Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Israel could do more to help moderates


Good piece on Israel/Gaza in the Atlantic by Jeffrey Goldberg:

I don’t know if the majority of Palestinians would ultimately agree to a two-state solution. But I do know that Israel, while combating the extremists, could do a great deal more to buttress the moderates. This would mean, in practical terms, working as hard as possible to build wealth and hope on the West Bank. A moderate-minded Palestinian who watches Israel expand its settlements on lands that most of the world believes should fall within the borders of a future Palestinian state might legitimately come to doubt Israel’s intentions. Reversing the settlement project, and moving the West Bank toward eventual independence, would not only give Palestinians hope, but it would convince Israel’s sometimes-ambivalent friends that it truly seeks peace, and that it treats extremists differently than it treats moderates. And yes, I know that in the chaos of the Middle East, which is currently a vast swamp of extremism, the thought of a West Bank susceptible to the predations of Islamist extremists is a frightening one. But independence—in particular security independence—can be negotiated in stages. The Palestinians must go free, because there is no other way...Of course, the Israeli government's primary job at the moment is to keep its citizens from being killed or kidnapped by Hamas. But it should work to find an enduring solution to the problem posed by Muslim extremism. Part of that fix is military, but another part isn't...

Thanks to Harry's Place

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2 Comments:

At 12:49 PM, Blogger Rkeezy said...

The settlement issue seems so key in this - glad to see this article. Words it well. One must clean up one's own house and affairs before any finger pointing should take place. That goes for both sides in this.

 
At 11:59 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hamas does not want Israel to exist. Regardless of what the Hamas PR people say. After living for 60 years I unfortunately have come to believe a majority of countries and peoples will only be happy when there is no Sovereign State and no Jewish people. I venture to guess there are thousands of people in this very city that feel that way.

 

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