Resolution Adopted by the CCAR
Israel
Adopted by the CCAR at the 91th Annual Convention of
the Central Conference of American Rabbis
Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, June 23-26, 1980
The Central Conference of American Rabbis reaffirms its belief:
1. That a spiritual tie to the land of Israel is inseparable from the faith of Israel.
2. That the necessity for an independent State of Israel is a foundation stone of
the Jewish people.
3. That Israel must determine its own policies–both domestic and foreign –in order
to insure its security and survival.
Therefore we resolve:
1. That we abhor and condemn any and all terrorist activities.
2. That we reject the view of those organizations and nations which call for the participation
of the PLO in peace negotiations while at the same time ignoring the PLO’s commitment
to the destruction of the State of Israel.
3. That we urge the government of Israel to negotiate with any interested party that
supports Israel’s right to exist within secure borders in order to insure a just
and lasting peace.
4. That we urge the government of the State of Israel to seek a mechanism for giving
the people of the West Bank and Gaza maximum opportunity to be a party to those negotiations
which shall determine their future, consistent with the security needs of the State of Israel.
5. That, recognizing the unprecedented sacrifices Israel has already made in implementing
the initial phases of the Camp David peace accord, and while affirming the right
of Jews to live anywhere, we urge the government of the State of Israel to continue
its policy of encouraging all avenues to peace by halting new settlements of the West
Bank until the successful resolution of the autonomy talks. W e also ask that Israel
reevaluate its policy on existing settlements to insure the continuation of only
those settlements which serve a legitimate security purpose.