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Source: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/613454.html
U.S. Jewish Leadership Declares Support for Disengagement
(COP/Ha'aretz) Shmuel Rosner - On the eve of the forced evacuation of settlers from the Gaza Strip, the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations Tuesday issued a statement supporting the disengagement. "The Conference of Presidents has supported, and continues to support, the decision of the Government and Knesset of Israel to disengage from Gaza and parts of the West Bank. Israel is taking an unprecedented step - unilaterally leaving land won in a defensive war - and must be given the time and support to absorb its impact." "As Israel faces this momentous and demanding time with the implementation of the disengagement plan, the American Jewish community stands in solidarity and compassion with all the people of Israel." "We must mobilize the international community to recognize the end of the Israeli presence in Gaza and to assure that the Palestinian Authority lives up to its responsibilities and fulfills its commitments by stopping the terror, dismantling the terrorist infrastructure, ending the vicious incitement against Israel and Jews, preventing the glorification of violence and attribution of Israel's withdrawal to it, and ensuring that the threats of Hamas and other terror organizations to continue their attacks are not realized." "We have been blessed with a reborn, independent, democratic, Jewish state that we must preserve and protect for all generations to come. We have to refocus on the overwhelming preponderance of areas of agreement, while respectfully recognizing differences. The key lies in achdut - Jewish unity - that has enabled us to withstand the challenges throughout our history."