More than 300 worldwide Jewish legislators are trying to convince international diplomats to vote against the Palestinian Authority’s unilateral strategy of winning recognition in the United Nations.
The International Council of Jewish Parliamentarians (ICJP), chaired by Fiamma Nirenstein, vice president of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Italian Chamber of Deputies, met in the United States “to save the peace process.”
She said the timing of the Arab world’s tactic of bypassing Israel to declare the Palestinian Authority as a state “could not be worse” in view of growing instability throughout the Middle East.
Leading legislators who met in the United States hailed from Canada, Brazil, Australia, Italy, Israel, Costa Rica, Belgium, Hungary and Great Britain as well as the United States.
"We have come with the aim to save the peace process for the two-state/two people solution, that, with a unilateral declaration, may never be implemented,” stated Nirenstein.
"Instead, unilateralism is an initiative that does not help peace and which is a violation of all the previous agreements signed by the Israelis and the Palestinians and of all the U.N. resolutions calling for a negotiated solution accepted by both parties,” she added.
The ICJP asked both parties to go back to the negotiating table as soon as possible with the support of the United Nations.
The American meeting was hosted by Ronald Lauder, president of the World Jewish Congress, , The legislators met with U.N. diplomats from the European Union and Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Michael Oren.
"It was a very high-profile mission held with an unprecedented approach,” stressed Nirenstein. "We had the impression that there is still a lot to do in order to avoid this destabilizing and dangerous conclusion. Our interlocutors seem to be aware that if this is not prevented, we may face a very serious situation.”
Among the ICJP leaders are U.S. Congressmen Rep. Gary Ackerman and Nita Lowey, and Canada’s Member of Parliament Irwin Cotler. Israel was represented by Kadima Knesset Member Shai Hermesh, who lives on a Gaza Belt kibbutz.