New York, NY, January 10, 2008 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today praised President George W. Bush for his commitment to Israel's security and for his tireless efforts to create a lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians after meeting with both parties in the region.

Glen S. Lewy, ADL National Chair, and Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director issued the following statement:

We appreciate President Bush's commitment to bringing Israelis and Palestinians together in the hopes of completing a peace agreement by the end of this year.

We applaud President Bush's continued emphasis on the importance of Israel's security and his statement that: "Security is fundamental. No agreement and no Palestinian state will be born out of terror. I reaffirm America's steadfast commitment to Israel's security."

We are encouraged by the President's reaffirmation of his commitment to the Road Map and his insistence that no agreement can be made without its full implementation.

We agree with the President that the Road Map is an important vehicle which provides a path to peace, as the President said, to establish "… Palestine as a homeland for the Palestinian people, just as Israel is a homeland for the Jewish people."
 
Indeed, the security of Israel is of central importance if any peace is to be achieved and this security can only be ensured if the Palestinian terror network is dismantled and the Palestinians create a reliable and effective security system.

The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world's leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry.