American Jewish Committee Officers Conclude Mission To Morocco, Israel, Palestinian Authority And Jordan

American Jewish Committee
Monday, 23 August 1999

American Jewish Committee officers consulted on regional security issues and pledged further efforts to support the Arab-Israeli peace process in meetings over the past week with the leaders of Israel, Jordan, the Palestinian Authority and Morocco.

"As the new government of Israel lays out its vision and roadmap for advancing the peace process, the American Jewish Committee is continuing its efforts to inform and give voice to our community's hopes for the negotiations' success," said AJC President Bruce M. Ramer, in concluding the leadership mission yesterday.

AJC Executive Director David A. Harris remarked, "This latest visit reflects AJC's ongoing commitment to maintaining close consultation with Israel and enhancing our links with moderate governments throughout the region that share our concerns about terrorism, weapons proliferation and regional stability."

In the first leg of its mission, the delegation expressed condolences in Rabat to King Mohammed VI, whose father, King Hassan II, died July 23. In addition to paying respects at Hassan's tomb and then meeting for one hour with the King at the Royal Palace, the group had extensive private discussions with Royal Counselor Andre Azoulay and with Foreign Minister Mohamed Benaissa, who hosted a dinner in the group's honor.

The delegation met with leaders of the Moroccan Jewish community in Casablanca and Rabat and toured the community's key institutions in Casablanca. The group was briefed by senior U.S. and Israeli diplomats in Rabat, and met with leading businessmen and civic activists.

In its meeting with King Mohammed, the delegation praised the late King Hassan's contributions to regional peace - reiterating the message of an AJC notice prominently published in the Rabat daily Le Matin, as well as the International Herald Tribune - and urged continued steps toward Arab-Israeli normalization.

The King pledged to build on the efforts of his father, with further Moroccan gestures as Israeli-Palestinian peace moves progress. He told AJC: "I believe in the peace process and I believe in the implications of the peace process. The good will is there."

The delegation's second stop was in Israel, where members met with Prime Minister Ehud Barak at the Defense Ministry and discussed a range of regional issues. Barak stressed the Israeli military's need for sufficient strength, technological superiority, and U.S. strategic cooperation to defend itself "in a tough neighborhood," at the same time that Israel "makes the compromises that are necessary" to advance peace.

He cited ongoing Israeli-American cooperation against terrorism and "leakage of technology" for weapons development in Iran and Iraq. He repeated his commitment to implementing the Wye River accord with the Palestinians, while urging Palestinian acceptance of a "stretched" timetable, which he said would be "somewhat longer, a smoother road, and with a higher probability of success." He spoke of Jerusalem as remaining "united under our sovereignty, the capital of Israel forever."

The group also met with Foreign Minister David Levy, discussing among other issues AJC's annual meetings with foreign ministers and other heads of delegations attending the opening of the UN General Assembly, in September and October in New York. AJC met with 49 such delegations during the 1998 General Assembly session.

In Ramallah, the AJC delegation met with Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat and discussed continuing efforts to reach agreement on Wye implementation and the prompt commencement of final status talks. Ramer urged the Palestinians to embrace Prime Minister Barak's position on Wye, saying that with the Israeli leader "there are no tricks."

Arafat described PA efforts to confront Hamas and Islamic Jihad terror cells operating with Iranian financial support and training in the West Bank and Gaza. The delegation took note of current Israeli and Palestinian efforts to revise school textbooks in the spirit of Arab-Israeli reconciliation, and urged continued work in this project. In its past meetings with Palestinian leadership and in its own analyses, AJC has highlighted the importance of removing anti-Israel and anti-Semitic references from Palestinian textbooks.

In its second visit to Jordan this year after the death of King Hussein, the AJC leadership met at the Royal Palace in Amman with King Abdullah and discussed U.S.-Jordan and Jordanian-Israeli relations, and other regional concerns. The King expressed his high regard for Prime Minister Barak, saying he knows the Israeli leader is "dedicated" to reaching agreements that advance peace.

AJC officers praised the King's vital support for peace, including his efforts to probe for openings between Israel and Syria. In the course of the discussion, the delegation also expressed concern about the continuing profile of the "anti-normalization" movement in Jordan's professional associations; the King shared the group's criticism for such activities and suggested that progress toward regional peace will diminish their support.

The AJC delegation also met privately in Amman with Foreign Minister Abdul-Elah Khatib, U.S. Ambassador William Burns and Israeli Ambassador Oded Eran, as well as with Queen Noor with whom an AJC delegation met in March.

Joining Ramer and Harris in the latest AJC Middle Eats mission was Herbert Mines, an AJC national officer; Madeline Peerce, a CBS Entertainment executive; Jason Isaacson, AJC Director of Government and International Affairs; and Yossi Alpher, Director of AJC's Israel/Middle East Office in Jerusalem.

For more information, or to contact American Jewish Committee, see their website at: www.ajc.org