San
Diego Jewish World
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WASHINGTON, DC (Press Release)—U.S. Reps. Anthony Weiner (Democrat, New York), and Shelley Berkley (Democrat, Nevada) released a letter written to Adil al-Ahmad al-Jubayr, the Saudi Arabian Ambassador to theAlong with a group of six bi-partisan colleagues, the Representatives advised that the boycott is in violation of
In 2005,
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In February of 2002, Saida, together with
Daud Haj, intended to execute an attack at the IDF checkpoint in Ein Ariq. The
two traveled in a taxi from Ramallah and approached the site using the darkness
of night and fog as cover. Saida saw Lieutenant Moshe Eini, aiming his weapon at the entrance. At that time, he opened fire. He then aimed his weapon at Staff Sergeant Michael Oksman and Staff Sergeant Mark Podolski, in order to kill them. Simultaneously, Daud fired from outside the trailer at the soldiers within. As the fire ceased, the accused and his partner entered the trailer. His partner, who was sure that Lieutenant Moshe Eini was not dead, shot him a number of times. The two took the weapons in the trailer, and escaped. As a result, six IDF soldiers were killed, and one was wounded. Due to his actions, Saida was charged of six accounts of murder with prior intent, and one of attempted murder with intent. Additionally, he was convicted of shooting Muhammad Hassin Ibrahim Azamkaneh in the chest for suspected him of assisting Israeli security bodies, and ultimately caused his death. Furthermore, he was convicted of intentionally assisting murder plots, as part of a deadly attack which he executed on the Promenade in Tel Aviv. In the attack, Amir Simhon was shot and killed, and an additional person was wounded. He was convicted of two other crimes; illegal relationship and activism in an illegal organization, and attempted murder.
The preceding story was provided by the Israel Defense Force.
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Jordan's King Abdullah II visits White House July 24
What was your most interesting Jewish summertime experience?
UNITED NATIONS, N.Y. (Press Release)—The United Nations said on Thrusday that the closures of crossing points into Gaza are coming at a terrible cost to people living there. The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) noted that the layoff of 65,000 workers by companies in Gaza, following the lack of supplies there, could affect as many as 450,000 dependents. The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), which has identified $30 million worth of emergency projects for Gaza, said that it will provide employment projects worth some 640,000 days of work for unemployed refugees there. UNRWA further endorsed Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s call for Karni crossing to be open to Palestinian commercial imports and exports.
The preceding story was provided by the United
Nations
Knesset votes to restrict JNF lands to Jews only JERUSALEM—It is not difficult to accuse the Palestinians, including those who are citizens of Israel, of scuttling all chances for peace by insisting on extreme demands. Jews also are not angels in this process. This week the Knesset passed, by a vote of 64 to 16, the first reading of a bill to forbid the leasing or sale of Jewish National Fund land to non-Jews. Read that Arabs, but perhaps as well the estimated 300,000 non-Jewish immigrants from the former Soviet Union and elsewhere granted the possibility of citizenship under the Law of Return because they are related to a Jew. And what about all those Americans and others with Jewish fathers but not Jewish mothers? Reform rabbis recognize them as Jews, but not the Orthodox who manage the Israeli Rabbinate. Can they buy an apartment on Jewish National Fund land if someone whispers to the JNF that they are not really Jewish? The bill is intended to skirt around a Supreme Court ruling that ruled against JNF policy. The bill must pass through two more votes in the Knesset, and there will be a fair amount of public controversy before then. Nonetheless, the lopsided vote, with an absolute majority of the Knesset on the side of supporters, suggests that the chances are good for a public embarrassment. Those in favor of the legislation note that the Jewish National Fund began collecting money from Jews around the world early in the 20th century for the express purpose of buying land in Palestine for Jewish settlement. Formally it is a non-governmental organization, but it is also integrated into the government establishment. The Israel Land Authority administers for the JNF its substantial land holdings. The Land Authority has twisted and turned when an Arab wants to buy a home on JNF land. It has traded its own state land for JNF land in order to accommodate the Arab. On occasion this has occurred only after a court order. The new law may complicate this process further, if it is enacted and if it manages to avoid the snares of the Supreme Court. And what will it do to all those people who think of themselves as Jews, but do not pass muster with the Orthodox Rabbinate? That will depend on how much trouble one or another zealot wishes to make. We are talking about legislating against Israeli citizens. Arabs comprise 20 percent of Israel's population. They do not threaten to flood Jewish neighborhoods with undesirables any more than ultra-Orthodox Jews, who also make life miserable for those who are allergic to them. Restricing property transfers to non-citizens is conventional, and provides all that is necessary to protect Israel from the uncounted millions in the region who might want to overewhelm us with their presence. It is no surprise that the principal sponsor of the bill is a member of the National Religious Party, and a leading figure in the movement of settlers. This suggests a combination of religious and nationalist motivations. But what about the secular members of Knesset who gave the bill its majority? An optimist may be tempted to say that they are teaching the Palestinians a lesson: Jews, too, can put outlandish demands on the table; if Palestinians cease the demands that would end the chance of agreement, Jews will make it possible for Israeli minorities to live like minorities in other western democracies. A pessimist would fear that the secular MK's who voted for this bill really believe that JNF land should be forbidden to non-Jews. If this is true, they are aligning themselves with all those who support restrictive covenants, and insist that rights of private property allow one to discriminate against Jews, Catholics, Asians, African-Americans and others who can afford the price, but fall outside the realm of the desirable.
