Leaked comments by Mitt Romney that there is no point in the peace process have caused alarm among other Israel supporters that the two-state solution is fading from view. Here are four men who fault Romney in part out of fear for what this means for Israel.
David Miliband, former British foreign secretary, in the Guardian:
“Leaders across the world must not lose interest,” he warns. “The fact that Palestine is not in the headlines does not mean it can be forgotten. We know there can be no justice in the Middle East without a Palestinian state. But there can be no security in the Middle East without a Palestinian state. The crowds on the streets may not be chanting about Palestine, but they have not given up in their hearts and heads.”
Dennis Ross and Alan Dershowitz in the Jerusalem Post. Note Dershowitz’s new realist stance:
They… took issue with Republican presidential challenger Mitt Romney’s recently uncovered statements at a closed-door fund-raiser in May about the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, where he said he doesn’t see much potential for a two-state solution.
…“If you create an impression that everything’s hopeless, you’re going to find you’re not going to be able to sustain stability,” Ross [said by phone]… “Frustration is going to build.”
“We need a president who tries even harder in light of the difficulties to bring about a peace process,” said Harvard Law School professor Alan Dershowitz, also speaking to the Post by phone. “The main beneficiary of a two-state solution would be Israel.”
Uri Avnery’s latest column, springing from Romney statement:
There are two peoples living in this country.
Neither of the two will go away. They are here to stay.
While the Arab Palestinians living in the country are still a minority, they will constitute the majority quite soon.
Both peoples are intensely nationalistic.
The two peoples have different cultures, languages, religions, historic narratives, social structures, standards of living. At present, after some 130 years of continuous conflict, there is intense hatred between them.
The possibility that these two peoples could live peacefully in one state, serving in the same army and police, paying the same taxes and abiding by the same laws enacted by the same common parliament, is nil.
The possibility that these two peoples could live peacefully side-by-side in two states, each with its own flag and its own elected government (and its own soccer team), does exist.
“Note Dershowitz’s new realist stance:”
Dershowitz has long supported the two-state solution. This is not new.
How odd of God to choose — Romney! And here we have The Dersh urging Obama to get with the process (called “peace process”) (which process is supposed, one presumes, to process — chopped meat?). But still.
OK, from my mouth to God’s ear: urge AIPAC to allow Obama to start talking about the illegalities of the settlers and the settlements. And, on November 7, to demand that Israel remove both. And the wall. And to urge EU and all other states to join him in the demand. and to instruct Susan Rice (or her successor) to vote for the resolution — with teeth. Oh yes, and kisses to Bibi.
Dershowitz got what he wanted. He got 750,000 settlers in YESHA
It’s a bit late now to start whining.
The case for Israel – he never understood it.
Avnery is disappointing
“The possibility that these two peoples could live peacefully in one state, serving in the same army and police, paying the same taxes and abiding by the same laws enacted by the same common parliament, is nil.”
Why?
He should have said “the possibility that Israeli Jews give up their privileges and economic status will only be realised when they have no other choice”.
Miliband- reminds me of Fairuz singing “Zahrat al Mada’en” in the late 60s- “the world settled for war” is one of the lines . Fairuz was right. Miliband backed the Iraq war but war in 67 and 03 only made things more complicated.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xNtzGTRx_8
at 4:46
And the rules of justice never changed. Israel has shot itself in the foot. It isn’t Jewish land. Erez Israel hashlemah is bullshit. Jewish Hebron is bullshit.
Bibi recruited Romney way back in their college days and now the Bibi faction strongly seeks to compel a Romney victory, but more level heads among the Lobby realize that while a lackey can be useful and brainless lackey might be dangerous