Shomron Regional Council
Chairman's Office
Fax: 03-9066407 / Landline: 03-9066400
lishka@shomron.org.il
1 Derech Barkan
P.O. Box 1
Barkan, Israel
March 5, 2018

Dear leaders of the AIPAC family,

Shalom from Israel,

We are – speaking for all Israelis - extremely appreciative of AIPAC's
devoted efforts to strengthen, protect and promote the U.S.-Israel
relationship. The Hebrew accolade is, "Kol haKavod!"

We do however note that the AIPAC talking points are still very much tied to
establishment of a Palestinian state (what has been called "the two-state
solution"). The AIPAC website also seems to imply that Israel is committed
to a two-state solution and that the United States takes this position as
well.

Please note this assumption has no basis in fact: The sovereign entity in
Israel is of course the Government of Israel (GOI). The official GOI
Guidelines are available to the public (e.g.
here:http://www.pmo.gov.il/IsraelGov/GovDocuments/Pages/kaveyesod.aspx). As
you see, they contain not one word or even hint of support for the
"two-state solution".

Furthermore, as for the United States, while the previous (February 2015)
National Security Strategy report did state that the United States remains
"committed to … a two-state solution", it is our understanding that the
National Security Strategy currently in effect, as of December 2017,
(https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-
content/uploads/2017/12/NSS-Final-12-18-2017-0905.pdf ) does not indicate
support for the two-state outcome. This is presumably in an effort not to
coerce an American ally, the State of Israel, into an outcome which that
ally does not regard as desirable, just or safe.

I am astounded as to why such a great, meaningful organization as AIPAC,
whose raison d'etre is pro-Israel advocacy in the United States, would
represent the positions of the State of Israel (and of the United States) so
inaccurately before senior government officials, senators and congressmen,
and the general pro-Israel public. The position that AIPAC is representing
as that of the State of Israel -- in the AIPAC mission statement and in the
AIPAC talking points inter alia -- not only fails to represent Israel
properly, it is detrimental to the efforts to achieve dialogue in the Middle
East.

Therefore, we strongly believe that the AIPAC mission statement and talking
points should be updated at this time. This would allow AIPAC to participate
even more effectively in Israel's great quest – for survival as an
independent,
secure, moral, democratic, peaceful Jewish state, benefitting the world in
the spirit of Tikun Olam. Very sincerely,


Yossi Dagan
Chairman,
Shomron Regional Council