The General Delegation of the PLO to the United States expresses great concern with the House Republican Conference’s reception of Dani Dayan, the former head of the Yesha Council of Settlements. His efforts are part of a campaign to launch a “diplomatic arm” for the illegal settlements and should not be entertained.
During his visit to Washington, Dayan met with Rep. Ed Royce, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee; Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, the chairwoman of the committee’s Middle East subcommittee; and Rep. Pete Roskam. The House Republican Conference reportedly described the leaders’ attitude toward Dayan’s ideology as “sympathetic.” Such description is very troubling for anyone concerned with a constructive role for the US in resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Dayan and his toxic ideologies are also being pampered in US media. Over the last year, the New York Times published two of his columns and wrote an article praising him for being “worldly and pragmatic.” Last month, USA Today gave Dayan the space to publish a column propagating his lies and attempts to legitimize Israel’s illegal settlements, which are in violation of international law. Despite persistent efforts by the PLO Delegation to get equal opportunity to respond to Dayan’s statement, our requests have so far gone unanswered.
Dayan’s visit is especially concerning given its brazen attempt to undermine Secretary Kerry’s efforts to revive the political process. Entertaining a zealous opponent of the two-state solution like Dayan in the halls of Congress and in the media sends the wrong message about US commitment to peace in the region.
The General Delegation of the PLO to the United States urges American leaders to take a firm stand, at this crucial time, against those who are obstructing the political process. We also call upon the media to commit to a balanced coverage of the conflict and refrain from entertaining settler leaders like Dayan, who are threatening the prospects of peace in our region.