(IsraelNN.com) Senate majority leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) disagreed with U.S. President Barack Obama on his tough policy against Israel in a public letter he sent last week.
Reid declined to call on Israel to end construction in Judea and Samaria in his letter, as Obama has done, and instead said the PA must take the initiative in the peace process.
“I believe negotiations will be successful only with a renewed commitment from the Palestinians to be a true partner to peace,” Reid told Obama. “All parties must recognize Israel’s right to exist, end terrorism, and respect previous agreements made with Israel.”
The Democratic Senator also disagreed with Obama's claim that an Israeli-PA peace agreement would facilitate his efforts to prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons.
“It is also vital [the Israeli-PA] process not take away from your commitment to deal with the ongoing threat from Iran,” he said. “I believe that resolving the problem of Iran’s nuclear program will help facilitate the Arab-Israeli peace process."
In addition, Reid recognized “the historic kingdom of Israel, which was established more than 3,000 years ago" in his letter, in contrast to Obama who was criticized for singling out the Holocaust as the basis for Israel's existence in his speech in Cairo.
