The Community of Yes is raising its voices loud and clear to the Obama Administration and Washington, DC's policy makers and politicians arguing for bold action to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
There is a new voice in town and around the globe -- and it is the "Community of Yes."
Here are a few examples of the most recent and most prominent members of the growing Community of Yes.
Have a suggestion for a new Community of Yes member? Email us at info@CommunityOfYes.Org.
How the $8 Billion Lost in Iraq Could Have Brought Peace to the Middle East
By Christopher Tucker
In his recent blog post regarding the West Bank’s widely noted economic and security improvements and the prospects for Palestinian democracy, Andrew Sullivan ended by proposing to his readers: “Imagine what the $8 billion thrown into corrupt hands in Iraq could accomplish in Palestine.” It’s an exercise well worth undertaking, but it doesn’t require a stretch of the imagination, just a click of the mouse. The Arc project for a Palestinian state — which coincidentally was first reported in the New York Times by Sullivan’s Atlantic editor, James Bennet — has already imagined what $8 billion could accomplish in Palestine.
What’s the Arc? It’s a visionary plan for a sweeping infrastructure corridor that would lay the foundation for a prospective Palestinian state. Developed by Suisman Urban Design and RAND Corporation, the Arc offers a tangible and detailed vision of a successful and prosperous Palestine, living side by side with Israel in peace and security. The Arc would create a national infrastructure corridor that follows the West Bank’s curved mountain ridge, from which it derives its name. It would provide swift intercity rail service, a toll highway for trucks, electric power with an emphasis on renewables, natural gas from offshore Gaza, water supply, and national parkland. It would serve all of the main Palestinian towns and cities. The Arc corridor — and its lateral branches providing modern public transport within each city — would enable the new state to accommodate a very fast-growing population by renovating existing urban cores and expanding urban neighborhoods in a coherent and sustainable manner. This urban expansion would include new housing, office buildings, shops, hospitals, schools, and public parks — all within walking distance of public transportation. The Arc is designed to guide both international aid and private investment towards an efficient, integrated national space, rather than towards a costly array of scattered and disconnected projects. Building the Arc could produce as many as 150,000 jobs per year over ten years, in areas like finance, engineering, and construction where the Palestinian workforce is already strong.
The Arc has won many accolades and awards, and has gotten a warm reception from many Palestinians. President Abbas has called it an important project for his people. Prime Minister Fayyad has made it a key planning principal in his two-year plan for Palestinian statehood, and asked RAND to provide technical support to his Ministry of Transportation, with work already underway. The Palestine Investment Fund, the sovereign wealth fund of the Palestinian people, has expressed great interest. The Arc has even inspired the formation of a community of supporters, called Friends of the Arc, at whose website you can watch a 9-minute introductory video or the complete 30 minute video; download a host of Arc-related materials; join Friends of the Arc on Facebook; or follow them on Twitter.
The Arc is not derived from a political agenda but from sustainable planning principles — yet it could have a powerful impact on politics. Given President Obama’s focus in his Cairo speech on economic development in the Middle East, and his calls for out-of-the-box thinking on Middle East peace, the Arc would seem to be a natural expression and implement of U.S. foreign policy. The Administration already has at its disposal the kind of political risk funds, like the Middle East Investment Initiative and the Palestinian Political Risk Insurance (PPRI) program, that could be funded to help offset the risk necessary to attract $8 billion from investors – a tiny fraction of the current $300 trillion euro/dollar market which is desperately seeking attractive places to invest. An endorsement by the Obama Administration could pave the way for the public and private investment needed to realize the Arc in ten years or less. Work on many aspects of the Arc could begin almost immediately, with visible progress in one or two years.
So Sullivan is right to ask his readers to imagine what $8 billion could buy, and the Arc demonstrates what such an imaginative exercise can produce: a powerful and inspiring vision not only of the infrastructure for a successful Palestinian state, but of a new path to help reach the long-sought peace that must accompany it.
Turning No into Yes on a Two State Solution
Coauthored by Lara Friedman, Director of Policy and Government Relations for Americans for Peace Now, and Isaac Luria, Vice President for Communications and New Media at J Street.
We hear far too many “Nos!” in the American Jewish and pro-Israel communities about why we can’t ever achieve any reasonable compromise to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
We’re turning these “Nos!” into “Yeses!” with the following short, rational responses.
1. No, there is no partner for peace.
Yes, there is a partner. The current Palestinian Authority leadership — Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Palestinian Prime Minister Salaam Fayaad — are actually the most moderate and pro-peace Palestinian leaders the Palestinian Authority has ever had. Given the growing pull of extremism among some sectors of Palestinian society, they may just be the most moderate leaders we will ever have. Abbas has indicated that he acknowledges the tough compromises the Palestinians will have to make (including on the Right of Return) and the Jewish right to a homeland in the land of Palestine. And under their leadership, the Palestinian Authority has made enormous strides in improving security in the West Bank, building Palestinian government institutions in the past few years, and cracking down on hateful speech and incitement.
