Hi Yuyutsu,

I think that all of us hope that there will be an end to
the conflict. That each side will eventually see each other as
human beings and maybe they can cross the divide.

The land must be shared, people must be treated
equally. It is possible if the will is there.
If the Diaspora Jews and Palestinians brought pressure to bear
on both their sides - attitudes could change.

People must change - or they will destroy each other.

Dear Foxy,

I will be 97 next month, and my dear wife has Parkinson’s so my travel plans are limited. I haven’t been to Israel, but I would like to see it.

At one time I was an ardent Zionist, but I no longer am. For a while I was ardently opposed to Israel. I no longer am. I have come to realize that any people can be oppressed, and any people can be the oppressor. The Germany of today is not the Germany of the Nazis. The Australia of today is not white Australia. The Jews of Israel are not the Jews confined in Christian designated ghettoes. When people are allowed to oppress many do. When people are oppressed they suffer in silence, speak out if allowed, suffer in silence, become violent, express themselves in a non-violent manner or turn to religion. When some of the oppression is lifted some of the oppressors feel they are oppressed.

I see religion as a mixed bag. I think Seneca, a Roman philosopher, had a reasonable view, “Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by rulers as useful.”

Sometimes religion contributes to tribalism and hate and is a source of evil. Bible bashers quote the Bible to back up their views. I will do the same.

Isaiah 45:7 King James Version - Bible Gateway
https://www.biblegateway.com › passage

"I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things."

The belief that God approves of atrocity is a great encouragement to many who commit those evil acts.

Read the Book of Joshua for examples in the Bible.

Dear David F.,

Thank you for sharing and being so open about your
feelings. I appreciate how difficult it must be
for you. To me compassion has always been a Jewish
tradition. That is why I still have hope that
things in Israel will improve with time. I believe
that people can and must change. It is possible if the
will is there. If the Diaspora Jews and Palestinians
put pressure to bear on their leaders attitudes could
change. People all over the world are beginning to
realise what's going on. Slowly, too slowly the tide
is turning. Change must happen - or the state will destroy
itself.

Dear David,

As you all speak of a "solution", I can reasonably believe that you perceive of a problem around Israel that requires solving, thus I asked you to tell us what exact problem are you referring to.

Indeed I cannot read your mind, but in the absence of a response I had to do my best at guessing, based on what you wrote in your opening address. No one can assume that others can read their minds and know what their problems are if they fail to state them.

Now in your subsequent post you did clarify:
«I want Israel to be able to live in peace with neighboring countries and the non-Jews within Israel.»

Thank you, thus your problem seems to be that this is not happening, so you offered some solutions.

In my view, the price of the solutions you offered is too expensive for Israelis to bear: should that indeed be the price, then remaining at war is the better option (for them, not necessarily for you).

---

Dear Foxy,

«I think that all of us hope that there will be an end to the conflict.»

Yes, that would be nice, but at what price?

«That each side will eventually see each other as human beings»

Well this is your proposed solution, and appreciably it does cost less than David's, though I don't think it's even required: experience shows that humans do have conflicts with other humans and on the other hand, humans can often live in peace with animals!

«The land must be shared»

It is shared already, not necessarily equally, not necessarily fairly, but it is, thus you may want to be more specific on how exactly it should be shared.

David's method of sharing the land is, for varied reasons, unacceptable to most Israelis and is also unacceptable to me because that would also imply that Israel's 1967 occupation will never come to an end.

«People must change - or they will destroy each other.»

Possibly, but then it depends on how exactly you want people changed: certain changes are worse than destruction.

For a solution, how come the Hebrews and the Philistines don't send out two champions to fight it out in single combat? This would save everyone else the trouble of fighting, and would seemingly be a quick, safe, and satisfactory way of settling the question?

Hi Yuyutsu,

A couple of things.

The issue so often in this conflict is not whether you're
right but whether you're wise.

Washington should try to pursue discreet Israeli/Saudi
normalization discussions and force Hamas to chose
between its rockets and re-construction.

Hamas is a problem. They seem to be about rejection
not co-existence.

Of course the Palestinian issue cannot be dismissed or
denied. Israel can't keep absorbing Palestinian
territories. But Israel can't solve the conflict on its
own. Palestinians must also be willing to compromise
and that is something they continue to resist.

But Israel must be open to new approaches that signals
recognition of Palestinian and not just Israeli needs.