In a letter to President Donald Trump on Tuesday, some 1,000 former Israeli security officials endorsed the administration's peace plan and praised the parts that allow Israel to extend its sovereignty to areas in Judea and Samaria, thanking the president for his strong support of Israel.
The group includes former major generals in the Israel Defense Forces, as well as former senior officials in the Israel Police.
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"Dear Mr. President, we write to you in the name of more than a thousand senior military officers and combat soldiers from the Israel Defense Force reserves who have joined together in recent months to form a new social movement called Habithonistim – Protectors of Israel," the letter reads.
"We want to thank you for your deep commitment to the State of Israel and the Jewish people. We thank you for recognizing our sovereign rights and our deep historical and religious connection to the Land of Israel, by, among other things, recognizing that Jerusalem is now and has always been our capital, and moving the Embassy of the United States to the city. We thank you for respecting Israel's national security requirements, among other things, by recognizing our sovereignty over the Golan Heights," the letter continued.
The Trump administration's newly unveiled Vision for Peace stipulates that Washington will endorse an Israeli decision to apply sovereignty to large parts of Judea and Samaria and the Jordan Valley as long as Israel commits to holding good-faith negotiations with the Palestinians and avoid construction in certain areas that could become part of a Palestinian state. That state will only be established four years after negotiations begin and only if the Palestinians fully renounce terrorism and carry out major reforms, and only if they are no longer considered a threat to Israel.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly said he plans to accept the document and to begin the process of applying sovereignty in Jewish communities as early as July 1.
"Your far-sighted vision for peace, which includes a recognition of Israel's sovereign rights in Judea and Samaria – the cradle of Jewish civilization – has put wind in the wings of thousands of Israel Defense Force officers and warriors and buffeted the sails of the Israeli nation as a whole," the letter reads.
The former officials went on to thank the president "for your friendship and visionary leadership."
The letter claimed that due to the president's pro-Israel policies and support, the Jewish state now stands "at a historic crossroads in the 4,000-year history of the Jewish people in the Land of Israel. We trust that you will continue to work to secure the future peace of the people of Israel and of the Middle East as a whole by standing with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he applies our sovereignty to our eastern frontier, the Jordan Valley and to our cities, villages, and farms in Judea and Samaria in accordance with your visionary peace plan."
Both this activity and the letter from the US lawmakers came in part as a result of the activities of THE YES! ISRAEL PROJECT, led by lobbyist Ruth Lieberman. In addition, the Republican Jewish Council (RJC), led by Matt Brooks, issued a public statement in favor of the Trump program and recruited members of Congress for it.
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