Ran Nachman tells 'Post' he wants US president to see for himself that it is "not a stumbling block for peace."
Ariel Mayor Ron Nachman has invited US President Barack Obama to visit his settlement and see for himself that it is not a stumbling block for peace.
“All the wisdom is not just in Washington or Jerusalem,” Nachman told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday, as he described the letter, which he sent out last week.
Nachman said he hoped such a visit to Ariel, located in Samaria, would shatter the ignorance that exists about the settlements.
His community boasts a university and an industrial park in which thousands of Palestinians work, he said.
In his letter, Nachman told Obama, “Mr. President, I cordially and respectfully invite you to the City of Ariel. I would like you to see with your own eyes the very issues that are currently being discussed, as maps and even photographs fall far too short of capturing reality. Only the land, the people, the views and the environment are capable of presenting the backdrop for creative and, ultimately, successful solutions.”
He added that he believed he had much in common with the American leader.
“If I would have to choose a motto that could summarize my belief system, it would most likely be ‘Yes We Can,’” he wrote. “Both of us, Mr. President, are driven with an intense motivation to achieve a lasting peace in the region.”
The residents of Ariel want to live in peace with their neighbors and in an atmosphere of coexistence and shared resources, the mayor said.
“Peace is a lofty goal, which we achieve on a daily basis, here in Ariel,” Nachman wrote.
http://www.jpost.com/NationalNews/Article.aspx?ID=202502&R=R1
