We know that pro-Israel does not mean blindly supporting policies
that are irrational, reckless, and counter-productive. Pro-Israel means supporting policies that are consistent
with Israel's interests and promote its survival as a Jewish, democratic state.
You've heard the arguments of the religious and political right-wing, and so have we. They've had their say. Now, we'll have ours.
Go HERE for all installments of APN's "They Say, We Say"
Why should the U.S. care about Israeli-Palestinian peace?
If the Left were serious about being pro-Israel, it would spend more supporting aid to Israel and less time criticizing Israeli policy.
This statement is wrong. APN strongly support U.S. assistance to Israel. We believe this assistance is a key element of U.S. support for Israel. It helps Israel maintain its qualitative military edge in the region and remain strong and secure. It is also a tangible expression of the enduring U.S.-Israel relationship. We believe that continued robust U.S. assistance for Israel sends an important signal of U.S. support for and solidarity with Israel. The longstanding ban on the use of U.S. assistance to support settlement activities - reflecting U.S. recognition that settlements are a threat to Israel's security and viability as a Jewish state and a democracy - also sends an important signal of U.S. disapproval of Israel's settlement policies.
We know, too, that U.S. assistance is vital, in real and symbolic terms, in preparing the ground for any future Israeli-Arab peace agreements. Let's not forget that U.S. assistance for Israel (and Egypt) was a key element of the Camp David peace treaty.
Any future peace agreements will require Israel to take serious, calculated risks. It is in no small part the strength of the U.S.-Israel relationship, as embodied in U.S. financial support for Israel, which has provided Israelis the confidence to take such risks thus far, and will reassure them in similar decision-making in the future.
For these reasons, APN actively supports continued robust U.S. assistance to Israel, with the continued requirement that no U.S. assistance be used to support settlement-related activities. We draw the line at the Green Line. APN also believes Congress should demand greater accountability regarding Israel's expenditures on settlements, including reporting from the State Department on the amount of funds Israel is expanding annually across the Green Line to support and expand Israeli residential development.