New York, NY, June 14, 2009… The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today called the speech by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu highly significant because he addressed the issue of a Palestinian state and made clear that Israel is the party that has repeatedly offered peace to the Palestinians.

Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director, issued the following statement:

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's addressing the issue of a Palestinian state in his speech was significant in his statement that the focus of talks should not be on whether there should be a Palestinian state, but what kind of a state it should be. His willingness to talk about a Palestinian state as long as it is based on Palestinian acceptance of the Jewish state and is demilitarized and no threat to Israel should now provide the framework for moving the peace process forward and for easing potential tensions between the U.S. and Israel.

We urge the U.S. and Israel to avoid discussing these matters in the press and work together, particularly on the settlement issue to move the process forward in a spirit of cooperation and of the historic friendship of the two nations.  The truth is the fundamentals remain as they have been -- if only the Palestinians and others would accept Israel's legitimacy, stop the terror from Hamas and other Palestinian groups, cease the teaching of hatred toward Israel, and negotiate a compromise, Israel will be there to work toward a solution as it always has been.

U.S.-Israel cooperation offers the best hope for improving relations with the Palestinians and Arabs and particularly, for countering the true threat to the region coming from Iran and the Islamic extremists.

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.