Some thoughts on Israel, the Palestinians, and Peace

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On my webpage, in an essay on providing for the common defense , I say a little about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: “I believe that the Jewish people have a right to national self-determination through the state of Israel, but I also believe that the Palestinian people have a right to a state of their own. Moreover, I believe that the Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank have been established in violation of international law. The time has passed when they could be considered as a mere bargaining chip to be surrendered in negotiations, and partially accommodated by land swaps under United Nations Resolution 242, and it is clear that they are part of a misguided and unlawful policy. The United States, in the interest of peace, should offer to help pay for the resettlement of their inhabitants in Israel proper as part of a comprehensive agreement, an agreement that would also formally include a Palestinian relinquishment of any claim on a ‘right of return’ to Israel proper. Such an agreement would mean both sides accepting loss and vulnerability in return for peace. This is the nature of what is normally required to pursue peace in this world.”

The two essays linked to here are from the blog of an old Israeli friend of mine, the head of a school for both Arabs and Jews, an opponent of the existence of Israeli settlements on the West Bank, and an advocate of peace. I am profoundly opposed to what I consider unconstitutional legislation to criminalize BDS (Boycott, Divestiture, Sanctions), but as long as my friends and comrades in Israel oppose the BDS movement, I will do so as well.

Aside from the expressed interest of a number of friends, I was motivated to write on this subject by an article by Peter Beinart in today’s Forward , on “Jared Kushner, Israel, and the Enduring Power of Whiteness.” Beinart concludes: “ Sooner or later, the privilege that Kushner, Greenblatt and Friedman enjoy vis-a-vis Palestinian and Muslim Americans — the privilege that allows them to be, like Trump, half as good and twice as powerful — will fade. And the organized American Jewish community is utterly unprepared for that day.”

As someone seeking to represent all of the people of the 5 ^th district—including Jews and Muslims and Christians and secular folk alike—I have taken a position for what I believe will best serve the interest of the common ground we all share in the cause of a lasting peace.

I will be giving my first “stump speech” of the campaign in the Parish Hall of Church of Our Saviour at 1:00pm on Sunday, September 17th, following which those who want to do so will be able to pick up petitions to circulate to help get my name on the ballot. The church is at 530 W Fullerton Parkway, about five blocks east of the Fullerton “L” stop, and the door to the Parish Hall is along the east side of the church toward the back.