Israel prides itself on
morality. Often it deserves the self-praise. Not this time.
Editor's Note: Israel's President Shimon Peres has
been putting up on his website each day since taking office an account of his
day. The San Diego Jewish World plans to carry his entries on a regular basis so
we can all share his special perspective on Israel and world Jewry.
Aboard Holland America Ryndam
Phone solicitation rules
nettle Jewish fundraisers Amazing tales of Judaism
Tisha B'Av the time to end unwarranted grudges .
________________________
FOREIGN MINISTER AMADO: (Via interpreter) Ladies and
gentlemen of the press, many thanks for coming. My first remark is
addressed to you. I'd like to welcome you to Lisbon. I'd like to welcome
all foreign journalists who have come here. (Inaudible) which concerns
Israel and Palestine or Israel and the Arab world. It's a problem which
concerns the whole of the international community because of the scale
that it has taken on and the implications that it has had and has for
the international system, the international community must pay great
attention to this conflict. The Quartet (inaudible) the international
community has adopted to monitor this process. It brings together the
United Nations through the presence of the Secretary General, Russia,
the European Union and the United States. It's against this backdrop
that (inaudible).
(Inaudible) he has come here in this capacity to the Quartet meeting. We
have also just heard a very important statement from the U.S. President
concerning the developments of this process. Also, President Putin has
also made certain proposals in the past (inaudible). With this in mind,
we've been working over the past few hours so that we can take steps
which will allow us, as swiftly as possible, to restore trust in this
process. This is vital not just for the peace and stability of that
region, but also for the whole of the international community. It's
with this in mind that I would like to give the floor to the United
Nations Secretary General, who will present the results of our meeting.
Thank you.
SECRETARY GENERAL BAN: Thank you, Mr. Minister. Good
evening, ladies and gentlemen of the media. I'm going to pronounce the
joint Quartet statement. The
Quartet principals met now and were joined by former United Kingdom
Prime Minister Mr. Tony Blair. The Quartet reaffirmed its commitment to
bring about an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and to work to
lay the foundation of the establishment of an independent, democratic,
and viable Palestinian state, living side by side with Israel in peace
and security, as a step towards a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace
in the Middle East consistent with the roadmap and the United Nations
Security Council resolutions.
CYBER-REFERRALS—Deena
Feinman
of the San Diego regional Hadassah office noted the story in Thursday's
Boston Globe
about Hadassah's new national president,
Nancy Falchuk.
Here is a link. ...
Israel's Consulate General in Los Angeles
passes along a
story
by Yitzhak Benhorin of Y-Net News quoting former House Speaker Newt Gingrich
as saying that if Iran is allowed to obtain the nuclear bomb, it could lead
to a second genocide for the Jewish people...The
Republican Jewish Coalition
recommends a
story by Jennifer Rubin in the July 18 edition, updated July 20, of
The Politico in which she weighs the anti-Israel sentiment of a small
group of leftwing Democratic members of Congress. Among those she
questions is Senator Bernie Sanders (Independent, Vermont) who,
though Jewish himself, voted "present" rather than in support of a 2002
resolution supporting Israel's efforts to defend itself against terrorism.
