"Finally, as someone who believes deeply in human rights and political freedoms, I have become more and more concerned about the plight of the Palestinian people.  Over time I have come to believe that ignoring their suffering is not at all consistent with the cherished values that both America, and Israel hold dear … I can sum up my views in one short sentence, 'The status quo cannot continue.'  I’ll repeat this, it’s the theme of this talk, 'The status quo cannot continue.'  The status quo has had, and will continue to have devastating consequences for Israelis, for Palestinians, for the entire region of the Middle East. Ultimately, of course, for the United States."

"And vital US interests are at stake.  Whatever one’s views are about the war in Iraq, and the war against global terrorists, there can be no disagreement that helping to calm the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will make our nation safer and more secure.  The alternative, as author Tom Friedman predicts, is a future in which this dispute boils over and produces suicide bombers in our city buses, and in our restaurants.  Working to end this dispute is critical to our national interests.  All of these views were reinforced during my recent fact finding tour of Israel and the West Bank."

"The trick would be to get the leaders to follow the people.  And, and this is my real message, everyone I spoke with gave me a nearly identical message with respect to our own country, 'there will be no peace without strong, sustained, vibrant, diplomatic leadership on the part of the United States government.'  Steve Humphries did an eloquent job of outlining the very reasons why.  'It is impossible, according to the people who live in the land, Israelis and Palestinians, for them to accomplish their goals without our help, and they’re begging for it.' This, of course, is no surprise.  The history of successful Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking from Camp David in 1975, to Tava in 2001, is marked by US intervention at the level of the President.  And that is why I am so frustrated with our current Administration … Some say that risky US ventures into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict could never happen during an election year.  And I say that the security of Israel, the plight of the Palestinians, and our own national interests are too important to sacrifice on the alter of American politics."

"It is incumbent upon all of us who support Israel, and support peace, to not let that day come about.  It is incumbent upon all of us who believe in self-determination and human rights for the Palestinians, not to allow the status quo to prevail.  It is incumbent upon us, all of us, who are serious about the standing of the United States in the world, and who are honest about our own national security, not to allow this conflict to spiral out of control." 

"The problem with the occupation,  is that it corrupts Israel itself.  Because, what it’s done, is it’s thrown Israel into a dependence on the United States … Its [Israel] lost completely it’s moral fabric, it’s lost it’s direction, it’s lost it’s sense of what it had set out to be.  And its become this regional superpower in league with the global superpower in terms of controlling the Middle East and the rest of the world.  And if you think I’m being conspiratorial,  or I’m overstressing the case,  look at the AIPAC web site where Israel itself says that it’s role is to defend American economic interests throughout the world. I mean it’s not a secret, it’s nothing I made up, it’s what the Israeli government itself says."

"American supporters of Israel, and so on, have to try to get to a just peace.   I think this idea of justice is not only some idealized category,  it really is what’s going to solve the conflict.  Now why should Americans care about this?  What is the implications for Americans?  You know, this conflict is emblematic.  In two senses.  First of all, it’s absolutely, if you want to put it in American terms since we’re here,  it’s absolutely counterproductive  to American interests.  It seems like it’s serving the short term American interests, because Israel is helping the United States conquer Iraq.  I mean the whole idea of a civil administration in Iraq, comes out of Israel.  Israel’s civil administration, you know Israel trained American troops in the Negev before they invaded Iraq.  You know, which isn’t good for Israel obviously.  But at the same time, I think the conflict in the Middle East has got to upset American interests, and the interests of everyone in a normal, stable, progressive world that’s democratizing and so on … and that’s the other thing, it’s emblematic in the sense that this is a conflict that’s in our face.  This is the most transparent conflict that’s ever existed.  CNN, BBC, the world’s media, it’s right there.  You can’t turn on the T.V., open the newspaper,  without it just jumping out at you.  Well, what are the implications?  We’re all, you know, I think we identify ourselves as progressives.  That our interests in equality and justice and development,  and so on.   What are the implications for us as we are trying to nurture this new world of human rights, international law, equality, justice, and so on, into being, if the Occupation wins?   If, in fact, Israel in front of our eyes, in the light of day,  succeeds in imprisoning 4 million people behind 24 foot walls.  The implications for all of us are really terrible.  It sets us all back.  And from that point of view, I think Americans have a tremendous stake in seeing that there be a just peace in the Middle East."