Summary
All the members of the Quartet - the United States, the United Nations, the European Union, and Russia - are holding firm in our conviction that a Palestinian partner for peace needs to accept three principles: the disavowal of terror and violence, the recognition of Israel's right to exist and the acceptance of all previous agreements between the parties, including the Roadmap, which is the only internationally agreed-upon framework to create a Palestinian state. At the same time, we fully support President [Mahmoud Abbas], and the growing number of his fellow citizens, who are urging Hamas to put the interests of the Palestinian people ahead of their own rejectionist agenda.
So we are working to ensure that the Palestinian people receive the food, and the medicine, and the humanitarian relief that they so desperately need. That is why the United States recently increased our direct assistance to the Palestinians to $468 million a year, with much of that going to meet basic needs. We've also worked with our foreign partners to create a temporary mechanism to channel international donor assistance directly to the Palestinian people. We and our European allies are now expanding this mechanism into a new international assistance program to alleviate the suffering of the most vulnerable Palestinians.I know the commitment of the Palestinian people to a better future. I know firsthand the commitment of President Abbas and moderate Palestinians to that future. And I know the commitment of the people in this room and of the American Task Force on Palestine that one day indeed there will be a Palestinian state living side by side in peace with Israel.See the full content of this document
Extract
Helping Palestinians Build a Better Future
Editor's note: Addressing the inaugural gala of the American Task Force on Palestine in Washington this week, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice pledged her personal commitment to efforts to end the months-long stalemate in Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts. Following is a transcript of her remarks.
Thank you very much. Thank you. I would first like to thank Dr. Ziad Asali for that wonderful introduction. But more importantly, I would like to thank you for your leadership and for your commitment to this very important cause, and tor your friendship and counsel over my time as Secretary of State. Thank you very mu...See the full content of this document
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