Representatives of the Friends of Israel Initiative met with President Shimon Peres in Jerusalem on Thursday and vowed to fight Israel's delegitimization. "We are here to vocalize our support for Israel in the face of the recent delegitimization campaign we see being waged against you," said former Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar, the group's founder and leader. The delegation, which included former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton, Northern Irish Nobel Peace Prize laureate Lord David Trimble and U.S. businessman Roberto Agostinelli, discussed their efforts on Israel's behalf with Peres. The Friends of Israel's foremost goal is to stop the Palestinians from making their expected declaration of statehood at the U.N. General Assembly in September. Speaking at the meeting's start, Aznar said the delegation fully supports Israel and encourages profound, direct and serious negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. "We plan to appear before numerous international forums, including the Durban conference and additional U.N. events, as well as to meet with European leaders in order to convince them of Israel's legitimacy and the importance of using only negotiations to advance the peace process." Trimble echoed Aznar's sentiments in his own words. Peres expressed Israel's gratitude to the delegation and stressed the importance of their actions. "It takes courage and moral integrity to say these things loud and clear," he said. "A unilateral declaration of Palestinian statehood would cause great harm to the Palestinians and increase instability in the region. There is no substitute for direct negotiations."