Sanders at the time was a member of the House of Representatives. House approves funding for senior safety, disadvantaged students and brain trauma programs in San Diego WASHINGTON, DC (Press Release) – One education and two health care projects in San Diego supported by Congresswoman Susan Davis (Democrat, California) were allocated $400,000 in the spending bill for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and Education (H.R. 3043). “I am proud to help obtain funds for these dedicated organizations and the quality work they do in our community,” said Davis. “The money included for San Diego in this bill will have a positive impact in the areas of health care and education for not only individuals but the community as a whole.” The following projects were funded:
H.R. 3043 passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 276-140. The bill moves to the Senate. The preceding story was provided by the office of Congresswoman Susan Davis
BASEBALL—In a game Thursday in which
every New York Met got a hit,
Shawn Green got two of them, including a single that drove in two
runs, as the Mets defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 13-9. Green's BA
increased to .278. On the Dodger side,
Mike Lieberthal provided a ninth-inning pinch hit single but it was
too little, too late.... In the American League, it was day four of
Kevin Youkilis of the Boston Red Sox being off the Top 10 Batters
List. Pitcher
Scott Feldman has been called back from the minors by the Texas
Rangers.
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First Israel All-Star Game rosters announced TEL AVIV (Press Release) – Player selections have been announced for the first Israel Baseball League All-Star Game, to be played at Yarkon Field on Sunday, July 29, a game to be televised live by Sport5 TV.
The teams were selected by the six
managers, with Netanya, Ra’anana and Tel Aviv representing the “North” and
Bet Shemesh, Modi’in and Petach Tikva representing the “South” in the
contest. The managers with the best records as of July 26 will serve as
manager of their respective teams, with the others managers serving as
coaches.
Tickets for this historic encounter
are available at
www.israelbaseballleague.com
The Quartet welcomed President Bush's July 16th statement renewing U.S. commitment to a negotiated two-state solution and supported President Bush's call for an international meeting in the fall. The Quartet looks forward to consultations as the meeting is prepared. The Quartet agreed that such a meeting should provide diplomatic support for the parties in the bilateral discussions and negotiations in order to move forward on a successful path to a Palestinian state. The Quartet welcomed the agreement by Mr. Tony Blair to be the Quartet representative and discussed with him the urgent work that lies ahead. Noting the centrality of reform, economic development, and institutional capacity-building to the establishment of this stable and prosperous Palestinian state in the Western Bank and Gaza that will unite more Palestinians and live in peace and security with Israel and its other neighbors, the Quartet urged the parties and all states in the region to work closely with Mr. Blair and encouraged robust international support for his efforts including the convening of an ad hoc liaison committee meeting in the fall. The Quartet expressed support for the Palestinian Authority Government headed by Salam Fayyad, which is committed to the political platform of President Abbas that reflects the January 13th, 2006 Quartet principles. The Quartet encouraged the direct and rapid financial assistance and other aid to the Palestinian Authority Government to help reform, preserve, and strengthen vital Palestinian institutions and infrastructure and to support the rule of law. The Quartet welcomed the resumption of bilateral talks between Prime Minister Olmert and President Abbas and expressed support for steps taken by the Israeli Government, including the resumption of tax and customs revenue transfers and the decision to release Palestinian prisoners. The Quartet encouraged continued bilateral dialogue and further cooperation, including on the political horizon as a necessary framework to move forward. It urged both parties to work without delay to fulfill their previous commitments and to build confidence. Recognizing the continuing importance of the Arab Peace Initiative, the Quartet looked forward to the planned visit to Israel by representatives of the Arab League to discuss the initiative. The Quartet expressed the support for continued and expanded dialogue between Israel and the Arab states. It looked forward to an early meeting with the Arab states to follow up on their May meeting in Sharm el-Sheikh. The Quartet emphasized the need to find ways to sustain Palestinian economic activity and the importance of creating circumstances that would allow for full implementation of the agreement on movement and access, particularly in view of the impact of crossings on the Palestinian economy and daily life. The Quartet encouraged both parties to address their roadmap obligations, including an end to settlement expansion and the removal of unauthorized outposts