OccupationalHazard.org 03.21.09

Voices & Dialogue - 03/21/09

Two-State Coalition: A Letter
from an Israeli Friend

Hillel Bardin - Al Quds

I write to you as an Israeli who supports two homelands – one for my people and one for Palestinians. I support an independent Palestinian state not because I fear the “demographic threat” but because I have Palestinian friends, and I want their children to have the same rights as mine, to grow up with honor, with freedom, without humiliation, with good education and chances to enter their chosen professions in a blossoming economy.
There are today three groups in the world who support a two-state solution:

We have a minority in Israel which includes some of our most respected citizens, plus many more who would join if they could believe that you are willing to live with us in peace.
You have a large group which still hopes for this solution, plus many more who would support it if they thought that it were possible to turn back the settlements.
In the world community, Obama’s government, and most of the world leaders, support this solution, but hesitate to offend Israel’s Jews.

No one of these groups has the power by itself to stop the Jewish settlement juggernaut.
We are entering a period when Israel will be governed by a group of extreme right-wingers who are generally detested throughout the world. We have a window of opportunity -- while Obama remains in office and Israel is without its fig leaves.
Since 2000 you Palestinians have felt that you should work without Israeli grassroots help. I suggest that it is necessary to give up this luxury now, that we must work together to overcome those who would use the never-ending occupation to take your land and hold you down, destroying the future for both our children.
What unites us? Two goals:

Desire for a two-state solution, and
Conviction that the only hope for it lies in Obama and the world community intervening forcefully.

Obama would like to help, but he faces very strong American Jewish and Christian Evangelical lobbies which will fight to keep him out of our struggle. How can we help him to commit himself to save us, even at the risk of hurting himself politically and threatening his other campaigns?
Up to now the Israeli government has been on the attack with the power of the army, the police, the settlers, the laws and the courts; we try to defend and save what we can. Isn’t it time to move to the offensive, to attack them in their weakest place, in the international arena?
The strongest help we can offer is to demonstrate together for our two goals – goals that do not divide, but unite. Such grassroots action would show that not all of us are filled with hatred and desire for revenge, but that Obama can find allies for his goals within both our communities. Joint action will tell the world (and our own communities) that cooperation is possible. It can make our struggle more attractive to the press and to worldwide public opinion. By our working together, the Netanyahu government and the army would find it harder to stifle our call. With our united front, Obama could more easily respond to our invitation to force an end to the occupation.
Many Israelis are desperate when they look at our future government, which rejects peace and rejects a Palestinian state. They would welcome an opportunity to join with like-minded Palestinians. Imagine marches of Arabs and Jews with their two flags, calling for Obama and the entire international community to force an end to the occupation now.
I know that it is hard for you to consider working with Israelis when you are struggling for the unity of Fatah and Hamas and of the West Bank and Gaza, after the war in Gaza, and when many feel that the way to become free is through attacking the Jews, rather than working with those who share your goals.
But today there is an opportunity which we should not lose. Our enemies are extremely powerful. In order to overcome them, we need to work together. Invite us Israelis to join you in massive calls for international intervention – let’s move from weakly defending against government attacks, to taking the initiative and proactively, non-violently but forcefully, calling on the world to end our decades of suffering.
Hillel Bardin
West Jerusalem

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Two-State Coalition: A Letter from an Israeli Friend
Hillel Bardin - Al Quds





I write to you as an Israeli who supports two homelands – one for my people and one for Palestinians. I support an independent Palestinian state not because I fear the “demographic threat” but because I have Palestinian friends, and I want their children to have the same rights as mine, to grow up with honor, with freedom, without humiliation, with good education and chances to enter their chosen professions in a blossoming economy. There are today three groups in the world who support a two-state solution: We have a minority in Israel which includes some of our most respected citizens, plus many more who would join if they could believe that you are willing to live with us in peace. You have a large group which still hopes for this solution, plus many more who would support it if they thought that it were possible to turn back the settlements. In the world community, Obama’s government, and most of the world leaders, support this solution, but hesitate to offend Israel’s Jews. No one of these groups has the power by itself to stop the Jewish settlement juggernaut. We are entering a period when Israel will be governed by a group of extreme right-wingers who are generally detested throughout the world. We have a window of opportunity -- while Obama remains in office and Israel is without its fig leaves. Since 2000 you Palestinians have felt that you should work without Israeli grassroots help. I suggest that it is necessary to give up this luxury now, that we must work together to overcome those who would use the never-ending occupation to take your land and hold you down, destroying the future for both our children. What unites us? Two goals: Desire for a two-state solution, and Conviction that the only hope for it lies in Obama and the world community intervening forcefully. Obama would like to help, but he faces very strong American Jewish and Christian Evangelical lobbies which will fight to keep him out of our struggle. How can we help him to commit himself to save us, even at the risk of hurting himself politically and threatening his other campaigns? Up to now the Israeli government has been on the attack with the power of the army, the police, the settlers, the laws and the courts; we try to defend and save what we can. Isn’t it time to move to the offensive, to attack them in their weakest place, in the international arena? The strongest help we can offer is to demonstrate together for our two goals – goals that do not divide, but unite. Such grassroots action would show that not all of us are filled with hatred and desire for revenge, but that Obama can find allies for his goals within both our communities. Joint action will tell the world (and our own communities) that cooperation is possible. It can make our struggle more attractive to the press and to worldwide public opinion. By our working together, the Netanyahu government and the army would find it harder to stifle our call. With our united front, Obama could more easily respond to our invitation to force an end to the occupation. Many Israelis are desperate when they look at our future government, which rejects peace and rejects a Palestinian state. They would welcome an opportunity to join with like-minded Palestinians. Imagine marches of Arabs and Jews with their two flags, calling for Obama and the entire international community to force an end to the occupation now. I know that it is hard for you to consider working with Israelis when you are struggling for the unity of Fatah and Hamas and of the West Bank and Gaza, after the war in Gaza, and when many feel that the way to become free is through attacking the Jews, rather than working with those who share your goals. But today there is an opportunity which we should not lose. Our enemies are extremely powerful. In order to overcome them, we need to work together. Invite us Israelis to join you in massive calls for international intervention – let’s move from weakly defending against government attacks, to taking the initiative and proactively, non-violently but forcefully, calling on the world to end our decades of suffering. Hillel Bardin West Jerusalem
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