Senate letter urging tensions tamp-down gets 76 signatures [AIPAC victory]

JTA
More than three quarters of the U.S. Senate urged the Obama administration not to allow tensions with Israel to harm relations or the prospects of a return to Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

........The letter refers to tensions that erupted more than a month ago, when the Israeli government announced a major building launch in eastern Jerusalem during what was to have been a friendly visit by Vice President Joe Biden.

.....A companion letter in the U.S. House of Representatives garnered 333 signatures in 72 hours.
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee lobbied hard for both letters, which were circulated to coincide with its March 21-23 annual policy conference.

The Senate letter, initiated by Sens. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.)  stops short of the House letter's appeal to the Obama administration to keep disagreements with Israel behind closed doors. Both letters blame the Palestinians for the impasse in talks....


AIPAC commended the letter...."strongly applauds this enormous outpouring of support for the special relationship between the United States and Israel, which is rooted in shared values and common interests, including democracy, tolerance, the rule of law and the pursuit of peace." Full story