Your First Motivating Issue

       U.S. support for Israel in the Palestinian conflict must be
       considered in context of historical progress since 1998.

           As stated, a man can only be judged by his words and deeds, so too, a country can only be judged by its words and deeds.  The Israeli government had said it would voluntarily do something that would be very difficult for any country in the world to do - giving up land and move out its people who have lived there for decades.  Additionally, the Israelis have freed 400 Palestinian prisoners.  The Israeli government said it would do these deeds and it did them.  That is significant.

            The Palestinian authority president had a White House meeting with the U.S. President.  At a following news conference, the U.S. President demanded that Israel cease any further settlement building near Jerusalem, as a good faith deed to show the Palestinians that a continued cease-fire would yield greater benefits to all parties instead of falling into the cycle of attacks and counter-attacks.  The Israelis say they will continue to withdraw form additional land, but it is reasonable to assume that in good faith Hamas and other terror groups in Palestine will refrain from terror strikes.

           Another sign of hope for future prosperity for the Palestinian people is the significant rise of the Palestinian Securities Exchange.  In 2000 when peace talks transformed to violence, the shares of Palestinian stocks plummeted.  Since Israel’s initiative – to pull out of occupied territories – combined with the departure of Yasser Arafat, the election of President Abbas and the reduction of violence, the Palestinian stock market in 2005 had tripled from the year before.  If terror groups in Palestine refrain from attacking Israel, the markets have greater potential to grow higher.  The U.S. government is encouraging both sides to refrain from violence and to continue to seek a peaceful resolution.

           Osama bin Laden, in these historic times when Palestinians have an opportunity to create a better life for themselves, shouldn’t you be encouraged to also urge Hamas to have a cease-fire of terrorist activities?  Why create more danger that threatens today’s opportunities for the Palestinian people?  There will always be reasons to go backward, but there are far more compelling reasons to go forward.

           Since 2005, Hamas was elected and faces choices of continuing terrorist attacks against Israel and then Israel retaliating with counter-attacks; that will only serve to prolong Palestine’s blight.  There is an acknowledged history of anger, hate and conflict, however there is also a present opportunity for the parties to work in ways that are mutually beneficial – such as Palestine’s potential to grow fruits and vegetables as well as provide manufacturing skills that Israel would welcome as a trading partner and neighbor, if Palestine’s terror groups establish a mutual truce with Israel.  That could provide a meaningful livelihood for many Palestinian families.  Of course, unresolved issues must still be addressed, but it is impractical to expect violent measures to resolve anything between the parties.  Your influence combined with U.S. influence to foster a
truce can help to establish a new era in Palestinian-Israeli relationships.  At a minimum, a non-violent coexistence is possible.  That is what the U.S. seeks for both parties – that is what the majority of Palestinian families yearn for.