We must take advantage of this opportunity and pursue a negotiated two-state solution now with the current leadership of the Palestinian Authority – before it’s too late. Read More »
Large majorities of Americans say yes, strong American leadership to achieve peace is needed
J Street polls find solid support in the American Jewish community for a peaceful resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict because it is a core Israeli and American interest, and for the United States taking an active leadership role in achieving peace.
82 percent of American Jews support the United States playing an active role in helping the parties to resolve the Arab-Israeli conflict, with 73 percent of American Jews supporting this active role even if it means that the United States were to publicly state its disagreements with both the Israelis and the Arabs. By a 71-29 percent margin, American Jews support the United States “exerting pressure” on both the Israelis and the Arabs to make the necessary compromises to achieve peace.
A March 2010 Zogby poll finds strong support among Americans for urgently resolving the conflict.
84% of Americans believe that resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is important and 81% of Americans agree that the continuation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has a negative impact on U.S. interests. The poll also finds that a plurality of Americans oppose Israeli settlement construction.
A 2009 interfaith letter signed by a broad coalition of organizations and leaders supports a comprehensive Middle East peace as an American national security interest.
The letter supports “sustained, hands-on diplomatic leadership to bring the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to an end through the creation of two viable, secure and independent states living side by side in peace and security.”
Students say yes to peace and two states for two peoples.
J Street U leaders from around the country recorded a video saying “yes” to a two-state solution and peace and “no” to inaction and the status quo.
J Street U – Community of Yes.
Organizations of diverse backgrounds, ideologies, religions, and ethnicities say yes, it’s time for bold U.S. leadership for two-states before it is too late
The “Community of Yes” is a collaborative effort, backed by Ameinu, Americans for Peace Now, Churches for Middle East Peace, the Foundation for Middle East Peace, Islamic Society of North America, Meretz USA, the Muslim Public Affairs Council, YesMEP.
Members of Congress say yes, resolving the conflict is in the interests of the U.S., Israel, and the Palestinians
Members of Congress – both in the House and Senate – are standing up strongly for American leadership to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
A recent letter, authored by Reps. Ron Kind (WI-3), Bill Delahunt (MA-10), David Price (NC-4), and Vic Snyder (AR-2), garnered 62 signatures in the House of Representatives. Reps. Frank (D-MA) and Capuano (D-MA) sent their own letters in support. Read More »
16,000 Sign APN Petition to Obama: Extend Settlement Moratorium
Community of Yes partner Americans for Peace Now delivered a petition to the White House, signed by nearly 16,000 people urging President Obama to press for an extension of the settlement moratorium in the West Bank.
Here’s the full text of the petition:
Dear President Obama,
For real progress to be achieved towards peace for Israel, construction in West Bank settlements needs to be stopped. You were right to push Israel to adopt a settlement freeze last year. Now you need to take action to see it extended.
Those of us who care about Israel know that settlement construction is bad for Israel. It undermines faith in peace talks and it complicates negotiations over the future border between Israel and the Palestinians.
Settlements also constitute a burden to Israel’s security services. They create points of friction between Israelis and Palestinians. And they drain Israel’s financial resources
Please press Prime Minister Netanyahu to extend the settlement freeze.
Holding the line on settlements sends the message that America means what it says. It reminds Israelis that they must choose between making peace and deepening the occupation. It also strengthens America as we look to the Arab world to make important contributions to a renewed peace process.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says yes, America has vital interests at stake in the resolution of the conflict.
In her speech to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee in Spring 2010, Secretary of State Clinton eloquently laid out the reason it is in the national security interests of the United States (as well as Israel) to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through a two-state solution. An excerpt:
“We cannot be blind to the political implications of continued conflict. There is today truly a struggle, maybe for the first time, between those in the region who accept peace and coexistence with Israel and those who reject it and seek only continued violence. The status quo strengthens the rejectionists who claim peace is impossible, and it weakens those who would accept coexistence. That does not serve Israel’s interests or our own. Those willing to negotiate need to be able to show results for their efforts. And those who preach violence must be proven wrong. All of our regional challenges – confronting the threat posed by Iran, combating violent extremism, promoting democracy and economic opportunity – become harder if the rejectionists grow in power and influence.”
Click here to read the whole speech.
President Barack Obama says yes, a vision for peace and security is possible
Since the early days of his Administration, President Barack Obama has engaged deeply in the peace process. Continuing with his speech in Cairo, the President laid out a vision of a Middle East at peace that included a secure, Jewish, and democratic State of Israel as well as a future State of Palestine, saying “The only resolution is for the aspirations of both sides to be met through two states, where Israelis and Palestinians each live in peace and security. That is in Israel’s interest, Palestine’s interest, America’s interest, and the world’s interest.”
The President’s ongoing leadership is critical to achieving a two-state solution. He will need our support and our encouragement along the way.
