J. Laszio Founder Israel Project
The Israel Project is an educational organization that gets facts about Israel and the Middle East to press, policy makers and the public. While we are pro-Israel, nothing we do is anti-Palestinian. We both share facts about Israel’s commitment to peace and the need for Palestinians to end incitement of Israel. Both of these things can help bring the two-state solution the Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu — and so many others — desire.
There has been a lot of smearing by some in the supposedly pro-Israel community in these last days. The revelation by The Washington Times last week that J Street accepted substantial contributions from billionaire George Soros, despite repeated claims that it had not, has sparked much interest in the “pro-Israel” community.
The real problem with J Street, however, is not that it misled people by hiding the fact that it received contributions from people whose support of Israel is suspect. Rather, it is that J Street uses a false premise to take time and resources from thousands of people – including American leaders — whose concern for Israel is unquestioned.
J Street – like MJ Rosenberg — mislead when they assert that the main obstacle to a peace agreement between Israelis and Palestinians is settlements. They argue as if settlement expansion suddenly stopped, the conflict would magically disappear. This is not only hogwash – it is dangerous. Yes, settlements are an issue. But they are no more an issue than security, incitement, final borders, Jerusalem, water and refugees. All of these issues must be dealt with at the negotiating table — something Israel is eager to do.
When you misdiagnose the underlying condition in the Middle East — as J Street and MJ Rosenberg have done and convinced others to do — you become unable to cure it.
The fact is that Israel has repeatedly offered to uproot settlements as part of a deal creating a Palestinian state – but the Palestinians did not agree. It is clear from the statements of Prime Minister Netanyahu that he too, like Israeli Prime Ministers before him, is willing to make painful sacrifices for peace and a two state solution. Israel has proven by its withdrawals from Sinai, Southern Lebanon and Gaza that it will make genuinely bold moves for peace.
The chief impediments to an Israeli-Palestinian peace are the lack of mutual acceptance and the misuse and abuse of ideology. Israel needs its neighbors to embrace the idea of mutual coexistence, dignity and respect.
Why is it so hard for some Arabs and Iran to accept that Israel should be the national and democratic homeland of the Jewish people – while living alongside a Palestinian state? Why is it that, despite the fact that 20% of Israeli citizens are Arabs who have full rights, that some Palestinians can only imagine a state that is Juedenrein?
Yes, I say again, there are issues with settlements. But there are zero settlers and settlements in Gaza today. There have not been any since the summer of 2005 when Israel and close to 10,000 Israeli citizens withdrew from all of Gaza with hopes of peace. And still, after thousands of rockets fired by Iran-backed Hamas at Israel later, the official Hamas charter demands that their people “kill the Jews.”
Regrettably Israel also has a small minority of extremist, right-wing ideologues. While the fruits of their ideology are not anywhere near as reprehensible as those of Islamist extremists, they also can pose obstacles to peace and must be condemned.
Thankfully, many on both sides want to negotiate peace. To show that they are serious about helping to achieve a peace agreement, MJ Rosenberg and the people at J Street should focus talent and funds on replacing the Palestinian culture of hate with a culture of hope. They should support Palestinian leaders who want to stay at the peace talks and resolve painful issues once and for all. Israel longs for a time when Palestinians will finally “miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity” by saying ‘yes’ to peace.
Palestinians need jobs, not jihad. Many moderate Palestinians know this and they are the future of their future country. Those who care about peace have a moral obligation to use facts, not ideology, as our guide. Being honest and open is the only way to create a better future for all sides.
