Mevasseret Adomim E 1—The Defensive Shield of Jerusalem
Settlement Report | Vol. 18 No. 4 | July-August 2008
Mr. George W. Bush
Mr. President,
We welcome you to Israel on the 60th anniversary of the founding of the State of Israel. You are considered, and rightly so, a true friend of Israel. The people of Israel and the United States share common values: democracy, tolerance, openness and the determination to fight terrorism.
During your presidency you have frequently expressed your commitment to the security and strengthening of Israel. In a letter to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on April 14th, 2004, you wrote, inter alia: “As part of a permanent agreement, Israel must attain secure and recognized borders which will be determined in negotiations between the sides . . . in view of the new facts on the ground, including the existence of large Israeli population centers.”
The settlement blocs in Judah and Samaria referred to in this letter also conform to the consensus of opinion in Israel that supports the strengthening of the State of Israel and Jerusalem and desires to keep Ma’ale Adumim an integral part of Israel in any political agreement.
As chairman of the Greater Jerusalem Forum and mayor of Ma’ale Adumim, I was privileged, together with former Prime Ministers, the late Yitzhak Rabin, Ehud Barak, Binyamin Netanyahu and Ariel Sharon, to promote the Mevasseret Adumim E‑1 building plan. This plan is intended to preserve Jewish territorial continuity between Ma’ale Adumim—the largest city in Judea and Samaria with a population of more than 36,000—and Jerusalem. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has also, more than once, declared his commitment to strengthen Ma’ale Adumim and his approval of the construction of Mevasseret Adumim E‑1.
The citizens of Israel interested in the construction of Mevasseret Adumim E‑1 and in the strengthening of Jerusalem await the implementation of this building plan which is consistent with your letter to former prime minister Ariel Sharon and with the broad national consensus encompassing all sectors of the population.
In the name of the citizens of Greater Jerusalem and Ma’ale Adumim, I wish you a pleasant stay in Israel.
Respectfully,
Benny
Kashriel
Mayor
of Ma’ale Adumim
Chairman
of the Greater Jerusalem Forum
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I told Dr. Condoleezza Rice that we are fully committed to the international legitimacy and to the UN resolutions, Roadmap plan, the Arab initiative, and all that constitute a basis for this solution with the establishment of a Palestinian state, side‑by‑side with the Israeli state, to live together in security and stability. I requested from Dr. Rice to assist us to make Israel fulfill its obligations vis‑à‑vis colonization, because we consider settlement activity as the most important obstacle facing the political process. And the more there are dates and construction of settlements, the more this will constitute and impediment that will obstruct reaching any peace. |
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Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas before meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Ramallah, June 15, 2008 |
