May 5, 2004 Contact: (212) 481-1500 Attn:
NEWS EDITOR

ZOA TO BUSH: THE QUARTET IS SEVERELY BIASED AGAINST ISRAEL AND SHOULD BE
DISBANDED

NEW YORK- The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) is urging the Bush
administration to disband the Quartet in response to the Quartet members'
complete embrace of Arab demands against Israel.

The Quartet, consisting of the U.S., the United Nations, Russia, and
the European Union, was established with the support of the Bush
administration in order to take part in the Arab-Israeli negotiating
process. But instead of facilitating peace, the Quartet has completely sided
with Arab demands.

A statement issued by the Quartet on May 3, 2004, declared that Israel
"must end the Israeli occupation that began in 1967" meaning, a complete
Israeli withdrawal to the pre-1967 borders, that is, total surrender of
Judea, Samaria, Gaza, the Golan Heights, and much of Jerusalem. The Quartet
statement also said that any Arab-Israeli solution must be based on previous
U.N. resolutions (which are slanted against Israel) and the Saudi Plan for
total Israeli surrender. (Washington Post, May 5, 2004)

The ZOA is deeply disappointed that the Bush administration endorsed
the Quartet's statement, which essentially nullifies President Bush's own
recent statement that "it is unrealistic to expect ... a full and complete
return" to the pre-1967 borders.

ZOA National President Morton A. Klein said: "Instead of allowing
himself to be dragged into endorsing the pro-Arab positions of the Quartet,
President Bush should acknowledge the Quartet's severe bias against Israel
and disband it. The Quartet serves no purpose now except to increase the
one-sided pressure on Israel and embolden the Arabs by embracing their
extremist demands."

The ZOA president also expressed concern about the Bush
administration's reported surrender to a demand by Jordanian King Abdullah
II for a U.S. statement of support for Arab positions. The administration
reportedly at first rebuffed the king's demand, but now there has been "an
abrupt policy reversal" and a letter will be issued to "placate" the king,
the New York Times reports (May 5, 2004). ZOA president Klein commented:
"It is outrageous that this two-bit dictator thinks that he can give orders
to the president of the United States. American soldiers have died to keep
Saddam Hussein from invading his neighbors--including Jordan. Abdullah
should be expressing his gratitude, not issuing demands."

The prominent Mideast scholar Prof. Fouad Ajami, of Johns Hopkins
University, recently wrote: "We buy no friendship in Arab lands with
pro-Palestinian diplomacy and we ward off no anti-American terrorism."
(U.S. News & World Report, May 26, 2003)

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The Zionist Organization of America, founded in 1897, is the oldest
pro-Israel organization in the United States. The ZOA works to strengthen
U.S.-Israel relations, educates the American public and Congress about the
dangers that Israel faces, and combats anti-Israel bias in the media and on
college campuses. Its past presidents have included Supreme Court Justice
Louis Brandeis and Rabbi Dr. Abba Hillel Silver.