and an end to violence and terror. The Quartet expressed its deep concern over the humanitarian conditions in Gaza and agreed on the importance of continued emergency and humanitarian assistance. The Quartet agreed to continue to consult regularly on developments and to meet again in September to take stock of developments, hear from Mr. Blair on his strategy for the economic and institutional agenda, and discuss the way ahead. Thank you. FOREIGN MINISTER AMADO: Thank you, Mr. Secretary-General. I open the floor now for some questions. Please. QUESTION: (Inaudible) but I have two questions, one for Mr. Blair, another for Mr. Solana. Mr. Blair, after this meeting, are you more comfortable with your mandate and what will be your next steps in the region? Mr. Solana has just come from Ramallah. Do you see -- might things move in the right direction in the territories? It's possible just to ignore Hamas and the situation in the Gaza Strip? Thank you. MR. BLAIR: Well, first of all, I'm, of course, very content to take on the responsibilities that have been offered to me by my Quartet colleagues and this is something that's an issue that I have been passionate about for many years and I want to devote real attention to it now, now that I'm freed from the responsibility of being prime minister. I think and hope I can offer something in trying to bring about a solution to this issue, which is of such fundamental importance to the world. And the first steps for me are -- familiar as I am with this situation, nonetheless to go and to listen to absorb and to reflect and then after an initial visit which will take place shortly, I will then go back again for significant periods of time in order to make sure that the intensity and focus is there and to try and create the conditions in which this two-state solution can become a reality. So at the present time, I'm very much going to listen to people, that is the sensible thing to do at the outset, and then at a later stage put forward proposals. MR. SOLANA: Thank you. Thank you very much for the question. I will tell you, as I told to the members of the Quartet (inaudible), I spent meetings with the Palestinians, with Israelis, I'd like to convey to you the same sentiment that I returned with more optimism and that is not a minor thing. And when you see what have been the latest events in the period of time that we have lived in relation with the Palestinian process (inaudible). Now, you ask about Gaza. I want to say that very clearly that we will continue to help the Palestinian people which are in Gaza. We are going to continue committed to that. That's what I would like to say at this point in time. FOREIGN MINISTER AMADO: More questions, please. Go ahead. QUESTION: Hi. I'm Matthew Lee with the Associated Press. I'd like to ask Special Envoy Blair, first of all, if he has adjusted to his new title and second of all, to follow up on the earlier question. If you're not at all concerned that the -- that you are constrained, your work will be virtually confined to the West Bank and not to Gaza and if that is really the way to go about building the national political institutions that the Palestinians need to become a sovereign state? MR. BLAIR: Well, first of all, the only thing that's difficult is it's a full three weeks since I've done a press conference, so I'm a little out of practice, to be honest about it. (Laughter.) So it's kind of -- I'm trying to work myself back into the necessary psychology for it. In relation to my mandate, let me make one thing very clear to you. If how effective I can be in the situation depends on some textual analysis of the precise words that are set out then frankly, it's not going to work anyway. This is a very clear situation to me. There is a vision that has been set out, again, by President Bush this week, but is shared by the whole of the international community and that is for two states: Israel confident of its security and a viable Palestinian state. But that state will not come about unless the conditions for it are present and those conditions are that the Palestinian state is viable, not just in terms of its territory, but also in terms of its institutions, in terms of its capability for statehood. And no political negotiation will ever work unless those conditions are present. So the important thing for me to do is to work with the Palestinians, with the international community to try to make sure that the circumstances are brought about in which Palestinian statehood can be achieved. Now, at the moment, it's probably not sensible for me to go into all sorts of detail about the strategies that could be developed. There's a later time for that and no doubt when we have a further press conference some time towards the end of September, there are questions that I can answer better then. The most important thing for the moment is to say this, as Javier Solana has just said to you, there is a sense that we can regain momentum. That is the crucial thing. And if we are able to regain that momentum, then a whole lot of things become possible, not least the fact that those people of peace can then feel that the force is with them and not with those who want conflict.
