Resolution Adopted by the CCAR
Israel and the Quest for Peace in the
Post-Gulf War Period
Adopted by the
102nd Annual Convention of
the Central Conference of American
Rabbis
Fort Lauderdale, Florida, June, 1991
WHEREAS, the Central Conference of American Rabbis
celebrates Israel’s forty-third
birthday, and its ingathering of Jewish Exiles, while lamenting
that this celebration
is clouded by
the reality that Israel is still under siege, and
WHEREAS, Israel has been defending its borders and
citizens from hostile Arab states
and political organizations for its imperiled lifespan, and
WHEREAS, the reduction of the Iraqi
military threat and the recent White House peace
initiatives are cause for optimism, we are concerned
that Arab hostility continues
unabated against Israel, and
WHEREAS, U.N. Resolution 242 calls for both Israeli territorial
concession and the
cessation of
Arab belligerency,
THEREFORE BE
IT RESOLVED, that, given these considerations and Israel’s legitimate
security needs, we still affirm
that all negotiations for peace require a give and
take through dialogue, between Israel and the
Palestinians of the West Bank and Gaza,
as well as with the Arab States.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Central Conference of American
Rabbis:
1. calls for an end to
Arab belligerence towards the Jewish State, cessation of the
attempts at incursion by
Palestinians into Israel’s territory, and end to terrorist
attacks in Israel’s towns and cities, and
demands the immediate end of the Arab boycott
of Israel;
2.
calls upon the Israeli government to freeze the establishing of new
settlements
in the West Bank (Judea
and Samaria) and Gaza Strip.
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Central Conference of American Rabbis
look with favor
upon a Regional
Peace Conference between Israel and her neighbors.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we call upon the United
States government to use its
influence to encourage its new Arab allies to recognize Israel
and sit down at the
negotiating
table, and
BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED, that the Central Conference of American Rabbis commends the
Bush Administration’s efforts, as
well as those similar efforts in Israel, towards
arms reduction in the Middle East in a way which
enhances the security of the whole
region, and supports continued active U.S. involvement in
seeking a just and lasting peace
between Israel and her neighbors and throughout the region.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that in any
peace settlement, the Central Conference of American
Rabbis supports the indivisibility of united
Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.