Washington, DC, March 7, 2007 -- The American Task Force on Palestine (ATFP) today applauded the speech given by His Majesty King Abdullah II of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress. King Abdullah devoted the entirety of his speech to the issue of Israeli-Palestinian and Mideast peace, emphasizing both that the U.S. remains the key actor in achieving this peace and the urgency of resolving this issue in the immediate future.

ATFP president Dr. Ziad Asali , commenting on Jordanian television in an interview following the King?s speech said: "King Abdullah used the historic occasion of an Arab head of state addressing a joint meeting of Congress to wisely, courageously and urgently impress upon Congress that the issue of Palestine remains the core issue for Arabs and Muslims worldwide and that the time for the U.S. to use its power and moral authority towards resolving the conflict and delivering a Palestinian state based on international law and justice was now."

Following King Abdullah's speech to Congress, ATFP participated in a closed-door meeting with King Abdullah and members of his cabinet as part of an invited delegation of Arab and Muslim American organizations.