Washington D.C., June 2 -- The American Committee on Jerusalem (ACJ) is happy to announce the launching of the American Task Force on Palestine (ATFP). ATFP represents a refocusing and expanding of the mission of ACJ, while retaining a focus on the issue of Jerusalem. At the inaugural meeting of the ATFP board of directors, Dr. Ziad Asali was elected as ATFP president, and Dr. Rashid Khalidi was elected as ATFP vice-president. In addition, the following statement was issued:

ATFP Statement of Principles

The American Task Force on Palestine (ATFP) aims to advance the cause of peace in the Middle East by advocating the national security interest of the United States in the establishment of an independent and viable Palestinian state living in peace alongside Israel. Specifically, ATFP seeks to promote awareness of the far-reaching benefits that Palestinian statehood will have for the United States in the following areas: (1) enhancing national security, as well as regional peace and stability, (2) the proliferation of American values of freedom and democracy, through the creation of a democratic and constitutional state for the Palestinian people, (3) the expansion of economic opportunities throughout the Arab and Islamic worlds resulting from an atmosphere of peace and cooperation.

ATFP plans to fulfill this mission of peace by coordinating the efforts of Americans of Palestinian heritage working with others in civic, educational, cultural, legal, economic and political endeavors.

As an organization committed to peace and human rights, ATFP categorically condemns all violence directed against civilians, no matter who the victims or perpetrators may be.

Despite decades of hostilities, the framework for a comprehensive settlement is already in place. United Nations Security Council resolutions on the Middle East; negotiations between the Palestinian and Israeli delegations that concluded in Taba, Egypt in January 2001; the Saudi peace proposal adopted unanimously by the Arab League; the vision articulated by the President of the United States; and the “roadmap” for peace adopted by the Quartet all firmly establish an overwhelming international consensus for a resolution based on the following parameters:

1. Two sovereign states--Israel and Palestine--living side by side in peace and security based on the borders of June 4, 1967, with mutually agreed upon territorial adjustments.

2. An end to the Israeli occupation and the evacuation of all Israeli settlements, save for equitable arrangements mutually agreed upon by the negotiating parties.

3. A just solution for the Palestinian refugee problem, in accordance with international legality and the relevant United Nations resolutions.

4. A shared Jerusalem open to all faiths, serving as the capital of two states, providing for the fulfillment of the political aspirations of both the Palestinian and Israeli peoples.

5. Full acceptance of Israel by all Arab states, and normalized diplomatic and economic relations throughout the region.

6. A “Marshall Plan”-style package of aid and investment for Palestine and the new Middle East.

Palestinian statehood will remove the greatest single source of anti- American sentiment throughout the Arab and Muslim worlds; will enhance the security of all states in the Middle East by establishing defined borders for Israel; will establish a democratic model for the rest of the Arab world to emulate; and will open up substantial markets in the Middle East and North Africa to greater opportunities for economic cooperation.

The ATFP is a not-for-profit corporation that aims to educate the American people about the national security interests of the United States in establishing a Palestinian state. Specifically, ATFP seeks to promote the awareness of the far-reaching benefits that Palestinian statehood will have for the United States in the following areas: (1) enhancing national security, (2) proliferation of American values of freedom and democracy, and (3) expansion of economic opportunities throughout the Arab and Islamic worlds.

American Task Force on Palestine
4201 Connecticut Avenue, Suite 302
Washington, DC 20008
Phone (202)237-0215 Fax (202)244-3196