Contact: Butch Wing, 510-701-8955
Shelley Davis, 773-490-8665
October 14, 2008

The recent column in no way represents my views on Middle East peace and security. The writer is selectively imposing his own point of view, and distorting mine.

I have a long held position of a two state solution to achieve peace in the Middle East. I stand forthrightly for the security and stability of Israel, its protection from any form of hostility, and a peaceful, non-violent resolution to co-existing with its Palestinian neighbors. I have advocated for peaceful, non-violent negotiation. This is a framework that all people who pursue peace and reconciliation embrace. Both presidential candidates embrace this approach to advance Middle East negotiations and the peace process. It is our national policy.

The slant of this writer’s article is designed to incite fear and division. It must not be allowed to divert our focus away from the substantative and sensitive debate around the critical foreign policy and domestic economic issues in this critical region of the world.

Reverend Jackson is not a representative of Senator Obama. He has never had a conversation with Senator Obama about Israel or the Middle East, and was not characterizing his views on these issues.

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