FOREIGN MINISTER AMADO: Okay, another question? QUESTION: I have a question to Minister Lavrov. To what extent do you believe the Russian-British diplomatic row might a lasting one and would you comment in Portuguese? And in his capacity as President (inaudible) Russian lack of cooperation with London on the Litvinenko affair. Don't you consider that's interference with Russian affairs? FOREIGN MINISTER LAVROV: (Inaudible) this is not up to Russia. This is up to our British colleagues. We are -- well, this is quite odd for us to hear that Russia is not right in terms of its cooperation on the Litvinenko affair. I want to remind you, that on the day in December last year when the UK asked Russia to receive its investigators, the answer was given immediately and very shortly – within one day, the British investigators arrived in Moscow and also our prosecutors met some earlier requests 100 percent. At the same time, Russian prosecutors, since Russia also instigated a criminal case, also made a similar (inaudible). And there wasn’t a single day; they had to wait for three months. After three months, they were in a position to arrive in London but all of their requests were met by (inaudible.) Now, with this request specifically to extradite Mr. Lugovoy, we as yet have not seen the actual document, the actual (inaudible) were still unclear as to what led the British investigators to determine that he is guilty and we can't have -- we can't provide them -- we can't violate our laws just as the UK can't violate their own laws. But Russia (inaudible) if its citizens are -- if they are persecuted in these countries and if there's enough evidence. There has been quite a number of cases in Russia, whereby these individuals were tried in Russia consisting of a couple of dozen cases, such as (inaudible). So we don't have any particular obstacles in terms of justice. But I reiterate the on the Mr. Lugovoy affair we haven't received a single paper which would explain to us why the British investigators arrived at this conclusion. Twenty one requests to extradite Russian citizens have been sent to London (inaudible). In the case of a well-known figure Boris Berezovsky, five times we sent our request and each time the British side explains that it wants materials submitted to in order to justify accusations because the charges against Mr. Berezovsky are not enough. And so each time the UK demands some new evidence (inaudible.) So this is how it is. We (inaudible) today that he hopes that common sense will win out particularly since the British have always been (inaudible.) So in this particular case (inaudible.) We are aware that every time a new government comes into power in any country, it tries to find its own line. It's obviously bothersome in its relations with the European Union. We know that the UK and the European Union are not -- they don’t have absolute meeting of minds. There is a package of reforms that the EU is put forward and not all of them are to the liking of London. So I can also see here the factor of the new government in the UK, I'm quite sure that the government will settle down, will find its line (inaudible) will work for the benefit of the people and Russian-British relations (inaudible.) QUESTION: Mr. Blair, congratulations, first of all, on your appointment to your new job. Can I venture – conveying my sense of skepticism you get living and working in the Middle East. The history of the Middle East is littered with the careers of envoys who have failed to bring peace. What makes you different, do you think? MR. BLAIR: Well, thank you, first of all, for that. (Laughter.) I knew it had been three weeks since we'd been in conversation. Look, the view I have is very, very simple: There is no more important issue for peace and security in the world. It is imperative that we succeed and I'm prepared to try to help in whatever way I can. And I think that in the end, that is the most important attitude for me to carry into this job and I also think that there is a real will and desire, if people can find the right way forward, to get to that two-state solution that people want. And you know, just imagine for a moment if this process were moving forward again. Just think how much hope there would be, how much there would be a sense of people coming together, how much there would be a falling away of the hatred and the division that this particular complaint often brings not just to those most intimately affected by it, but to the wider world. So it's an important task and -- you know, as you all know from your experience of me over the 10 years, I'm nothing if not an optimistic. And I will probably have need of all that quality of optimism in this task ahead, but I'm determined to try, because I think it is important, because I'm passionate about it, I believe in it, and I think that the vision of a state of Israel that can really, for the first time in its existence, be confident of its security and a Palestinian people given the justice of a Palestinian state, I think that vision is something that's worth striving for. So you know, you can ask me whether I'm still as optimistic in a few months time, but at the present time, I'm determined to try and I think the situation calls for that. FOREIGN MINISTER AMADO: Okay. Just to finish, two more questions, okay? QUESTION: Secretary of State, my questions to you are from Gaza and Ramallah. I've been asked to ask you personally by two people you spoke to there. Essentially, they're saying, what new policy is coming out of the Quartet? We've seen what's happened before. What new policies can you promise the people in the Gaza city and in Ramallah on the West Bank? And my second question is from Israel for Tony Blair and congratulations too on your new job. Our question from Israel is, how can you reestablish some sort of contact with the ordinary people in West Bank, Gaza, and in Israel in the peace process itself, because they have been such victims of the cycle of terror? How are you going to do that? What new are you bringing to it? Those are the two questions. Thank you. SECRETARY RICE: Well, thank you very much. And as to the matter of what policies the Quartet is pursuing, they are policies that are aimed at what has actually been a long-held dream, which is that there would be two states, one for Israelis and one for Palestinians. And I have said in the past that the Palestinian people have waited long enough to have their state and the Israelis have waited long enough to have the security that will come from having a secure and democratic neighbor. Now I think what you've heard today is a recommitment of the international community to rapidly pursue policies that can lead to