June 8, 2010 -- New York – AJC Executive Director David Harris, in his national commentary on the CBS radio network, points out that 43 years after the Six Day War Israel yearns for peace. When will the Palestinians say "yes" to peace?  LISTEN.
All AJC radio commentaries since 2001 are available at www.ajc.org/radiocommentary.
The full text of this week's commentary follows:
Want to understand the Arab-Israeli conflict?
If so, this past week in history looms large.
Forty-three years ago, war broke out, after Egypt and Syria called for Israel's annihilation.
Until the war, the West Bank and Gaza were in Arab hands, yet there was no talk of a Palestinian state. The focus was on destroying Israel.
When the six-day war ended, victorious Israel offered to trade newly-acquired land for peace.
The Arab League's response? No peace with Israel, no negotiations, no recognition.
That changed in 1977. Egypt defied the Arab world and talked peace. The result? A treaty with Israel.
It changed again in 1994, this time with Jordan. Another treaty resulted.
Will it change as well with the Palestinians, whose favorite word till now, tragically, has been "no"? Only time will tell.
But one thing is clear: Israel's yearning for peace.
Israel. The more you know, the more you understand.
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This is David Harris of AJC.
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