DATE: January 12, 2009
TO: Secretary of State Clinton
FROM: Claudia Krenz, Ph.D

I have long been impressed by your hard work and commitment to our Constitution. I laud your work on what is too often dismissed as mere "women's issues."

I write now to ask you to work urgently to achieve Middle East peace. Your predecessor was incompetent so I won't "damn you with faint praise" by saying I know you can do better.

The need for peace in the Middle East is urgent: the human toll, in terms of innocents in Gaza alone, is horrendous. And Israel is in danger of losing its soul (which is not to dismiss the dead and terrorized living in Sderot and Ashkelon and now even northern Israel).

Aung San Suu Kyi wrote that the first step towards democracy is universal respect for individual human rights. Nowhere is this more needed and nowhere more absent and more difficult to implement than in the Middle East.

When you take office you will have a rare opportunity to restore America’s standing worldwide. And you join an Administration that has a clear mandate from the American people to open a new chapter in U.S. foreign policy and to reclaim the traditional U.S. role as the leader of efforts to achieve Middle East peace. I ask you to use this moment to rebuild confidence in the U.S. commitment to Middle East peace. Now is the time to put an end to the neglect and foot-dragging regarding the Arab-Israeli peace process and to begin robust peace efforts, characterized by determination, patience, and strong, credible U.S. leadership. As you prepare to take office, I know there are many pressing issues and crises on your agenda. I urge you to place the effort to achieve peace and stability in the Middle East as a top priority. The pro-Israel, pro-peace Jewish community stands ready to support your efforts to make progress on this key national security issue.

I conclude this message by begging you to add another item to your burgeoning load: BURMA. The Burmese people continue to fight and die for democracy. The United States would have no better ally than a free and democratic Burma.