American Task Force On Palestine - History

History

The American Task Force on Palestine was founded in 2003 as the successor organization to the American Committee on Jerusalem (1995-2003.) Rashid Khalidi was president of the AJC.

In early 2004, the Task Force helped promote and publicize the Geneva Accords in the United States. In November 2004, ATFP President Ziad Asali served as a member of the United States official delegation to the funeral of Chairman Yasser Arafat. He subsequently served as a member of the United States official delegation to observe the Palestinian Presidential elections in January 2005. On February 10, 2005, Asali testified before a full committee hearing of the House International Relations Committee on “the way forward in the Middle East peace process.” Asali was also a delegate with the National Democratic Institute (NDI) to monitor the Palestinian Legislative election in January 2006. In February 2006 ATFP issued its Vision for a Palestinian State, first published in the New York Times.

In December 2006, a 10-member delegation from ATFP’s leadership traveled to the region and held substantive meetings with top political leaders including Jordan’s King Abdullah II, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and acting Israeli Prime Minister Tzipi Livni.

On February 12, 2009, Asali testified at a House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on Middle East and South Asia hearing on the aftermath of the war in Gaza. At the hearing, ATFP also submitted an extensive 50-page report on the circumstances, aftermath and consequences of the war.

On March 4, 2010, Asali spoke before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations on "Middle East Peace: Ground Truths, Challenges Ahead".