Jewish
Frontier

29 March 2000

Dear Friends,

I am sorry that I am unable to speak to you directly, as originally planned, in order to personally convey my warmest greetings to all of you participating in the 32nd Labor Zionist Alliance Biennial National Convention. Unfortunately, the events of the last few days have changed the rhythm of my planned schedule for the coming week. Therefore, I send you through this letter my wishes for a productive and exciting convention, and my deep appreciation for the important work you do for the cause of peace, the State of Israel and the Labor Zionist Movement.

As strong advocates on behalf of the peace process, I want to assure you that I remain dedicated to achieving peace with our neighbors and enhanced security for our people. The Geneva Summit, for which I acknowledge our immense gratitude for the personal efforts of President Clinton, served to clarify the positions of both sides. While we cannot be certain as to whether or not the talks with the Syrians can yet be resumed, we are certain of what it takes to protect our core national interests and we are committed to negotiating only within those terms. We are prepared to take calculated risks for peace, but only when I can guarantee that the peace we make will not risk our security.

Still, we are moving forward in our discussions with the Palestinians with the hope of achieving a framework agreement that meets the satisfaction of both sides. At the same time, we continue with our plans to bring our boys home from Lebanon and end the tragedy there that has already claimed the lives of some 1,000 Israeli soldiers.

To all of you who share our ideals and philosophy, I count on your continued support. I know that the activity you are undertaking and the growth you are experiencing is bringing more and more American Jews, especially of the younger generation, to understand and identify with the goals and aspirations of our movement.

I thank you. I encourage you. I wish you great success.

Sincerely,

Ehud Barak