Jones reiterates US commitment to peace, Palestinian state

The US National Security Advisor, General James L. Jones, reiterated the Administration's commitment to establishing a Palestinian state and determination to move forward with peace talks.

"We are clear, unambiguous and consistent," said Gen. Jones, "The time has come to relaunch negotiations without preconditions to reach a final status agreement on two states" Gen. Jones emphasized at the Fourth Annual Gala of the American Task Force on Palestine (ATFP), that, "President Obama's dedication to achieve these goals is unshaken, is committed, and we will be relentless in our pursuit of achieving these."

Noting that ending the conflict and the occupation is essential because what is at stake is "nothing less than the dignity and the security of all human beings,' adding 'We must move beyond talking about talks and get to the hard work of addressing the core issues that separate Israelis and Palestinians."

ATFP President Ziad J. Asali praised the National Security Advisor's "profound grasp of the integral relationship between politics, security and economic development, and his fairness in being able to see the perspectives, and understand the requirements, of both Israel and the Palestinians." In his welcoming remarks to the Gala, Asali said that, "The occupation simply must end. Yet many peoples have attained independence only to fall prey to despotism, chaos, bad or even failed governance, or close-minded obscurantism. For their own sake, courageous Palestinians have begun a new policy to build, in spite of the occupation, the foundations of a society and state in which every citizen is afforded both the rights and responsibilities of liberty."