Israeli Ambassador Outlines Priorities in Peace Talks
Israel’s ambassador to the U.S. outlined for Jewish leaders his country’s list of priorities in framing peace talks with the Palestinians.
Ambassador Michael Oren, speaking Thursday in a conference call, said Israel was ready to accept President Obama’s outline on May 19 of renewed talks, based on the 1967 lines with mutually agreed land swaps, as long as it was framed by what he called the “terms of reference”: the recognition of Israel as a Jewish state; no return of Palestinian refugees; and a long-term military presence for Israel along the Jordan-West Bank border. Also, that an agreement would end all claims.
He offered the terms after describing the recent intensive shuttle diplomacy aimed at restarting direct talks, with negotiators and U.S. facilitators traveling back and forth in recent weeks between Washington, Jerusalem and Ramallah.
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Why I became the Forward’s Editor-in-Chief
You are surely a friend of the Forward if you’re reading this. And so it’s with excitement and awe — of all that the Forward is, was, and will be — that I introduce myself to you as the Forward’s newest editor-in-chief.
And what a time to step into the leadership of this storied Jewish institution! For 129 years, the Forward has shaped and told the American Jewish story. I’m stepping in at an intense time for Jews the world over. We urgently need the Forward’s courageous, unflinching journalism — not only as a source of reliable information, but to provide inspiration, healing and hope.
