World

Reaching Out

White House invites G.A. leaders before Netanyahu summit.

I JFNA and JTA

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Washington

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resident Barack Obama and
members of his senior staff met
with Jewish leaders from across
the country at the White House during a
private reception Monday afternoon prior
to Obama's meeting with Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The Jewish contingent was comprised of
representatives of the Jewish Federations
of North America (JFNA), which was
meeting in Washington. Earlier, Netanyahu
addressed JFNA's General Assembly, with
3,000 participants.
During his remarks Monday afternoon,
Obama thanked the Jewish leaders for
their work in their own communities, and
recognized the Jewish federations for the
OF NORTH AMERICA
"countless hours of tzedakah (charity)
performed every day of every week."
The president stated his admiration and
respect for the Jewish federation system,
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke Nov. 9.
beginning with his experience working for
several years with members of the Chicago
federation and reminded the group how
Muslim U.S. Army major.
"Let us seize the moment to reach an
important their work is — not only to the
President Obama was joined at
historic agreement; let us begin talks
Jewish community, but also the commu-
Monday's meeting by White House Chief
immediately."
nity at large.
of Staff Rahm Emanuel; Senior Adviser
Netanyahu repeatedly called on
He addressed legislation currently
David Axelrod; Senior Adviser Valarie
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud
moving through Congress to reform the
Jarrett; Peter Orsag, director of the Office
Abbas to drop Palestinian preconditions.
nation's health-care system and empha-
of Management and Budget; Christina
The Palestinian leadership wants Israel to
sized the importance of helping those in
Tchen, director the White House Office of
institute a total settlement freeze as a pre-
need.
Public Engagement; Susan Sher, chief of
condition for talks.
"For the president of the United States
staff to First Lady Michelle Obama; Dan
Netanyahu chided the Palestinians for
and his team to open up his home to our
Shapiro, National Security Council; and
turning aside what he and the Obama
organization and communal leadership
Danielle Borrin, White House Jewish com- administration have suggested is an
speaks volumes to the importance that
munity liaison and special assistant to the
unprecedented" offer to freeze some set-
the Jewish federations play in Jewish life
vice president.
tlement activity while allowing for "natu-
and American social policy:' said Kathy
Later Monday, Obama met privately
ral growth" and building in Jerusalem. "No
Manning, chair of the board of he Jewish
with Netanyahu. The White House issued a Israeli government has been so willing to
Federations of North America.
brief statement afterwards:
restrain settlement activity:' he said.
Jerry Silverman, president and CEO of
"The president and Prime Minister
Netanyahu did not mention earlier Israeli
JFNA, said, "We were thankful to have an
Netanyahu discussed a number of issues
preconditions, including leaving off the
opportunity to directly discuss a number
in the U.S.-Israel bilateral relationship.
table for now Jerusalem and refugee issues,
of our concerns with the administration's
The president reaffirmed our strong com-
and a refusal to deal with llamas, the ter-
senior team and look forward to continu-
mitment to Israel's security, and discussed rorist group in control in the Gaza Strip.
ing to reach out to them in the future to
security cooperation on a range of issues.
However, he went further than he has
ensure the voice of the Jewish community
The president and prime minister also
in the past in outlining whathe means by
is heard loud and far in Washington."
discussed Iran and how to move forward
saying he wants the Palestinians to recog-
Obama cancelled a scheduled appear-
on Middle East peace."
nize Israel as a Jewish state.
ance to speak at the G.A. on Tuesday
In his own speech Monday to the JFNA
"'What does the Jewish state mean for
morning in order to attend the memorial
General Assembly, Netanyahu called for
the Palestinians?" he said. "It means that
service at Fort Hood, Texas, for the sol-
the immediate resumption of peace talks
they must recognize that the fantasy of
diers killed and wounded last week by a
with the Palestinians.
flooding Israel with refugees is gone,

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The Jewish Federat ions

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November 12 • 2009

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that they give up irredentist claims to
the Negev and the Galilee, and that they
declare irrevocably that the conflict is
finally over."
This latest formulation omits a demand
for an explicit recognition of Israel as
Jewish, which is what Palestinian negotia-
tors have until now resisted. Palestinian
negotiators have said that such a recogni-
tion is not theirs to make; they also worry
it would prejudice the rights of Israeli
Arabs.
The call for an immediate resumption
of talks appears to supersede the recent
call by Israel's foreign minister, Avigdor
Lieberman, to set aside for now talk of a
two-state solution.
Netanyahu said again that the outcome
of such talks would be a Palestinian state,
albeit one that is demilitarized.
He lavished praise on President Obama,
who sustains strong support among
American Jews but who is unpopular in
Israel.
Netanyahu thanked Obama for oppos-
ing efforts in the United Nations to
advance the Goldstone Report, which
accuses Israel and Hamas of war crimes
during last winter's Gaza war, for sustain-
ing the U.S.-Israel security relationship,
and for leading international efforts
to stop Iran from obtaining a nuclear
weapon.
Also on Monday, Natan Sharansky said
Israel must forge better bonds with young
Jews around the world by building stron-
ger Jewish identity.
"Today the battle we are facing is a
battle for our identity" and "we need one
another;' said the chairman of the Jewish
Agency in a speech to the JFNA G.A. "Our
aim must be to connect every young Jew
with Israel and Israel with every Jewish
community in the world."
Speaking on the 20th anniversary of the
fall of the Berlin Wall, Sharansky noted
that some young Jews are torn between
universalism and the nationalism of sup-
porting a Jewish state — the same "false
choice" that those living under Soviet con-
trol faced 20 years ago.
Sharansky said strengthening Jewish
identity and "returning to Jewish roots"
is the "best answer in the struggle for the
freedom of Israel" because it will "empow-
er us to fight for tikkun olam [repair of the
world] everywhere." II