that outcome. First and foremost, we have to recognize that there have been changes in the Palestinian territories. There is an elected President of the Palestinian people, Mahmoud Abbas, who is devoted to that vision of two states. And there is a prime minister, Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, who is trying on the ground, working with the international community and working with Israelis and working for Palestinians to bring about the conditions that will allow the Palestinian people to have a better life. And there are several things that we can do and that we committed to. The President, when he spoke the other day, talked about our financial commitment to the Palestinian people. That has to be a commitment to the building of political and economic institutions that Mr. Blair will be involved in. It has to be a commitment to direct assistance to the Palestinian Government. This will be a new phase for the United States, in particular, in that direct assistance. But I want to say something in particular to the people of Gaza, which is that that commitment goes to them, too. The United States is very concerned and the Quartet expressed its concern about the humanitarian conditions in Gaza. And we are going to continue to support UN efforts to make certain that the people of Gaza have the humanitarian assistance that they need. All of that, the work on movement and access, the work on improving the economic situation, the work on improving political institutions, all of that is very important. But ultimately, it has to be bolstered by a commitment to a political future for a Palestinian state. And when we met today, one of the points that my colleagues made is that the were welcoming President Bush's recommitment to that part of the equation on Monday. We talk about a political horizon. What do we mean? We mean that the Palestinian people need to be able to see that there is, indeed, a concrete reality, a concrete possibility of a Palestinian state, a viable, contiguous Palestinian state that will be able to be a homeland for the Palestinian people and that we are fundamentally committed to achieving that goal. I want to just say that in working with Tony Blair, who I've gotten to know over the last several years, I know of his passion for this issue. And I know too that we all understand that there has been -- there have been many, many attempts to get to the two-state solution, many attempts to get to an end to this conflict. And perhaps there are lots of reasons that it has not succeeded in the past. I don't think it has not succeeded because people want it to fail. There have been many dedicated people who want it to succeed. But we need from the Palestinian people a commitment to building the institutions, the democratic governance, democratic institutions that will not be corrupt and that will deliver for their people. We need for the Israelis a recognition, and policies based on a recognition, that the future of Israel lies in places like Negev and Galilei, not in the continued occupation of the West Bank. And we need support for this new government. We need from the Arab states a commitment to the end of the conflict and to support the Palestinian people in this cause and we need from the international community the kind of focus that I think the Quartet has brought to this meeting. We also need a good bit of good luck and optimism. But I think you would have been pleased to see that the optimism and the commitment were in no short supply in today's meeting. MR. BLAIR: David, I don't think it's surprising at all that there, of course, will be a lot of skepticism amongst people on the ground who are facing situations of real difficulty. And you know, for us, the most important thing is -- not, as it were, just to offer them fresh words of hope, but to translate that into concrete actions. And you know, ten years ago -- and I know the situations are very different, but sometimes there are similarities. Ten years ago, people would have been very cynical on the island of Ireland that Martin McGuinness and Ian Paisley would sit down in government together. In fact, they wouldn't have been merely cynical, they would have been completely unbelieving. And things can change. What is necessary to change this situation is two things. First, there has to be a strong, clear political perspective of two states. And when President Bush reaffirmed the importance of that this week, he did so in the context of a whole series of moves that are now happening to try to make that a reality. So that political perspective has got to be there and that's the first thing. But the second thing is that it's got to be then translated into practical actions so that the Palestinian state can come into being because the conditions, the real conditions for statehood that aren't just about negotiations and territory, but are actually about the institutions of the state. So that those come into being and they come into being in a way that means that Israel is still confident of its security. Now that is the only solution in this situation. There will be no solution if it does not accept the reality that Israel has to be confident of its security and the other reality, which is the Palestinians aren't going to go away. They want their own state. It's right that they have it. And we've got to help them prepare the conditions for that statehood. And those two things move, then, together; a clear political perspective of a two-state solution and the preparations for statehood necessary to make that work. Now the rest of it is the really hard, difficult, detailed, intensive, determined draft that gets those things into place. And that's -- in a way, what has happened in the last few days, despite all the obvious problems which people can draw attention to, what has happened is there is, I think a sense of renewed determination and renewed momentum. Now these are very early days, so it's important not to start offering false hopes to people, but the fact is there is a determination. We know how important this issue is and the rest of it is up to the hard work to get there. And also, to convince people, both in Israel and in Palestine, that it's worth doing, which it is. Because otherwise, there is no future for the people of the region and this is, then, something that has an impact right across the world. So of course, people -- you know, when we start something like this, people will be -- you know, they will be questioning, but it's our task, then, to prove that progress can indeed be made and I believe it can be. FOREIGN MINISTER AMADO: On behalf of all of us, thank you for your presence.
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