammad. 

Clinton said he "sympathized" with the reason Palestinians voted for
Hamas in recent parliamentary elections because the average Palestinian
is worse off now than a decade ago. "They cast a vote for something
more immediate and tangible. I get that. But that doesn't mean we can
ignore a core commitment to terror and the destruction of Israel." 

Clinton earned applause when he said the west should suspend financial
aid to Hamas until it renounces terror and recognizes Israel.
Democracy, he said, "is more than about winning a race. It's also about the rule
of law, minority rights and the renunciation of extra-legal violence
against civilians." 

B'ahavah,
Jen Kracoff
Natick USY Israel Affairs Vice-President